Dennis Laycraft. (John Greig photo)

Beef sector mobilizes against supply disruptions

Keeping border open, meeting demand for beef are top priorities

Teams of livestock and government officials are quickly creating plans and policies to keep the sector functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, says the executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “Our primary objective obviously is to insure there is stable beef production and trade that can continue under the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dennis

Update your emergency plan and consider a wide range of ‘what-if’ scenarios, says Rebecca Husted, an expert in emergency planning for livestock. (Supplied photo)

Ahead of any emergency, plan for the worst

Disaster planning is not a pleasant task but it's vital that producers have a plan, expert says

Identify your resources and review your plan, says an expert in emergency planning for livestock. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very different type of emergency, said Rebecca Husted, a teacher of technical large animal emergency rescue. “Most disasters like fires and floods have people moving around, but in COVID-19, people are not supposed to move


(Mustafagull/iStock/Getty Images)

Call your vet before you go to clinic during COVID-19

Different vet clinics have adopted different protocols

Animal welfare is paramount during COVID-19 — but so is human health. That’s why Darrell Dalton, registrar of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, recommends you call ahead before you go to your vet. “Different practices have taken different measures and different steps,” he said. “Some of the small practices are limiting the number of people

(File photo)

Livestock auction marts to decide on next steps

Livestock Marketing Association of Canada pondering next move in face of pandemic

You may want to call first to see if it’s open, but many auction marts in Alberta were still having sales on Tuesday morning. The Livestock Marketing Association of Canada has a conference call set for this evening to discuss COVID-19 safety measures for staff, customers and buyers, said Chance Martin, an LMAC director and


(ThamKC/iStock/Getty Images)

Ethanol woes spur new feed focus for Green Plains

Biofuel maker to reinvent itself as DDGS-based feed maker

Chicago | Reuters — Green Plains Inc., one of the biggest U.S. ethanol producers, is planning to flip its business model upside down to survive a crash in prices for the corn-based fuel. The company will invest some $400 million in the next two to three years at its 13 plants to make high-protein, corn-based

Cartagena’s colonial walled section and fortress are a UNESCO World Heritage site in Colombia. (CIA.gov)

Colombia cleared of foot-and-mouth

Country now aims to double meat exports

Bogota | Reuters — Colombia will look to double its meat exports now it has regained its status as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, President Ivan Duque said on Thursday. Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious viral disease found in animals and is one of the most serious to affect livestock, including cattle, sheep and


Manitoba producers are eligible for the Hay Disaster Benefit for a second year.

Short feed triggers Hay Disaster Benefit for second year

Until last year, Manitoba had never triggered the Hay Disaster Benefit built into AgriInsurance

Manitoba’s Hay Disaster Benefit has been activated for the second year in a row after forage once again fell short of expectations in 2019. Estimated payments are far in excess of last year. On Jan. 10, the provincial and federal governments said they expected payments to exceed $5 million for losses suffered in 2019, compared



Year in review: Ranchers brace for another short feed winter

Year in review: Ranchers brace for another short feed winter

It’s a bad case of deja vu for livestock producers facing stressed pastures come 2020

Livestock producers were already starting from behind in 2019. Producers were already looking at a feed shortage after drought conditions stuck much of the province in 2018, particularly areas of southwest Manitoba and the Interlake. Most of agricultural Manitoba had qualified for the federal livestock tax deferral program in 2018 — a program that allows

The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

Fictional nation Wakanda removed from USDA trade list

Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it removed the fictional country of Wakanda from an online list of nations that have free trade agreements with the United States on Thursday. The Kingdom of Wakanda is the home of Black Panther, the Marvel superhero, and is portrayed in comic books and the 2018