Cattle Country - 2014 by ManitobaBeefProducers

Published by Manitoba Beef Producers

Jeannette Greaves

February 2014

What is a Good Bull Worth? Page 3

RON FRIESEN

KEY POINTS

It is a rare occasion when farmers ask their own association to raise check-off levies on the commodities they sell. But that is what Manitoba cattle producers are doing. Five resolutions passed at Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) district meetings last fall call for an increase in MBP’s membership check-off. What is significant is that these requests are coming from the grassroots, not the board of directors, says Cam Dahl, MBP general manager. “Members at district meetings have looked at this and said our organization needs additional financial resources to do what we need it to do,” Dahl said on the eve of the MBP annual meeting in Brandon, where the resolutions were to be debated. “I view this as a very strong vote of confidence coming from the membership. It is gratifying.” The first motion to come forward was from Don Guilford, a Hereford and Black Angus purebred producer from Clearwater, at the District 2 meeting on October 29. Guilford says it is important to keep MBP strong and viable through member

• MBP members are calling for an increase in check-off levies. • Vote at annual meeting will take place. • Monies collected help MBP represent beef producers across Manitoba. • GM Cam Dahl says the requested increase is a strong vote of confidence from the membership. support because cattle producers receive no direct government subsidies. “I just feel the work of Manitoba Beef Producers is vital to our industry. They are our only voice,” Guilford said. Dahl said a majority vote by members at the annual meeting is all that is needed to increase the check-off. MBP does not require approval from the government or the provincial farm marketing council to make the change. A sharp drop in cattle sales and a resulting shortfall in MBP’s operating revenue are the reasons for suggesting a check-off increase at this time.

Currently, Manitoba producers pay $3 a head in checkoffs. A $2-a-head checkoff collected on cattle sold within Manitoba funds the operations of Manitoba Beef Producers. The levy is collected automatically at point of sale but can be refunded to producers on request. A second check-off of $1 a head goes toward national programs, including Canada Beef and the Beef Cattle Research Council. It is non-refundable. A previous check-off of $2 a head, payable to the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council (MCEC), ended last year when the provincial government terminated the MCEC. Dahl and Guilford say ending the MCEC check-off makes it easier to sell an increase in the check-off for MBP. Even if the levy gets raised by $1 a head, the total amount will still be a dollar less than when MCEC was in operation. Dahl said MBP’s check-off generated around $880,000 last year (net of refunds), based on sales of around 530,000 cattle and calves. But that amount has gone down by over $200,000 over the last few years because of smaller herd numbers and fewer cattle going to market. The situation is similar in other provinces as

producers reduce their herds or leave the industry entirely. The Canadian beef cattle herd has been declining since reaching a peak in 2005. Today, the North American cattle herd is the smallest it has been since the 1950s. But Dahl said Manitoba’s beef herd is shrinking faster than others because of the heavy impact from the U.S. Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) rule, the on-going after-effects of BSE and local floods. As a result, MBP finances are stretched thin and the association is becoming unable to meet its full financial assessment to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). All provincial beef associations contribute money to the annual operations of CCA, based on their size. The vast majority of financial support for CCA’s operating costs comes from the provinces. Dahl said MBP ended the previous fiscal year with a slight deficit, despite some “pretty significant belt-tightening.” That included holding more board meetings by conference call instead of in person, plus not attending producer meetings in neighbouring U.S. states. Because of its tight budget, MBP will not be able to fully meet its commitments

to CCA this year. Dahl said CCA allocations make up nearly a third of MBP’s annual budget. So far, MBP is missing that target by about 30 per cent. Other provinces are also reportedly having trouble meeting their CCA commitments because of revenue shortfalls resulting from declining cattle herds. Dahl said it is critical to continue funding CCA because it helps provide important services to the industry at large. CCA is instrumental in supporting trade challenges, such as the one against COOL, which has gone on for years. It also advocates for producers and speaks for them on issues ranging from the environment to government regulations. “We provide the producer’s voice to the national and international theatre in dealing with their issues,” said Rob McNabb, CCA’s general operations manager. McNabb said CCA was recently named as one of the most effective lobby groups on Parliament Hill, despite its relatively small size compared to powerhouses such as the oil and gas industry. McNabb said the decline in cattle sales and the resulting drop in check-off Continued on page 2

Vaccinating Your Herd Page 8

Nuffield Scholar on Sustainable Beef Production Page 15

Postmaster: Please return undeliverable copies to: MBP, 154 Paramount Road, Winnipeg, MB R2X 2W3 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Number 40005187 Postage paid in Winnipeg.

MBP MEMBERSHIP TO CONSIDER CHECK-OFF INCREASE

CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Continued from page 1 revenue is happening all across Canada. This puts pressure on the services beef associations can provide their members. “Consequently, all of us are feeling the pinch on being able to continue doing the work that we do for producers at both the provincial and national levels,” McNabb said. McNabb said CCA is consulting with members on priorities for service ahead of its annual meeting in early March, when the association’s annual budget will be decided. “The bottom line is, we will align our priorities with the resources that are available.”

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DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin,LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

Dave Koslowsky

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SEcretary

DISTRICT 6

TreVOR ATCHISON - President

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

VACANT

DISTRICT 10

Theresa zuk - treasurer

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 4

glen campbell

Cheryl McPherson

HEINZ REIMER - Vice President

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

Larry Gerelus

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Landsdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

Caron Clarke

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

bill murray

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX

Manitoba Beef Producers 154 Paramount Road Winnipeg, MB R2X 2w3

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

stan foster

Ray Armbruster - Past President

policy analyst Maureen Cousins

communications coordinator Kristen Lucyshyn

finance

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

executive assistant

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Cam Dahl

Deb Walger Esther Reimer

Shannon Savory

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

What is a Good Bull Worth? angela lovell

you have paid for buying a better bull.” The answer to this quesMatching the genettion depends on a lot of ics of the bull with what factors, not least of which a producer wants to is what do you want to achieve with the herd is achieve with your herd and important. “You have to what traits does a bull need understand your herd to have to help you achieve and match the bull to your goals? That will deter- your cows if you want mine the value of a bull to to build a herd around your operation and may set this bull,” says Don Yake, the price for you at the bull a cattle producer near sale. Mather. “Calving ease, The first thing to keep good udders and a docile in mind is that a bull is disposition are some of an investment, says Rick the things that are critiWright of Heartland Or- cal for us.” der Buying Co. “If you “As herds get bigger cheat on your bull power and manpower is in shortyou will cheat on your calf er supply calving 1/2 ease and crop, and you will nega- calf vigor are becoming tively affect the profit- more important,” says Lee ability of your operation,” McMillen of McMillen says Wright. Ranching in Carievale, “As a producer, I would Saskatchewan, who has PB SIMMENTAL look forMMJ a bull with commer92Z a little been breeding added performance,” says cial herd bulls for over 40 Ian Hamilton, a purebred years. “I always think maLimousin breeder near ternal traits are very imDarlingford. “If a person portant too because if you uses a bull on 20 cows and pay good money for a betthat bull can increase the ter bull, selling top steer 1/2 but performance by 20 lbs a calves is one thing, calf, that is 400 lbs a year, the females that you put and at $1.50/lb value that23Uback theARAPAHOE herd need MADER P BLK RANSOM X MJ in BLACK 55L to is $600 per year. If the bull be functional, with good lasts three or four years, udders. That is where

you get the benefit from spending a little more money on a really good bull.” Another consideration is what breeds are most popular on the market, because preferences for different breeds tend to cycle. “Producers should ask themselves: ‘How can I have the most producers bidding on my calves?’” says Wright. “I might love breed ‘A’ but they are not the highest sellers anymore, and can I afford to put personal preference over profitability?” Shopping around may get you a cheaper bull, but Simmental Herdsire Tombstone of Mar Mac Farms. Yake believes that buying local pays in the end. “The they will often loan you a what you are looking for local guys do their best to spare bull if they can.” in your next bull, makes a look after you,” he says. Doing a little research is difference. No one knows “They understand what well worthwhile, says Mc- the genetic background PB SIMMENTAL you MMJ are after you can spare and attributes of a bull 106Zand they Millen. “If want to see you succeed a couple of hours prior to like the producer and they because that will keep bull sale day to go to the can steer you in the right you coming back. You get farm and look through the direction.” The sale catalogue proto understand how their bulls and the cow herds, program works and they you will be better pre- vides important informawill always do their best to pared for the sale day,” he tion on the genetics of the try and cover you if some- suggests. “Even spending animal, including Expected thing goes wrong. If your 20 minutes on the phone Progeny Difference (EPD) bull WLB getsBULL foot360S rot401X or a Xbad to 8116U go over the catalogue numbers, which are a meaR PLUS eye and he is not interest- and sire groups, and dis- sure of the expected differed in working anymore, cuss your operation and ences in performance of a calf from a bull compared PB SIMMENTAL BLACK ANGUS MMJ 106Z MLG 17Z to the averages for that breed. EPD’s are split into three main areas: calving ease (birth weight), performance numbers (weaning weight and yearling weight) and maternal numbers (maternal calving ease, maternal weaning weight— WLB BULL 360S X PRECISION R PLUS 8116U sometimes called total maJL PIONEER 62X 401X X WCC E161 J239 ternal—and milk). Most numbers are in pounds as either a plus BLACK RED ANGUS PB SIMMENTAL 17Z MLG MMJ 36Z 106Z or minus of the average for that breed. Calving ease EPD is the expected percentage of unassisted births for first-calf heifers mated with that bull. Milk EPD is a measure of milking ability and indicates the additional pounds at

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weaning of calves from daughters of that particular bull. Although EPD’s are a useful tool, McMillen believes they should not be the only thing a producer bases their bull purchase on. “I still believe you have to analyze the bull himself and the sire group, and also his mother and the cow herd behind him,” says McMillen. Although most producers have an idea of what they are willing to pay, they should not be too close minded about prices and remember to factor in the trade-in value of their old bull, says Wright. “A lot of producers are stuck on saying ‘I only want to spend so much on a bull’ but with the current market, the trade-in value on your old bull is extremely good, so you have a down payment on your next bull,” he says. “We are seeing the highest cattle prices for a while so you do not want to be cheating on your calf crop now; you want to produce healthy calves that will convert and make money for you.”

