ā€˜Beef for Bidenā€™: Alberta favourite featured on dinner menu for presidential visit to Ottawa

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ACFA Vice President, Policy and Government Relations, CJ Noble comments on Alberta beef being served as part of the main course for President Biden’s visit to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and United States President Joe Biden shared dinner together for the first timeĀ Friday eveningĀ in Ottawa and a world-renowned Alberta favourite was included on the menu.

Alberta beef braised short rib, served as part of the main course, is receiving approval from the provinceā€™s beef producers who were pleased to see their product served to the world leader and first lady Jill Biden.

Cathy Noble, vice-president of the Alberta Cattle Feedersā€™ Association, says sheā€™s not surprised Alberta beef was chosen.

ā€œWe have a great reputation with Alberta beef, not only amongst Canadians but truly internationally and showcasing it at this dinner just emphasizes the quality and great product we produce not only in Alberta for beef but Canadian beef across the board,ā€ she said.

ā€œI think that Canadians and our global partners know we’re raising that beef in a sustainable way, that’s putting animal welfare first and ensuring the end product is good for the individuals enjoying the beef, as well as for the environment.ā€

Watch the video here.

Study calls for transparency in Alberta beef processing with hopes of improving the industry’s resilience

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More information is critical for an industry that operates “on very thin margins,” producers say.

ā€œThe cattle business is a margin business and itā€™s done on very thin margins . . . five out of the last six years thereā€™s been a loss,ā€ said Janice Tranberg, president and CEO of the ACFA as well as the National Cattle Feedersā€™ Association. ā€œTo be able to understand pricing, and being able to factor that in to all the expenses that go into it, itā€™s really important.ā€

Read the full Calgary Herald article here.

 

Methane-busting seaweed for cattle may help Canada meet its emissions targets

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The additive, which reduces cattle’s methane production by up to 90 per cent, is a major development in the face of federal targets to lower agriculture emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.

Read the full Calgary Herald Article HERE

Canadian meat industry pleased to see exemption for ground meats in Health Canadaā€™s final Front-of-Package labelling regulations

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ā€œCanadaā€™s cattle feeders take great pride in producing high quality, nutritious beef using sustainable practices. We appreciate the Government of Canada recognizing ground beef and pork as a healthy part of the Canadian diet.ā€ James Bekkering, Board Chair of the National Cattle Feedersā€™ Association.

 

Read the industry release here

Feedlots still struggling for feed despite increase in corn shipments

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In almost 20 years of running Cattleland Feedyards near Strathmore, Keith Gregory (ACFA Board Member) has never seen a feed shortage like much of the industry is now experiencing.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel for the 25,000-head operation as Canadian Pacific Railway has increased shipments of corn from the U.S., but the situation is still tenuous.

Cattle Feeders Face Shortages Due to Drought and Transport Issues

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WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Canadian farmers say they are just days away from running out of feed for cattle, due to severe drought last summer damaging crops needed to fatten them over winter and transportation bottlenecks.

The droughtĀ devastated Prairie pasturesĀ and has now forced feedlots in Alberta, the main cattle-producing province, to buy more U.S. corn. Moving it north of the border is difficult and costly, however.

Canadian Pacific Railway LtdĀ (CP.TO), the main corn shipper to Western Canada, has struggled to keep up with demand during frigid weather.Ā COVID-19 vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers threaten to further disrupt the supply chain.

The feed shortage could depress profits for feedlots, the farms that raise cattle to slaughter weight, but it may not raise retail beef prices as feedlots have incentive to sell their cattle to packers as quickly as possible, increasing meat supply, said Brian Perillat, senior analyst at CanFax.

Jacob Bueckert, owner of a 20,000-head feedlot near Warner, Alberta, estimates that he has five days’ supply of feed on hand, when he normally has 14-30 days’ worth.

“We don’t have any buffer. It’s scary,” he said, adding that he is frustrated by delayed rail shipments.

“Excuses aren’t going to feed the cattle.”

Many feedlot owners are getting by with contributions from neighbors who have enough feed, Bueckert said. But it is not easy to find surplus grain – feedlots are fuller than usual after the drought led ranchers to sell more cattle to feedlots last fall, he said.

Read the complete article on Reuters here

ALBERTA CATTLE PRODUCERS ‘STRETCHING SUPPLIES’ AMID FEED SHORTAGE

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ā€œWe are still waiting for Decemberā€™s unit train and itā€™s the end of January now.ā€

According to the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, 8,000 rail cars of corn had been shipped from the U.S. in 2021 as of mid-December. In 2020, just 600 rail cars of corn had been shipped from the U.S. by the same point.

Complete IHeartRadio article here

Feed corn shipments take sharp jump

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Janice Tranberg, president of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association, called the amounts of corn imports into Canada ā€œunprecedented.ā€

ā€œThe feeders are looking to bring dried distillers grains and corn from the U.S. up as much as they can,ā€ she said.

One of the biggest challenges is moving so much corn, she added.

ā€œThis isnā€™t a typical route to the degree weā€™re bringing it up. Normally, weā€™re worried about how are we getting our grain west,ā€ said Tranberg.

Complete Western Producer article here

Alberta feedlot operators running low on grain for cattle

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“There’s been delays in shipments on the rail side, we’re short of labor, we’re short of truck drivers, it’s just kind of been the perfect storm,” said Janice Tranberg, president and CEO of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Association.

FullĀ  CTV story here

Alberta cattle producers facing a feed crisis

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Some Alberta cattle producers say a feed shortage has reached a crisis situation on the Prairies.

The Alberta Cattle Feeders Association says several large feedlots, housing anywhere from 20-thousand to 40-thousand head of cattle, have indicated they could run out of food within days.

The industry says the effects of last season’s drought have been worsened by delays in rail shipments of corn due to labour shortages, cold weather and other supply chain challenges.

Full story here