Funds for beef technology, research Wednesday, March 9, 2011 by SUSAN MANNBeef farmers, feedlot operators and packing plants will now be able to update their information technology systems thanks to funding from the federal government.At today’s annual meeting of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association in Ottawa, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced $5.3 million in funding to ensure the information systems of industry stakeholders stay compatible with the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS). This system enables producers and processors to transfer animal and carcass data seamlessly.Travis Toews, Canadian Cattlemen’s president, says participation in the program is voluntary. Participating farmers enter their data, such as age verification; feedlots enter their animal health and production data; packers send back grading and yield data. “All that information would be accessible to all the participants in the supply chain.”The $5.3 million in funding for information technology upgrades was part of $8 million in money the federal government announced for the beef sector.A total of $2.5 million is being given for the second phase of the Beef Cluster. The money will be used to build on research already being done by a network of industry, academic and government experts. Research will focus on increasing the competitiveness and profitability of beef producers by reducing production costs, increasing feed efficiency and decreasing the impact of animal health issues.The cattlemen’s association is also getting $364,000 to enhance its Quality Starts Here-Verified Beef Production on-farm food safety program. BF Mossley livestock dealer fined Agriculture-wildlife conflict strategy proposal posted for comments
Ontario crops respond to summer heat Wednesday, July 2, 2025 According to the OMAFA Field Crop News team, Ontario field crops are showing rapid development as summer-like temperatures have dominated late June early July. The warm spell has accelerated growth and helped reduce the heat unit deficit from a cool spring. Corn fields have seen a burst... Read this article online
Canada’s Place in Global Food System Resilience Wednesday, July 2, 2025 Canada’s food system is facing serious pressure due to global supply chain issues, climate change, and rising food prices. According to a KPMG report, bold and united action is needed now to make Canada’s agriculture sector more resilient and self-reliant. With the global population... Read this article online
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online