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CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

The views expressed in Cattle Country do not necessarily reflect the position of the Manitoba Beef Producers. We believe in free speech and encourage all contributors to voice their opinion.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

TAILGATE TALK Get Involved, Lend Your Time

Trevor Atchison Happy New Year from the directors and staff at Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP)! As always, there is a lot going on at MBP, and we will be glad to meet with producers and provide updates at the Annual General Meeting, February 4-5, 2014 at the Victoria Inn, Brandon. The community pastures issue is slowly inching forward. We are awaiting a response from the provincial government on funding. Currently, there are five pastures that are closed and unstaffed. The land has been turned back to the province and five more pastures will be by the end of March. We have been assured by Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn that there will be cattle grazing in all of these 10 pastures in 2014 and beyond. For now, this is all we can tell producers. If you are a patron of a pasture and you have questions, I encourage you to call Barry Lowes, the chair of the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures Steering Committee. Recently, MBP’s General Manager Cam Dahl and I attended a Growing Forward 2 consultation. We received information that all program terms and conditions are finally completed. I encourage producers to contact your local Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) GO Office

to check for deadlines that may be coming quickly. We will also post them in Cattle Country when possible. It will soon be one year since the initial release of Growing Forward 2 and a lot of precious time has been lost waiting for the details of the suite of programs. It is of concern to MBP when governments talk about allocating funding to future years of the program based on the uptake of Year 1. In reality, Year 1 is just starting—now that all programs have intake applications publicized. We stressed to governments that they need to be realistic in their assessments of how the funds have been applied for and disbursed, and not to jeopardize the success of the remaining years of programs by basing them on a slow roll-out. As president of MBP, and after six years of working for the producers of District 6 and all beef producers in Manitoba, it seems difficult to me to write down all of the “wins” there have been, while still battling the issues of the present. There have been wins; the recently announced changes to the forage insurance program is one, the Verified Beef Production program has been a great success over the last few years, and district meeting attendance was up two years in a row, along with attendance

at the AGM. Other positives include the creation of the Livestock Predation Protection Working Group, the appointment of a Bovine TB Co-ordinator and approval of federal research funding, the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council has been closed up, and we hope livestock price insurance will be available soon. Regarding other issues, we are still awaiting the implementation of informed access to Crown land. The provincial Premises Identification system is up and running and I encourage producers to apply for their Premises Identification Number. I am disappointed that MBP was unable to appeal to MAFRD and the Chief Veterinary Officer to have a simple, seamless transition from the original Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) premise ID to the Manitoba one. Unfortunately, the responsibility will fall to the producer to update their CCIA account. Positives on the horizon are harmonization of Canadian and U.S. vaccines and medicines (that we can not access for the same price). This has not happened yet but it is closer now than ever before. Dialog has been initiated with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) around updating slaughter protocols regarding OTM cattle and the extra processes required, and how relevant

they are, given the very low level presence of BSE being found. During my time serving with MBP, I witnessed the Canadian cattle industry work together to move our marketing arms into one entity—Canada Beef Inc. Canada Beef is going strong. It has benefited from the dedication shown by the federal government over the last few years in its efforts to open borders following BSE almost 11 years ago. Over a number of years, I have also experienced the process of working to get support for producers in Manitoba for weather related disasters. This has proved to be a significant challenge but one MBP will never give up on whenever issues arise. The one disappointment I do feel, and this is out of our control, is the shrinking of the cattle herd in Manitoba and Canada. I sincerely hope this trend corrects itself in the very near future. I have been told it takes a community to raise a child. My wife and I learned that this is true shortly after March of 2012, when our daughter Reese was born. It may not take the whole community but when the dad/ husband is away part time, it does take a lot of help. I would add to this that when a producer becomes a director on a board such as MBP, it takes community help to keep things running as

Calving time has arrived. Have you purchased your

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smooth as possible. I would like to thank the neighbours, friends and family members who helped out over the last six years. More than once, I was away at meetings or in the house on a conference call while family and friends were processing cattle. We have heard after the fact that neighbours had put a few cattle in and fixed the fence as they knew I was away at the time. These little jobs allowed my father and hired man to attend to the rest of the outfit. I recall that years ago, being a director was something that I was hesitant to do and I passed up the opportunity a couple of times before jumping in. It was, however, something I wanted to do. As with many things in life, there may never seem like a right time to do something! I have learned much more than I feel I have given back to the industry. I have met some of the most dedicated producers that give up their time to direct this industry we all make a living from. I did not always agree with all of them on issues but there was always mutual respect for both sides of tough debates—that is how it is when cattlemen come together to achieve common goals. I have a real sense of respect and admiration for the staff of MBP, whom I have worked with in the present and past. They show dedication and commitment to the same causes we, as producers

face, even though they do not have the same “skin in the game” we do. But you would never know it from the long after-hours work they put in to getting the job done. This can be extended to other provincial organizations and national organizations, as I have met the same great staff in beef organizations across the country. They have the same passion as beef producers, even if they do not have the cows to prove it. To my wife Melissa, our children, my parents Lloyd and Joan, who where the ones that truly made this opportunity possible by not only doing the work but encouraging me: I thank you very much for keeping the home “zoo” in organized chaos for six years. Ryan, our hired help (but really family), my sisters, brother in-law and especially my niece and nephew who have helped over the years— your support is all much appreciated. I could not have done it without you. I named my president’s column “Tailgate Talk,” so I will end this by saying I do hope to have time for a little tailgate talk with all of the great people I have met along this journey through the beef industry. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking about it to get involved and give the time you can spare to a great cause for an industry we all love. Thank you for your support over the years.

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February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGER’S COLUMN

MY SIDE OF THE FENCE Reasons to be Optimistic About 2014

CAM DAHL

KEY POINTS

I hope that I will have the chance to speak to most of you at our 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) February 4-5, 2014. The line-up of speakers is very strong this year. I am proud of the work of Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) staff who have delivered a very topical and informative event. The AGM is not just about the organization informing producers. This is also the key opportunity for you, MBP’s members, to give direction to your organization. I hope you have the time to join us in Brandon and add your voice to the discussion and debate. This edition of Cattle Country is the first opportunity for me to put my economics training to use and ponder the potential for the year ahead. The beef industry has come through 10 difficult years since the BSE crisis hit in 2003. BSE was followed by floods, ongoing impacts of bovine tuberculosis, U.S. mandatory Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL), droughts and severe feed shortages, along with other hurdles that beef producers have had a hard time crossing. That paragraph almost reads like a list of biblical plagues. Sadly, the difficulties of the past 10 years have meant that many producers have left this industry for good. Their

• The AGM provides a venue for members to give direction to MBP. Come, join us and let your voice be heard! • The beef industry has gone through 10 difficult years, but the year ahead looks promising. • There are three reasons for optimism: less quantity means higher prices for beef producers; market access is opening and places like Japan and the EU want to buy our beef; and government programming, like forage insurance and price insurance, looks promising.

departure is not just a loss for our industry but a loss for rural Manitoba communities and the provincial economy as a whole. Fortunately, the year ahead does not look like the hard times we have passed through. Looking ahead, I see real reasons for optimism. In fact, if a young producer asked me today what they should do with their cow herd, my response would be: “double it.” Why the optimism? I can give you three good reasons, and no, “senseless” is not one of them. The most obvious reason is price. The North

American cattle herd has the lowest number of head since the 1950s. Less quantity supplies mean higher prices for the suppliers—beef producers. Prices, especially for cowcalf producers, should remain strong for a few years to come as the herd across North America is rebuilt. The second reason for optimism is market access. Since the onslaught of BSE, beef associations and governments have worked together to open markets that were closed to us. These efforts have paid off and a significant slice of the world is once again open to Canadian beef. For example, this past year Japan eased its post-BSE restrictions; a move that could double the value of our exports to that market. We have already seen Canadian exports to Japan increase. There is more to come on the market access front. In October 2013, Canada signed an agreement in principle with the European Union that will give us beef access worth an estimated $600 million. Filling this potential will require 500,000 head of cattle per year, equivalent to the number of calves Manitoba produces every year. Topping off the good news on the market access front, Canada has also recently been invited to join the Trans-Pacific

Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations that involve 12 nations in the Pacific region. Together, TPP member countries represent 51 per cent of Canada’s agri-food exports. Some producers have asked me, “What do I get in return for my checkoff?” This increased access to world markets is just one important example of the return you receive on your investment. The third reason I have optimism is government programming. I have to admit, I am cynical enough to be surprised at saying this. But it is true. In the fall, the provincial and federal governments unveiled a new suite of forage insurance programs. MBP has been advocating and working towards reforms to forage insurance for a number of years. The new programs

include increased flexibility in the level of coverage, individual coverage rather than a regional approach, differentiated coverage for different forages and mixes, and a disaster component. Right behind the new forage insurance programming is price insurance. I am anticipating an early 2014 announcement of livestock price insurance that will give beef producers an opportunity to offset their price risk in a meaningful and effective way. Again, this is a program that MBP has been fighting to get for a long time. Beef producers require strong, bankable risk mitigation tools and the forage and price insurance programming will be exactly that, allowing producers to offset both input and output risks. I do not think I am exaggerating when I

say that the combination of these two packages will be game changers for our industry. Agriculture will never be smooth sailing all of the time. Producers are going to have to adjust to new traceability measures. Consumer pressure and government regulations on environmental and animal care issues are going to impact your operation. In the coming year, mandatory COOL will likely continue to be a major barrier to our industry’s growth and profitability in 2014. But today I think the silver lining is bigger than the black cloud. I look towards this year with a smile on my face. I hope every beef producer does as well. And I really hope that a year from now, we can look back and say that we were right.

