Export and slaughter numbers tell the COOL tale Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Beef slaughter numbers in Western Canada were up a whopping 18 per cent in the last week of January compared to the same week a year before. While slaughter was down in Eastern Canada, the overall change across Canada was still 12.4 per cent. The increase in slaughter numbers is matched by an 18.9 per cent decline in live cattle exports. Market watchers agree that Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) in the United States is the reason. Paul Stiles, assistant manager, Ontario Cattlemen's Association, says that Western Canadian plants were working under capacity previously. Operators of the Better Beef plant in Guelph, Eastern Canada's largest, can't get enough cattle to go to a double shift even when they buy from Quebec.The shift away from live slaughter exports is driven by real uncertainty over the COOL Final Rule, which was to take effect Mar. 15, says market watcher Charlie Gracey. President Barack Obama has since put the Final Rule, (an interim version of the law and regulation has been in effect since September) on hold. Gracey says that, before the Final Rule was announced, American packers were discounting Canadian cattle by $16 per hundredweight after dealing with exchange rate differences.Cow and bull exports are up 36 per cent over a year earlier. They get slaughtered in the United States. It's a sign of the dreary outlook for the industry, Gracey says. BF Board cancels dairy production incentive days Swimming in milk, drowning in red ink south of border
Ontario Promotes Local Food to Boost Economy and Jobs Thursday, June 5, 2025 Ontario is celebrating Local Food Week from June 2–8, 2025, honoring the people behind the province’s strong and self-sufficient food supply. From farmers and food processors to retailers and restauranteurs, these individuals contribute to the economy and food security. The agriculture... Read this article online
Scientists at Guelph Target Avian Threat Thursday, June 5, 2025 The University of Guelph (U of G) is activeey engaged against the spread of avian flu. Experts from a variety of departments, including virology, engineering, veterinary medicine, and computer science, are working together to stop this growing threat. “This is not just a crisis for the... Read this article online
Trouw Nutrition launches IntelEgg Thursday, June 5, 2025 Trouw Nutrition has announced the launch of , a digital platform designed to empower layer producers with real-time insights and data-driven decision-making tools. The image above shows an demo screen. This browser-based application is set to transform how poultry farmers monitor,... Read this article online
New Report Highlights Farm Housing Needs in Greenbelt Areas Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Greenbelt Foundation has released a new report titled Housing Needs and . It highlights the urgent need for housing solutions in rural Ontario for farm families, farm workers, and agri-business employees. As the farming community knows, agriculture is a vital part of Ontario’s... Read this article online
New Precision Ag Digital Digest Coming Soon Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Summer 2025 Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest will be released on June 11. Summer is upon us! Tillage and seeding are mostly completed (…hopefully), so we are shifting focus to irrigation, baling, spraying, guidance, and harvest (among other topics and technologies). In... Read this article online