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CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Government Activities Round-Up maureen cousins

KEY POINTS

The calling of two provincial byelections for January 28 meant the Manitoba government could not make program announcements until the byelections were completed. At publication time, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) was still awaiting answers from the province on several outstanding matters, most notably the future of the Community Pasture Program. In fall 2013, Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn publicly stated his commitment to seeing the community pastures remain available for grazing. MBP strongly believes preserving the pasture program would provide substantial economic and environmental benefits. MBP continues to work on this issue with governments, and is assisting the steering committee formed by the local pastures’ Producer Advisory

• Two provincial byelections called in January mean MBP was still waiting for answers on several matters at press time.

Committees (PAC). The latter recommended the creation of the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) to help oversee pasture management. The goal is to ensure the transfer of all Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) pastures to the AMCP. The proposed business model would ensure the pasture program functions essentially as it had been operating. Questions remained at the end of 2013 around transition funding, taxation, inventory and equipment needs, and staffing. MBP wants these questions addressed swiftly so the new management plan can roll out in time for the 2014 pasture season. Details are also needed about the roll out of the livestock price insurance program promised in the Manitoba government’s fall Throne Speech. MBP

• The Agriculture Minister has given his commitment to seeing community pastures remain available. • Producers have until February 14 to apply for funding under Growing Forward 2. • March 31 is the deadline to sign up for the new suite of forage programs under AgriInsurance. • March 31 is also the deadline to apply for the 2013 Farmland School Tax Rebate. believes a livestock price insurance program—coupled with the revamped forage insurance programs—will

February March

2014 Spring Sale Schedule

DLMS INTERNET SALES EVERY THURSDAY AT www.dlms.ca Call our office to list your cattle! Monday, Feb 3

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb 5

Presort Feeder Sale

10:00 a.m.

Monday, Feb 10

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb 12

Presort Feeder Sale

10:00 a.m.

Sunday, Feb 16

Bonchuck Simmental Bull Sale

Monday, Feb 17

Closed – Louis Riel Day

Wednesday, Feb 19

Regular Feeder Sale

9:00 a.m.

Friday, Feb 21

Bred Cow Sale

11:00 a.m.

Monday, Feb 24

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, Feb 26

Presort Feeder Sale

10:00 a.m.

Monday, March 3

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 5

Regular Feeder Sale

9:00 a.m.

Friday, March 7

Bred Cow Sale & C/C Sale

11:00 a.m.

Sunday, March 9

Rebels of the West Bull Sale

Monday, March 10

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 12

Presort Feeder Sale

10:00 a.m.

Saturday, March 15

Pleasant Dawn Charolais Bull Sale

Monday, March 17

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 19

Regular Feeder Sale

9:00 a.m.

Thursday, March 20

Sheep Sale

12 Noon

Monday, March 24

Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, March 26

Presort Feeder Sale

10:00 a.m.

Friday, March 28

Bred Cow Sale & C/C Sale

11:00 a.m.

Heartland Livestock Services

provide our beef producers with access to an improved suite of business risk management programs that will be very beneficial to our industry.

New intake under GF2 environment programs

Producers have until February 14, 2014 to apply for funding under the Growing Forward 2 Growing Assurance – Environment program. This program provides financial assistance to producers for adoption of targeted beneficial management practices (BMPs). Examples include farmyard runoff control, relocation of livestock confinement and extensive wintering of livestock, among others. Applicants must own, rent, lease, manage or otherwise control agricultural land used to produce agricultural products. They must also have a valid Statement of Completion certificate for an Environmental Farm Plan. For details visit www. gov.mb.ca/agriculture.

Intake under GF2 EG&S program

February 14, 2014 is also the deadline for Conservation Districts (CDs) seeking funding under the GF2 Growing Assurance – Ecological Goods and Services (EG&S) Program. This program provides financial assistance to local CDs to work with producers to implement BMPs on farms to conserve and enhance EG&S on the agricultural landscape. This program is focused on water quality, particularly within the Lake Winnipeg Watershed. Eligible BMPs include: water retention structures; natural area maintenance and enhancement; wetland restoration and constructed wetlands; riparian area enhancement; buffer and grassed waterway establishment; perennial cover for sensitive land; and shelterbelt/tree establishment. For details visit www. gov.mb.ca/agriculture. Under this program, funding flows to the CDs who will work with producers to implement the BMPs. Participating producers do not have to cost share on eligible projects but need to obtain a valid Environmental Farm Program Statement of Completion.

www.mbbeef.ca

Forage program deadline reminder

Forage Establishment Insurance and Pasture InProducers are remind- surance also remain availed that March 31 is the able. deadline to sign up for the new suite of forage pro- Farmland School grams under AgriInsur- Tax Rebate ance. Producers who wish March 31 is also the to participate must enrol deadline to apply for the with the Manitoba Agri- 2013 Farmland School cultural Services Corpo- Tax Rebate and to have ration (MASC) by that the paperwork submitted date. to the Manitoba AgriculFor several years, MBP tural Services Corporasought reforms to the tion. Applications and suite of forage insurance documentation for the programs to make them 2011 and 2012 rebates more workable and bank- must also be submitted by able risk mitigation tools. that time. Some program enhanceThere have been changments include: increased es to the 2013 program, flexibility in the level of including a $5,000 cap on coverage; individual cov- the rebate payment per erage rather than a region- taxpayer and any related al approach; differentiated persons of that taxpayer coverage for different for- (spouses, common-law ages and mixes; and a di- partners and controlled saster component. corporations). There are two key proFurther, to receive the grams. Select Hay Insur- 2013 rebate you must be ance provides quality and a Manitoba resident, that production guarantees for is, have filed your 2012 indifferent forage types on come tax return as a Manian individual basis. Ba- toba resident. This resisic Hay Insurance insures dency requirement does against production losses not apply to prior years, so all landowners still qualon a whole-farm basis. There are also optional ify for the 2010, 2011 and programs, including a 2012 rebates. If you lease farmland Harvest Flood Option for coarse hay if a producer from the Crown Lands and cannot harvest it due to Property Agency (CLPA), excess moisture. Alfalfa for 2010, 2011 and 2012, hay producers can buy the CLPA will make the farmEnhanced Quality Option land school tax rebate apbased on an individualized plication on your behalf. For 2013, you must apply relative feed value. Those enrolled in the for the rebate on the same Select Hay Insurance application form used or Basic Hay Insurance for your other properties program automatically by providing your CLPA receive the Forage Res- client number and 2013 toration Benefit and Hay CLPA Statement of AcDisaster Benefit at no ex- count. The applicable rebate for this farmland will tra cost. MASC’s website features be included automatically a forage insurance calculator in the calculation of your where producers can enter rebate payment, subject to information about their op- the $5,000 maximum. eration to estimate premiFor complete eligibiliums and coverage levels. ty requirements and 2013 For details visit www. application forms visit www.masc.mb.ca. gov.mb.ca/agriculture.

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CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Vet corner

Vaccinating Cows and Calves

Vaccinating your herd is like buying insurance. The cost of the vaccine and its administration is the annual premium to avoid costly losses from death, illness, reduced fertility and your lost reputation as a consistent provider of quality product. There is no such thing as a “closed herd” today. If you do not vaccinate, over time your herds’ resistance to disease diminishes. In today’s world, with integration of the beef industry—from cow-calf producer through to the packer and ultimately the consumer—traceability and productivity are paramount for economical success at all levels of production. Vaccinating to minimize disease and optimize production does improve your bottom line, especially when you go to sell your calves or even your herd. Whole herd immunization programs produce healthier calves and cows, ready to perform in the feedlot or someone else’s herd if you choose dispersal. Data shows that prevaccinated calves have a 60 per cent reduction in treatment rates in the feedlot with a subsequent 55 per cent decline in the number of chronics and half the death losses. Healthy calves start with a total cow health management program of which

vaccination is only one aspect. Keep in mind that a vaccination program is not a substitute for good nutrition, biosecurity and facility management. Skimp on one and herd health will fail. Vaccines are not 100 per cent effective on 100 per cent of the animals vaccinated but they do increase the overall immunity of animals to disease. The exact vaccination program will vary with the individual herd circumstances, including disease history and risk in the area, management, housing, feeding and breeding practices. Consult with your herd veterinarian to develop your own individualized program. As a minimum, cow-calf producers should annually vaccinate cows, bulls and calves for the Clostridial diseases and BVD, IBR, PI3 and BRSV (the “4-way viral”). Choosing the right Clostridial vaccine to use depends on your area or the market for your cattle. Cattle in areas at high risk for liver flukes need to have protection against Cl. novyi and haemolyticum, whereas if you band your bull calves, ensure you protect against tetanus (Cl. tetani). Cases of Cl. sordelli in western Manitoba necessitate the use of a nine-way vaccine. If you are not in a big risk area, Clostridial vaccines can be

Jeannette Greaves

Dr. Tanya Anderson, DVM

KEY POINTS • The cost of vaccinating is the annual premium you must pay to avoid costly losses from illness and death. • The exact vaccination program will vary between individual herds. • Consult your veterinarian to develop your own individualized program. • Not vaccinating is not an option; everyone must do their part for the benefit of the industry. administered to the adult herd every three years. Many four-way viral vaccines are on the market. Veterinary circles are still debating as to whether modified live, killed vaccines or a combination of both provide the best protection. All four diseases (BVD, IBR, PI3 and BRSV) are endemic in the cattle population so, if you are not vaccinating, you are playing Russian roulette. Choose a program that works for you, whether that be vaccination pre-breeding or at pregnancy testing. Check with your vet as different products work for different situations and if you use the wrong

vaccine at the wrong time, you may cause an abortion outbreak. Calves should be vaccinated for Histophilus and perhaps Mannheimia/Pasteurella to protect against pneumonia. Tailor a program based on the risk factors in your herd. Disease in young calves necessitates vaccination at birth whereas vaccination should be delayed until six to eight weeks of age if calves do not typically get pneumonia until a few months of age or post-weaning. Weaning is a huge stressor that can precipitate increased

sickness, especially during inclement weather. If practical, vaccinate calves two to three weeks before weaning. I consider double vaccination mandatory (at two months of age and then pre-weaning) in herds with traditionally high treatment rates for bovine respiratory disease in the feedlot. Other diseases that can be protected by vaccination include anthrax, footrot, pinkeye, campylobacteriosis (Vibrio), Leptospirosis and calf scours (rota/corona/Clostridia/E. coli). Include these if your herds’ conditions and risks

warrant. Keep in mind that if you cater to the bred cow and heifer markets, vaccination against calf scours would be considered mandatory. Not vaccinating is no longer a good management practice. Protection of the entire beef industry depends on everyone doing their part. Whole herd immunity results in a healthier, profitable and wholesome product.

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February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

Me, Retire? Then What? angela lovell An Iowa study found 30 per cent of farmers never want to retire. Perhaps it is the word “retirement,” with its connotations of being put out to pasture. “I like to use the term re-inventing their role,” says Farm Family Coach, Elaine Froese. That is exactly what Neale Daniels and his wife Gail have done. They have slowly passed the reins to son Todd and his wife Heather, both of whom returned in 1988 to carry on the family ranch that began with Neale’s grandfather in the 1880s. At 75, Neale still keeps his hand in but now he gets to do the fun stuff. “There is no stress,” he says. “If I am out cutting hay and something breaks, I stop and call someone to get me and it sits there until someone fixes it. I just get to do what I enjoy.”

The fear factor

The fear of not being useful is huge, says Froese. “Retirees have to remember they are still great people, community leaders and mentors.”

Neale and Gail certainly have not had any problem filling their days. They have travelled, camped, fished and frequently go horseback riding with their grandchildren, Hannah (10) and John (8). For seven years they rode with the Boundary Trails Wagon Ride from Melita to Fort McCloud in Alberta, which also allowed Neale to pursue his passion for history. “I have talked to school kids about the history of the area and the kids were sorry when the time ran out,” says Neale. The biggest lifestyle change is often a move. Many producers love where they live but the main yard has the infrastructure for the cattle, so compromises have to be made to make it work. Neale and Gail were on the same page when it came to moving. They had bought a house in town but it just did not feel like home, so they stayed at the home yard and Todd’s family lives at Neale’s father’s old site, a mile away. For some couples a move can cause problems if expectations are different, says Froese. “The wife may want

less stress and may be looking at it as a chance to get to move to town and spend time with my girlfriends,” she says. On the other hand, the husband may have a hard time moving away from the cows that he loves.” It is really important to be honest about what you want and expect.”

The denial factor

No one likes to admit they can’t do the things they used to. Unfortunately, there are physiological changes that can put our health and safety, and that of those around us, at risk. “At some point, we have to seriously sit down and look at how we have changed physically and if we can continue to handle certain tasks,” says Glen Blahey, Safety & Health Specialist with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. The ability to maintain balance, as well as having physical strength and peripheral vision, are required to safely perform many tasks. Factors—such as glasses, medications that may affect balance, physical conditions causing shortness of breath, or conditions such as arthritis, which can limit the range

Neale Daniels and his wife Gail enjoy retirement.

of motion—all have the potential to place an individual at greater risk of injury. Realization of these changes is the first step and honest discussion about them is the next. “There needs to be frank discussion within the household about abilities and limitations,” says Blahey. “You can still contribute in a very positive, valuable way but you have to adjust the way you operate to accommodate the changes that occur.”

can cause a lot of uncertainty for the next generation, says Froese. “What is frustrating is a lack of clarity about role expectations, uncertainty about timelines for transition and lack of commitment to make change,” says Froese. Neale adds that, “At first you kind of hate to lose control but whoever is taking over from you, back off and let them do it,” he says. “If they make some mistakes, well so did I. It takes the stress off and The change factor makes it a lot easier for It can be hard to relin- them if they are not lookquish responsibility, which ing over their shoulder all

the time wondering what Dad would do or say.” Retirement affects everyone. There are psychological, physical and practical factors to deal with, but honest, open communication makes it a lot easier and sometimes families need a third party facilitator to come in and help them. “A third party facilitator can help keep the transition respectful,” says Froese. “Communication is vital and everybody has to be clear about what they want, what they value and their perceived path for getting there.”

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10 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Connection With Public Important for Sustainable Agriculture Christine Rawluk When it comes to sustainable agriculture, we generally think in terms of being able to meet the food, fuel and fibre needs of our growing global population now and for future generations. To do so we have to protect the resources we rely on—our land, water and air. At the same time, agriculture needs to be profitable, and the food grown and processed in a manner acceptable to society. That means that for agriculture systems to be sustainable, economics, society and the environment must all be considered. Societal values are the opinions and perceptions that influence consumer choices, but also include the values important to individual farmers and rural communities where our food is grown. Economic factors range from being able to make a living farming to increasing agriculture’s contribution to economic growth in our country. Environmental considerations are not only the environmental costs of farming, but also the ecological and environmental benefits of many agricultural practices. There are many ways to grow food sustainably and our ability to do so continues to improve through gains in sciencebased knowledge and increased awareness of the negative consequences of mismanagement. The emphasis of the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment (NCLE) is to work with our partners on improving the sustainability of agricultural systems. Over the next few months we will feature our activities surrounding the social, economic and environmental sustainability of beef-forage production systems. In this current article we focus on the social side, highlighting the capacity of the Bruce D. Campbell Farm & Food Discovery Centre (FFDC) to attract and engage a wide variety of audiences about sustainable agriculture in Manitoba. Never before has this need been more critical as the gap between

those that grow food and those that consume it continues to widen. The Discovery Centre is over 8,200 square feet of hands-on interactive exhibits located just 15 minutes south of the perimeter on Highway 75 at NCLE. Here visitors explore crop and livestock production, food safety and healthfulness, and the importance of agriculture to the Canadian economy on their journey from the farm to our kitchen tables and around the world. The FFDC is designed to provide a unique experience for all ages and types of visitors regardless of their agriculture knowledge. “A lot of planning went into designing exhibit content and flow,” explains Kim Ominski, forage-beef production systems professor who worked on the centre planning committee. “We consulted widely and at length with educators, communication specialists and both the crop and livestock sectors in developing the exhibits. We wanted to engage all visitors, whether a young family, a school group or a member of the agriculture community.” “Most of our traffic is school groups coming for tours and workshops designed to fit with the provincial curriculum,” says Guy Robbins, FFDC manager. “Our biggest student event is the Amazing Agriculture Adventure, where over 1,000 Grade 4 and 5 students learn about growing crops and raising livestock over a three day period every fall.” Volunteers from all walks of agriculture work with Agriculture in the Classroom to help make this event a huge success year after year. For example, cattle producers, University of Manitoba students in the forage-beef research program and Manitoba Beef Producers directors shared their passion for cattle farming with children at the beef station in 2013. Special events also attract the general public. “Open Farm Day is a big draw,” says Robbins. “Upwards of 400 visitors came out last fall.”

Visitors learn about agriculture at the Farm & Food Discovery Centre.

Christine Rawluk describes nutrient transformations from feed to fertilizer in overwinter grazing systems to students during Bio-Innovation week.

People can also come try their hand at making tasty dishes in the kitchen, like homemade ice cream, perogies or preservatives using local ingredients. Thought-provoking, targeted programming linked with themed events attracts high calibre students to FFDC. Recently, NCLE hosted high school science students from Winnipeg, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom during Bio-Innovation Week. “We want to get them thinking about where their food comes from as well as the important role of science in sustainable agriculture,” says Martin Scanlon, NCLE Chair. “For example, how nutrients flow from the soil, to plants, to animals, to us and back to the land, and how the agriculture sector is working to make this more efficient.” Throughout the year industry members, politicians, special interest groups and visiting delegates from around the globe come to learn of our research. In the fall we communicated to visiting Federal Conservative Members of Parliament the challenges facing Manitoba producers and how they are being overcome.

Each visit, whether with a politician, student, or member of the general public, is an opportunity to showcase agriculture and deliver factual, science-supported information around hot topics, such as animal well-being, food safety and quality, and environmental health in a farm setting. We also provide on-site training sessions, working closely with our partners in industry and extension. We have delivered clinics on beef cattle welfare, cattle overwintering, and on forage, manure and soil nutrient management practices to producers, agronomists, students, extension specialists and regulators. Agriculture Diploma and Degree students also receive on-site training in dehorning, castration, injections and implants as part of their course work through the University of Manitoba’s Veterinary Services department. With so many reasons to visit the Bruce D. Campbell Farm & Food Discovery Centre and the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment, we hope to see you soon! Visit us at www.ffdc.ca and www. ncle.ca to learn more and to contact us.

Kim Ominski and PhD student Gwen Donohoe describe how feed intake is measured using the GrowSafe equipment. Shown here are Conservative MPs Rob Bruinooge (MP for Winnipeg South), Robert Sopuck (MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette) and the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of State.

16 th Annual

Bull & Female Sale Saturday, April 5th - 1:00 p.m. Goodeve, Sask. - Approx. 90 miles west of Russell, MB

On the Farm

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www.mbbeef.ca MB_Cash_Advance.indd 1

12-10-22 4:26 PM

February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

The ABCs of Budgeting Financial management is a broad subject area. This article will discuss one area, budgeting. There are several different types of budgeting that can be used. I will focus on cash flow budgeting and capital budgeting. First, though, I’ll begin with a general discussion on managing cash and will look at some ratios that you can use to see how sensitive your farm is to changes in its cash position. The cash flow on a farm can change rapidly from year to year. The technical term is “managing liquidity.” ALL farms need to pay close attention to cash flow.

Cash management

The most accurate analysis of farm financial progress is with accrued financial statements. Ratios are calculated with values derived from the accrued statements. These statements, and related analysis, provide valuable information. Farmers are often frustrated with accrued statements that reveal good levels of profit, even while they are experiencing cash flow problems. How can this be? Simply stated, in most cases the accrued income is reflected in non-cash items, such as increases in inventory and accounts receivable. Most farmers operate on a day to day basis with cash and therefore cash management is one of the most important aspects of the financial management of a farming operation. One of the first concepts to understand is that other than winning a lottery, there are only four sources of cash in a farming operation. They are cash from operations, cash from personal, cash from the sale of capital assets and cash from borrowings. There are some considerations to these sources of cash. Cash from borrowings has the implications of repayment so that if a farmer is experiencing cash flow problems, borrowing more money may not be the answer. In fact, new payment commitments may compound the cash flow problem if the underpinning source of the cash flow problem is not addressed. Cash from the sale of capital assets is a good source of cash if the farmer truly has surplus capital assets that are not being utilized in the farming operation. The downside to this is that it is a one-time source of cash. Once again, while the cash generated from an asset sale may provide

some short term relief, the Cash from operations is of the annual cash inflow cash flow problem will sur- the net cash generated from (income) and outflow (exface again unless the source farming operations. If there penses) for the business. There are some ratios of the cash flow problem is are cash flow problems, the determined and corrected. farmer has to analyze the that can be used to deterCash from personal is farming operation to de- mine how sensitive a farmmore commonly known as termine the source of these ing operation is to changes “off-farm” income. There problems (for example, the in revenue, expense, interis quite a bit of variability revenue and/or production est rates and personal withfrom farm to farm in this are too low, the direct and drawals. Note that the “net area. There are several fac- indirect expenses are too cash position” is the differtors that make this source high, the productive base is ence between cash income more or less of an option. too small) and then make and cash expenses. These In most cases, this area has the necessary adjustments. are: already been pursued. One There is a financial state- 1. Revenue decline ratio: may ask the question that ment that can be used to net cash position if the farming operation is analyze cash inflow and not providing the cash re- outflow in a farming optotal cash operating revquired to meet its commit- eration. It is simply known enue ments and the option is to as the Statement of Cash work off the farm to inject Income and Expense This ratio indicates how cash into the operation, (the same statement that then why continue to farm? is used for filing income much revenue could deThis is another discussion tax returns). These state- crease before the surplus SCG_075 4:19cash PM Page 1 up. is used for sure. Go Ad 2013_Cattle Country_Layout ments provide1 a14-01-15 summary

2. Expense increase ratio: net cash position net cash position personal withdrawals total cash operating This ratio indicates how expense much personal withdrawals can increase before the surThis ratio indicates how plus cash is used up. much expenses could increase before the surplus Cashflow budgeting cash is used up. Most of the attention fo3. Interest rate increase cused on cash flow budgetratio: ing for the coming year is to ensure that there is enough net cash position money available to keep the operation running. Lendtotal outstanding ers will normally require a principal projected cash flow budget before renewing a line of This ratio indicates how credit or operating loan. much interest rates could A farm starved for cash increase before the surplus can be very stressful and cash is used up. can lead to undesirable 4. Personal withdrawal ratio: Continued on page 12

VACCINATE FOR SCOURS WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT! Blood levels are highest two weeks post vaccination. ScourGuard™ 4KC helps you to maximize colostrum quality when administered 3 to 6 weeks before birth. Go to timing-is-everything.ca for more details on how to maximize colostrum production.

Peak Colostral Antibody Development occurs 2-5 weeks before calving1

Initial vaccination 6-9 weeks before calving

First year booster 3-6 weeks before calving †

† First year doses should be at least 3 weeks apart

Annual booster 3-6 weeks before calving

Reference: 1. Morrow DA, editor. Current Therapy in Theriogenology: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of reproductive diseases in animals. Philadelphia (PA): WB Saunders; 1980:1143 pp.

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Calving

Terry Betker

12 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014 KEY POINTS • Farmers often operate on a day to day basis with cash, so cash management is one of the most important parts of financial management. • Determining how sensitive a farm is to changes in revenue, expense and interest rates is a must. • MAFRD’s FarmPlan is free and can help you create a working budget. • Capital budgeting is worth the effort and will help you plan for future repairs and purchases. Continued from page 11 outcomes. This is why it is important to work through a budgeting exercise and align cash inflow and outflow. Farmers function in cash. Decisions to buy and sell are implications of cash flow. As such, it is important to analyze cash flow. To do this, one should complete a projected cash flow budget. This statement includes the net cash inflow or outflow from operating activities (the production unit), personal activities (cash contributions versus withdrawals), investment

activities (capital purchases and sales) and financing activities (principal paid and borrowed). This statement provides an overall reflection of where the money will come from and go to during the year. Budgets can be organized monthly or quarterly. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s (MAFRD) FarmPlan is available on the MAFRD website. It is a free, downloadable spreadsheet and has a cash flow budgeting component. Or you can build your own spreadsheet. Look online for examples. There are some very important notes to make mention of: 1. Putting together a projected cash flow budget is not easy. It requires that you “project” when cash inflow and outflow transactions will occur. The first effort is the most difficult by far. Each year after is easier because you have a previous template to work from. 2. There is great value in the projected cash flow budget exercise. Even greater value comes from comparing actual cash flow throughout the year to what was projected. You can use the actual to projected variance to adjust plans mid-year as circumstances change. This

can be hugely beneficial from a cash flow perspective. 3. Completing a cash flow budget provides really important information about the timing of market inventory sales. Completing the cash flow budget may reveal a cash flow problem but it does not offer any solutions for improvement. Even operations with no particular cash flow worries should look at ways of improving cash flow. Inevitably, to improve cash flow means to look at the income statement. What is the farm earning and what has it earned over the last years? What adjustments can be or need to be made?

Capital budgeting

One of the budgeting areas that often does not get a lot of attention is capital budgeting. It complements cash flow budgeting but is somewhat of a different exercise. Farmers tell me that it is a difficult, or even pointless, exercise because of uncertainty. When exactly is a machine going to need to be replaced? Who knows if there is going to be a major breakdown that will require a purchase? How do you know if land is going to come up for sale or if a landlord may all of a sudden decide it is time to sell? What are the crops and prices going to do?

These are all good questions, with of course, no sure answers. But the questions are one of the reasons why you should work through an exercise and develop a capital budget. Part of the capital budgeting exercise is aligning the “what-ifs.” What if we buy a tractor in 2014 and add storage, a baler and conditioner in 2015? Will we be able to purchase the forage harvestor in 2016? What will the implications be if there are a couple of poorer years and we have to defer the harvestor replacement that is likely due in 2016? Can the decision wait? How old will it be by then and can it wait another year? Maybe the shed and baler/conditioner will have to be put on the back burner. There are a couple of ratios that can be used to put some parameters around the capital budgeting process: the debt servicing ratio and the 2014 Tractor

working capital percentage ratio. The debt servicing ratio indicates how much earned ability the farm has to make principal and interest payments. Let us assume in this example that you are in the second year of a five year rental arrangement and your landlord has indicated that he will sell the land at that time. It will require a sizeable loan with hefty payments. You will ideally want to manage your capital purchases and their related debt load so that there is “debt servicing room” for the land deal. How much cash are you going to use as a down payment? This is money that will come out of working capital and directly impact on the availability of cash flow needed to operate the business (cash flow budgeting connection). You may need to increase your working capital over a couple of 2015

2016

years so that you have the required cash down payment available. The exercise should not take too long to complete and after the first effort, each subsequent year only requires that you add another year. A capital budget is not set in stone. Things happen and plans change. Simply adjust the budget to reflect the changes. You do not have to share your budget with your lender(s) but they will be very pleased to learn in advance what you might be thinking about when it comes to capital purchases. It provides information that helps them to structure financing facilities to meet your capital needs. Terry Betker is a farm management consultant based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He can be reached at (204) 782-8200 or terry. betker@backswath.com. 2017

2018

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Shed

$125,000

Baler/ Conditioner

$175,000

Harvestor Buildings

$400,000 $200,000

Land

$1,500,000

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February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

The Bottom Line

Expect an Interesting 2014, Get Involved and Let Your Voice be Heard!

Rick Wright Looking back at 2013, the cattle business witnessed the highs and the lows of the price spectrum, finishing the year with record high prices and optimism for the future. Will the cattle industry be able maintain the momentum gained in the last half of 2013 through 2014? That is the billion-dollar question! More importantly, what has to happen to maintain the market demand and convince those still in the business that the beef industry is still a viable investment? The most important item on the wish list is feed costs. High feed prices in the spring of 2013, including corn at $8.00 a bushel, crushed the cattle market. Currently, with corn at $4.00 and the world crop looking above average, there is more interest in selling grain by converting it into meat protein. We have to get through 2014 without drought conditions in most of the grain producing areas. Another drought will drive up the grain prices and the cattle prices will fall accordingly. In Manitoba we need producers to have access to the Cattle Price Protection Insurance program that is available in Alberta. This program is single-peril price risk coverage for future livestock sales. It offers the insurance as an alternative to traditional futures and options. For producers who purchase a policy, coverage works similarly (but not identically) to a put option. By purchasing a policy, the producer sets a floor price while leaving the opportunity open to participate should prices rise. The program is offered to both cattle feeders and cowcalf operators. It is essential to the successful future of the cattle business in Manitoba. Without it, expect the cattle feeding business, both finishing and backgrounding, to disappear due to the lack of inventory. Demand for Manitoba cattle in 2014 will be strong, especially from the United States. With the smallest cow herd on record since 1952, and increased cow slaughter all across Canada in 2013, the shortage of cattle will continue. Reports from south of the border are that producers are retaining heifers for breeding, which will short the inventory available for the feedlots even more.

In 2013, Canada exported 311,671 feeder cattle to the U.S., compared to 134,671 in 2012. This is a substantial increase but nowhere close to the 600,700 feeders sent south in 2008. If the Canadian dollar continues to drop in value, and the futures remain close to today’s levels, there will be no stopping the feeder cattle demand from the south. The United States has regained their feeding advantage over Canada and with the current crop projections, they will be able to maintain that advantage for at least 2014. There is hope that the Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) issue will be settled in 2014. Canada and its partners lost their injunction request in September. Prime Minister Harper has threatened tariffs on imports of some U.S. products, such as live cattle, cheese, wine, spirits, and some meats, as well as a host of other products. This has gotten the attention of a number of American politicians. If the Americans can get the Farm Bill passed, they will have the ability to get rid of COOL, if they wish. Until the Farm Bill is passed, however, there is very little chance of positive change that will benefit Canadians in the near future. Even if it passes, groups such as RCalf and the National Farmers Union will continue to pressure the government to leave the COOL rules intact. If COOL is repealed, you will see an immediate increase in the demand for Canadian cattle as the cumbersome and expensive segregation requirements would be gone. The increased competition for Canadian born cattle would be significant. According to Steve Kay of Cattle Buyers Weekly, “The possibility of an amendment to repeal COOL through the proposed new Farm Bill is currently pitting COOL supporters against opponents. Each is fighting tooth-andnail to persuade the Farm Bill conferees either to leave COOL intact or get rid of it. Should the Farm Bill not contain a COOL provision, the battle over COOL will only intensify in 2014. One can only hope a resolution is found before Canada’s threatened tariffs take effect and damage dozens of American businesses that export goods to Canada.”

There is concern in the industry with boxed beef prices at over $2.00 per pound. With 2014 projections at $2.15 per cwt., consumer resistance to beef will drive down prices. Even though carcass weights have been getting larger, offsetting a portion of the lower cattle numbers, retail beef prices should remain strong in 2014. Consumers will pay more for beef. However, they may purchase less than past years. Some middle-income households will try to stretch their disposable income by shopping for alternative protein products. However, export demand will help offset some, if not the entire drop in domestic purchases. Already the U.S. is allowing ground beef from Brazil into the country in anticipation of a drop in the cow slaughter for 2014 due to inventory retention from cowcalf operators. On our side of the border, it will be a long time before we get back the cow numbers of the past and there is a pretty good chance that we may never reach those numbers again. The average age of the cow-calf producer is older than we would like to admit and many have no desire to increase their cow herds. These same producers will continue to struggle with the decision between selling high-priced heifer calves as feeders versus retaining heifers to build herd numbers. With grain producers paying huge money for land, the decision to sell out or convert the land to cropping and rent it out is a really attractive option. Do not expect any increase in the number of producing cows in Manitoba in 2014 and when the smoke clears, there could be 20 percent fewer of us than there were in 2008. One of the most important things that cattle producers in Manitoba must do in 2014 is get involved in the industry! We have to be active in our local organizations, such as Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). As a business, we cannot leave it to people outside of our industry to promote our product and fight for the issues that are near and dear to us. Some of the regulators in government have no idea about

KEY POINTS • Access to a Cattle Price Protection Insurance program, like what is available in Alberta, is vital for Manitoba producers. • If the Canadian dollar continues to drop, there will be no stopping the feeder cattle demand from the south. • There is hope that COOL will be settled in 2014. • The most important thing you can do in 2013...get involved in the industry and organizations like MBP and CCA! the “nuts and bolts” of our industry and it is extremely important that we have representation at the table to advise them and protect our livelihoods.

It is our duty to ourselves and to the beef industry to understand the issues that threaten our livelihood and to speak out through strength in numbers that a cattlemen’s organization can provide. If you do not like what the organization is doing, then get involved and work toward positive change. More, now than ever before, we have to be proactive rather than reactive. There are so many groups out there with agendas that will harm the cattle industry, and if they are successful they will get regulations in place that will restrict how we raise, feed and harvest

our cattle. It takes money and time to support MBP and CCA and we need new faces at the table to carry on the fight. As cattle producers, we are proud of our livestock and we do a great job of providing Canadians and the rest of the world with high quality safe food from operations that practice humane production. We need to get that consistent message to the public on a daily basis. A single voice can do little but a well-funded organized group will be heard. Remember: Successful businessmen lead. They don’t follow! Best of Luck in 2014, Rick

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14 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Spotted Knapweed in Manitoba Douglas J. Cattani, Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba Douglas J. Cattani

The spotted knapweed flower.

Spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) is an invasive weed that has caused much economic and environmental damage in North America. This plant has allelopathic properties, which is the releasing of phytochemicals into its growth environment, that leads to the exclusion of other plants. Spotted knapweed is especially problematic in pastures and rangeland as it is not palatable. There are other knapweeds that can be problematic: diffuse knapweed, (Centaurea diffusa); Russian knapweed, (Acroptilon repens), squarrose knapweed (Centaurea virgata); and yellow star-thistle (Centaurea solstitialis). All except squarrose knapweed have been reported in Canada and are currently (as of November 26, 2013) prohibited noxious in Canada. In the west, British Columbia and Alberta have both suffered from large scale invasions from this plant and have seen major impacts on their rangelands. In 2009, it was thought that we also had one isolated occurrence of spotted knapweed in southeastern Manitoba. However, beginning in 2010, a number of new sites were found, all east of Winnipeg and generally north of Highway 1. The location of these sites indicated new introductions not spread from the original site. In 2013, new sites were identified in and near Winnipeg, and at Brandon, Griswold, Deloraine, in the Sandilands, and at a number of sites along Highway 12, south and east of Steinbach. The primary common element in the 2013 sightings from Winnipeg westward is rail lines. Plant identification is quite easy, once the plant has produced its distinctive flower (see the photo). The bracts on the flower are quite

Bract coloration, which gives spotted knapweed it name.

KEY POINTS • Spotted knapweed is a problem in pastures and rangeland because it is not palatable. • In 2009 there was only one isolated occurrence; by 2010, a number of sites were found; and by 2013, even more new sites were identified. • Care must be taken to ensure that seeds are not transported by accident, from one site to another. dark, giving the species the spotted portion of its name. However, as with many weed species, this is well past the stage where control is easy or feasible. These plants generally germinate from seed throughout the year and grow as a basal rosette for the rest of that year. In the second year, the plants bolt and produce stems that can bear numerous flowers. Plants may consist of a single solitary stem, or may branch out at the base. While generally described as a biennial to short-lived perennial, we have noted may plants that have both the previous year’s reproductive structures still attached, and the current year’s flower. So, at best, the spotted knapweeds found in Manitoba are short lived perennials, at worst perennials. We did find one plant in 2013 that had a very large taproot and a number of years’ dead stems. We estimated this plant to be approximately five to six years old. Therefore, we should not assume that the spotted knapweeds that are infesting Manitoba are necessarily short-lived.

produces a seedling that can be identified by it characteristic leaf shape once true leaves are produced. The leaf has a central vein that continues to the tip with numerous lobes arising off of the mid-vein area. Spotted knapweed is a perennial plant and the plant form changes over time. For example, in the year of germination, the plant forms a basal rosette. In the first year of reproduction, the plant will bolt in mid-to late-June, depending on the growing conditions, and will begin to flower in late June or early July. Flowering will continue through August in most years. We have seen flower production as late as October. Seed from the earliest flowers will be mature prior to the last flowers’ opening. Plant size will impact the length of the flowering time, with larger plants flowering for a longer period of time. Plants can reach a relatively large size and become larger over successive growing seasons. Leaf size does tend to decrease within the flowering portion of the plant but the characteristic leaf shape remains.

Preventing introduction of spotted knapweed

While the chance of finding spotted knapweed seed in seed purchased in Canada is nearly impossible, of greater concern is the chance of seed being moved on equipment from known areas of infestation. It is thought that the original site in Manitoba was established from seed brought in on gravel extraction equipment. Once a site has been established, movement can be on any vehicle or person that passes through if seed has ripened. The occurrence of spotted knapweed along highPlant identification ways, roadsides and railways Spotted knapweed has a in Manitoba has increased relatively small seed, which the potential for movement

The typical leaf shape of spotted knapweed.

Once a site has been established, movement can be on any vehicle or person that passes through if seed has ripened. further within the province. For example, mowing of roadsides can move seed via mower decks. In years where producers harvest hay along roadsides, care must be taken to ensure that seed of invasive

species is not present so as not to transport them onto other pieces of land. I noticed roadside haying of easily identifiable areas of red bartsia infestation this past year in the Interlake. Spotted knapweed

can also be easily moved in a similar fashion, so be careful, especially from the mid to late summer through the early fall, once seed has begun to mature. Precaution is still the best method of control.

NOTICE TO CATTLE PRODUCERS IN MANITOBA EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 MANITOBA CATTLE ENHANCEMENT COUNCIL (MCEC) HAS STOPPED COLLECTING THE $ 2 PER HEAD LEVY ON CATTLE SOLD. CATTLE PRODUCERS ARE ENTITLED TO APPLY FOR A REFUND ON ALL LEVIES COLLECTED BETWEEN: 1 February 2013 – 31 August 2013 The regulation specifies refunds as follows: THE APPLICATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY MCEC WITHIN 1 YEAR AFTER THE MONTH END IN WHICH THE FEE WAS DEDUCTED However, we would like for those eligible to apply for refunds within those time periods, to do so as soon as possible, in order for MCEC to be able to process as many refunds as possible in a timely manner. THE REFUND FORM IS AVAILABLE ON THE MCEC WEBSITE: www.mancec.com click on refunds. Please ensure that in order to process your application quickly, all supporting documents (receipts) are included, and the name of the applicant(s) is the same as the name on the receipts. The application also needs to be signed by the applicant(s).

THE REFUND FORM IS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR LOCAL AUCTION MARTS OR YOU CAN PHONE THE MCEC OFFICE AT: 204 452 6353 OR TOLL FREE: 1 866 441 6232 APPLICATIONS FOR REFUND ARE TO BE MAILED TO: #101 – 1780 WELLINGTON AVENUE WPG. MB R3H 1B3

www.mbbeef.ca

February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

Dense-energy Forages: A Path to Sustainable Beef Production Clayton Robins Clayton Robins was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship for 2013, which gave Robins the opportunity to travel around the globe to study forage and feeding forage to cattle. Robins is a cattle producer from Rivers, Man. Robins is also the Executive Director of the Manitoba 4-H Council. I have the good fortune to find myself in the middle of an international journey that effectively has its origins over 20 years ago. Throughout my career at the Brandon Research Centre, forage-based feeding streams for feeder and finishing class cattle were a fundamental part of our program’s focus. This led to the opportunity to participate in a fact-finding mission to Argentina in 2008. It was during this expedition that we were shown a slide in a presentation from Dr. Anibal Pordomingo that literally changed the way I looked at forages. The slide demonstrated a very highly-correlated relationship between plant sugar levels, in this case cereals, and cattle average daily gain. It was at that moment that I knew we needed to consider a different approach. Years of observing the limitations of perennial forage quality on the lighter soils and arid climate of the Prairies clearly demonstrated to me that a systems approach, utilizing combinations of perennial and annual forages, was critical to the success of this production system. Based on the success of some adaptations to previous research outcomes that I was exploring at home, I looked to the Nuffield Program as an opportunity to further the pursuit of knowledge in this strategy. The approach under investigation involves early-seeded, summer-grazed cereals, under-sown to very high quality forages as an alternative to the concentrate-based feedlot model. The under-sowing of vegetative forage cocktails in cereals is becoming a more common practise in England, Sweden, and Finland, with the cover crop either

While the role of sugars is very important in contributing to what I have termed “dense-energy forages,” increasing the proportion of digestible fibre in these plants is almost of equal value. being silaged or grazed. While the concept of early-seeded and early-grazed cereal swaths makes for a logical evolution to the traditional swath-grazing strategy, it was clear that there was a great deal of room for improvement on the traditional use of monocultures. I have also chosen to take the practise of swath-grazing one step further, by making small square bales out of the swaths. Not only does this significantly limit nutrient loss from weathering and leaching, it also provides a greater land area for regrowth potential. The bales remain where they drop out of the baler, sitting as if ready for picking, until such time as grazing occurs. Strings are cut as grazing progresses and the high quality of the stored feed, combined with the very lush regrowth, provides for a much more highly metabolizable forage supply from August to October, than would normally be on offer. Based on discussions with forage and beef specialists in the United Kingdom and Sweden, small, individually-wrapped bales of haylage or silage would also be very worthwhile to consider. I have also chosen this strategy because of the potential for significant improvements in carbon sequestration, due to the extended growing period, as well as the potential for improvements in energetic efficiency and a more positive carbon footprint than traditional systems. Studies conducted by Teagasc, the authority in Ireland responsible for research and development, training and advisory services in the agri-food sector, would support this

ideology and I suggest that it is important for us to begin evaluations under Canadian conditions to generate domestic data for these analyses. My Nuffield journey to date has taken me through eight countries, almost 49,000 kilometres, and to several research institutions, extension agencies and farms in the pursuit of data and knowledge to enhance the concept of this practise here in Canada. The depth and scope of these discussions has been immeasurable and provided valuable insight to help me put all of the pieces of the puzzle together. While the role of sugars is very important in contributing to what I have termed “dense-energy

Clayton Robins, second from the left, at a Beef Cattle Finishing - Systems Research Project in Argentina.

forages,” increasing the proportion of digestible fibre in these plants is almost of equal value. As one of the scientists put it into context for me, “the true (animal) performance benefits have come as a consequence of breeding for super high-sugar grasses, not as a result of it.” These words ring very true as it was very evident that just increasing levels of plant sugars does not always result in an increase in livestock performance (meta-biological gain). However, having

HTA Charolais & Guests Bull Sale Wednesday, March 26th, 1:00 PM Beautiful Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB

50 QUALITY YEARLING BULLS White and Red Factor

said that, the efforts at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) in Wales, are truly impressive. I was chewing on plants in their breeding greenhouse, new varieties of Italian ryegrass, expressing 32 per cent sugar, and peaking between 40 to 50 per cent. This is two to three times the level of sugar in sugar-cane and almost the equivalent of feeding a concentrate ration, as rumen pH levels have been measured to drop to similar levels

when grazing these plants. What was truly impressive is that the research partners in this program coordinating the feeding trials of these new grasses were measuring reductions in methane emissions of 20 per cent. Reductions of 26 per cent in nitrous oxide emissions from the grazing system for high-sugar cultivars, and being modeled at 30 per cent for the new super high-sugar varieties, were also being demonstrated. This is being attributed to Continued on page 16

HIGH QUALITY BULLS from Reputation Breeders

March 11 • MCTAVISH and Guests Charolais & Red Angus Bull Sale, at the farm, Moosomin, SK March 15 • PLEASANT DAWN Charolais Bull Sale, Heartland Livestock, Virden, MB March 20 • DIAMOND W Charolais & Angus Bull Sale, Valley Livestock Sales, Minitonas, MB March 25 • STEPPLER FARMS Charolais Bull Sale, at the farm, Miami, MB March 26 • HTA CHAROLAIS & Guests Bull Sale, at the Beautiful Plains Ag Complex, Neepawa, MB

Shawn & Tanya T 204.328.7704 C 204.724.8823 Harry & Joan T 204.328.7103 C 204.724.3605 htacharolais@gmail.com • www.htacharolais.com

Sale Manager

306.584.7937 Helge By 306.536.4261 Candace By 306.536.3374 charolaisbanner@gmail.com

View the catalogue online at www.bylivestock.com www.mbbeef.ca

March 29 • GILLILAND BROS. Charolais Bull Sale, at the farm, Carievale, SK April 3 • HUNTER CHAROLAIS Bull Sale, at the farm, Roblin, MB For more information contact: 124 Shannon Road, Regina, SK S4S 5B1

Tel: 306-584-7937 Helge’s cell: 306-536-4261 Candace’s cell: 306-536-3374 charolaisbanner@gmail.com

Catalogues available online a month prior to sale at

www.bylivestock.com

16 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014 Continued on page 16 the higher level of energy in the rumen courtesy of the plant sugars. From the grassroots point of view (no pun intended), this translates to significant increases in production efficiency. I truly believe we can make these plants work here under the strategy outlined earlier. At IBERS, I was also shown new cultivars of festuloleums, containing only five per cent fescue DNA and 95 per cent Italian ryegrass DNA, with significantly deeper rooting systems than the main parent. This lends me to think they would be better adapted to the more arid regions of the Prairies, where Italian ryegrass often demonstrates limited production potential. One of my other theories to improve intake of forages with higher levels

of sugar is to restrict grazing access to only the time of the day when sugar levels should be at their highest. I was shown experiments in Argentina and in Ireland where this type of management was occurring, albeit for different reasons, but demonstrating nonetheless that the concept has merit. There is way too much detail from these discussions to share here but suffice it to say that my custom grazing grasser steers will only be seeing pasture from noon til 10 p.m. each day this coming summer. It will be very interesting to see the outcome of this experiment. This entire experience has been life-changing, with access now to the entire international Nuffield network, and the exceptional contacts made during the first leg of my

journey. There are still two more stages of international travel left for me in the coming months, involving meetings with experts from farm to academia in the areas of cereal breeding to low-level supplementation on pasture. The volume of information I am gathering is overwhelming at times but it will all be summarized in a report by November 2014. I plan to extend this knowledge in presentations and/ or extension articles as the opportunities present themselves. I also feel it is worthy of its own best management practices. I consider myself very privileged to have been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in order to pursue this strategy. Nuffield can be compared to the 4-H program in that it is truly

an elite leader development program, with the exception that the Nuffield model is based around the worldly pursuit of knowledge. The intent is for scholars to learn, disseminate knowledge and inspire change. I would encourage anyone who is interested to apply for selection in the upcoming application process, and please feel free to contact me to find out more about it. Becoming a Nuffield Scholar is a tremendous opportunity that has sprung many new careers and business prospects. Acceptance into the Nuffield network is so much more than one could ever imagine, far beyond any of my expectations, and having been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship has given rise to the most profound experience in my life.

Denbie Ranch and Guests Bull Sale Saturday, Feb 15th, 2014 1:00 P.M. Ste. Rose Auction Mart Selling: 25 Long Yearling Red Angus and Hybrid Bulls 11 Two Year Old Red Angus and Hybrid Bulls 8 Two Year Old Charolais Bulls Select Group of Red Angus and Red Angus, Sim X Heifers For info. Contact: Denbie Ranch Denis and Debbie Guillas Box 610, Ste.Rose, MB R0L 1S0 204-447-2473 or Cell 204-447-7608 Email: denbie@xplornet.ca View Bulls @ www.srauction.ca

Please join us for our

10TH ANNUAL BULL SALE

1:30 PM :: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 :: Brandon, MB

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

80 bulls on offer - 4 select 2 yr olds RED & BLACK ANGUS :: SIMMENTAL

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

view catalogue online at

WWW.MARMACFARMS.NET

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: We have selected the TOP END of the bull pen for your appraisal :: Family ran operations, who make their living in agriculture :: Customer service is a top priority :: Farm located 6 miles south of Brandon on #10, 4 miles west on PR Rd. 349, 1.5 miles south on PR Rd #348 :: Videos & Online bidding available at CattleInMotion.com

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: FREE SALE CATALOGUE Clip & Mail: Mar Mac Farms - RR 1 Box 57 - Brandon, MB - R7A 5Y1

Blair, Lois, Brett and Melissa McRae (h) 204-728-3058 :: (c) 204-729-5439 :: (e) marmac@inetlink.ca Perkin Land & Cattle Co. 204.769.2159

Downhill Simmentals 204.867.0076

Magnusville Angus 204.378.5225

NAME:_______________________________ ADDRESS:____________________________ _____________________________________ PHONE:______________________________ EMAIL:_______________________________

Saskatoon Gelbvieh Bull and Female Sale Saturday March 22, 2014 • Saskatoon Livestock Sales, Saskatoon Sk • www.gelbviehworld.com For a catalogue or video contact Darcy Hrebeniuk at 306 865 7859 or firriver@xplornet.com • www.donsavageauctions.com www.mbbeef.ca

February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 17

Straight from the Hip we want tractors too!

Brenda Schoepp I was in Manitoba last year speaking and then answering questions in the foyer later. The conversation was futuristic in terms of agriculture and we had a genuinely spirited discussion about our future, the opportunities in Manitoba, the changes that we face and our personal views on the situation. As our dialogue reached into the global context and the importance of women, the questions became more personal and one fellow just could not hold back one moment longer (you know who you are). He asked just how on earth he could ever understand women! He then challenged me to write a column that would answer his question. I promised I would and so here it is—dedicated to men who seek answers and women who love to farm. A little variation on a famous saying should set the context: I am not here to fill space or to be a background character in your drama. Nothing in your life would be the same without me. Nothing in my life would be the same without you. In fact, no vibrancy could live if you or if I did not exist. Every place I have ever been, every place you have ever been, everyone I have ever talked to and everyone you have ever met is different because we were created. We are connected—affected by all that exists around us and by every decision ever made. The story starts in a small hut where a simple meal is prepared by women farmers who are surrounded by a mob of children. They lay out the best mat on the floor and real plates in my honor. We talk of family and friendships, of wars and wages, and of life in a changing world of which we have no fear. The conversation is easy and honest because although we live many miles apart, we understand that we share the same earth and the same sky. What is unsaid is that these children thrive because their mothers farm to feed them and are passionate about doing so.

Women in eight countries contributed to my international survey on mentorship and the overarching desire—regardless of where they lived—was to increase production and profits on the farm. They were firm that they needed mentorship for personal and business growth, and with a high level of dignity and respect, were just as open to male mentors as to female guidance. I found that the Canadian women who responded want to be active participants and equal decision makers on the farm, and they are whip smart, educated and ready. Looking at my client, Twitter and Facebook base reminds me of just how passionate men and women are about agriculture, regardless of where they live. Indian women claim that “owning their own farms has made their life easy” and Canadian women boast of being in the “most exciting business in the world,” while young men proudly post about their families and farms. But the pennies are expected to follow the passion and there can be frustration for rural women who are balancing so many roles and responsibilities. They are often alone as men work off farm or in the case of 30 per cent of Canadian farmers, own and operate independently. The lack of ownership of land is frustrating for women as it can leave them at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing credit and increasing the potential of the farm. When women have access to credit for land, tools, technology, innovations, information, labor inputs and implements farm production increases by 20 to 30 per cent. As one African women stated, “We need tractors too!” It may not have been the culture of the past that women and girls are sole land owners and farmers who control their own business but it most certainly is shaping up to be the culture of the future. Enrollment in agricultural education and business is dominated by women and they are more than capable. When it comes to trade and commerce, the

KEY POINTS • A survey conducted by Schoepp found that Canadian women want to be active participants and equal decision makers on the farm. • The survey found that Manitoba women are concerned about grain delivery delays, rail car access and marketing costs. • While women in the past did not often own land, this is happening more and more now and will continue to in the future. farther away from a market, the more important it becomes to have access and a supporting infrastructure. And although you may read this and think that a remote village is a prime example of that challenge, we face the same challenges in Canada. Many Manitoba women have expressed their desire to be forward contractors and direct marketers in a home where it has never been done before and women farmers today have a grave

Brenda Schoepp with a dairy farmer in southern India.

concern over grain delivery delays and rail car access, delivery basis on cattle and marketing costs. Men and women care and are working towards agricultural and food policies that ensure market access through regulation and infrastructure. Women in agriculture are competent and they have valuable skills, and on that point they are very clear. They love to be loved and their nature is to nurture. But when it comes to business, women who chose to farm strongly indicated that it was equality

in the farm, in the business world and at the bank that they sought. As creative thinkers, they are aware that their ideas might be different but they are not less. Women and girls should be asked how they wish to invest on the farm and then be respectfully supported. A good business plan always allows for farming partners to regroup on common ground. Vibrant, intelligent, engaging and passionate—it is not hard to understand the reason so many women seek farming and

ag-business as a career of choice. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively, exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor, she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted through her website, www. brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2013.

New Forage Insurance

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Other features include: • Hay Disaster Benefit • Harvest Flood Option for Coarse Hay • Enhanced Quality Option • Forage Restoration Benefit For more details on Forage Insurance benefits and additional options, please visit masc.mb.ca/forages or call your MASC insurance office today. You have until March 31, 2014 to apply.

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18 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Marketing Options: Using U.S. Beef Futures in Manitoba Derek Brewin, University of Manitoba In my marketing classes I tell students that the key to marketing is knowing what the consumer at the end of the supply chain wants. Marketers need to recognize that each member of the supply chain is trying to make money but that the consumer will reject the product if it costs too much. Many students think marketing means selling at high prices. Of course, selling to the highest bidder is a good practice. However, marketing begins with producing something you know the market wants, then growing it the way the market wants and delivering that product to the right buyer at the right time and place. While I have heard great success stories about beef producers who have tackled the marketing of their calves to local consumers or through alternative supply chains, my research has focused on the dominant flow of Manitoba calves from ranches to feedlots to slaughtering plants. For a large share of the Manitoba producers, their buyer is an agent of a large slaughtering plant. In Manitoba, the final buyers for live beef calves vary with supply and demand shifts in three different markets; Alberta, Ontario and the U.S. In the past, this has made it difficult to calculate Manitoba-based prices because you need to follow

the costs (or basis) of getting calves from Manitoba to slaughtering plants in at least three points—each with their own optimal calf characteristics and each in drastically different locations, selling to different final customers. Within this context, Julieta Frank, María José Patiño and I considered the benefits of using U.S. futures to reduce price risk in cattle feeding in Manitoba. While futures prices might give some idea of pricing to cow-calf ranchers, they are not major users of futures contracts. The length of time from their major production choices (their land base and cattle herd) are too long to be addressed by selling into a futures market. The dominant users of beef futures are feedlots and slaughtering plants that are planning stock flows over the next few months. For example, a feedlot could buy feed and calves today and agree to deliver against a futures contract several months down the road (short). At the same time, a slaughtering plant agrees to take delivery from the futures market and to send finished beef to a buyer at some forward date (long). Both the feedlot and plant are locking in buying and selling prices so they can focus on their other production costs. This would be great if Manitoba feeders could deliver against a futures

contract but the only liquid futures market for beef in North America is in Chicago. Manitoba feeders could still use the futures contract to hedge their risk if their own local markets tracked the Chicago futures. Instead of actually delivering against the future contract, the feedlot could go short in the futures and buy out of the contract when they delivered to the local market. If prices fell (in both markets) the futures would make money to offset their losses in the local market. If prices increased, the futures losses would be offset by gains in the local market. This strategy was first researched by Colin Cater and Al Lyons in 1985. They found that the U.S. beef futures and Manitoba local price did not move together because of variation in the basis (the difference between the local price and the futures). In fact, virtually all of the variation in calf prices was from the basis and price risk could not be significantly reduced by using the futures. Then two researchers in Alberta, Frank Novak and Jim Untershultz, looked at Alberta calf prices compared to Chicago futures and found hedging strategies that greatly reduced the variation in prices Alberta feeders faced. A key part of

their strategy was a focus on exchange rates. If you are using the U.S. price for beef as a hedge, you face significant price risk in Canada due to changes in the U.S./ Canada currency exchange. For example, according to Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development’s (MAFRD) market reports, the calf price drop in Winnipeg caused by the 2003 BSE border closing was about 22 per cent. The price drop in Manitoba caused by the rising value of the dollar from $0.80 to $1.05 U.S., between 2009 and 2011, was closer to 30 per cent. To get around the currency impact, Novak and Untershultz included strategies to trade currency at the same time as they hedged beef prices. They found strategies that reduced price variation by about 60 per cent. About 40 per cent of Alberta price risk was due to change in the basis.

Novak and Untershultz also set a limit on the share of production to hedge. These are called optimal hedge ratios and they acknowledge that large futures position can cause their own risks. For example, a short futures position at the beginning of 2003 would have lost money because of a price increase at the same time Canadian prices were falling drastically. Hedging in early 2003 would have made a bad situation worse. Novak and Untershultz suggested hedging only a small share of production for the maximum reduction in price risk. Another problem with large hedges is that production risk can lead to problems if too much is promised for future delivery. For example, suppose you short enough futures for your expected output of 100 calves. If prices rise at the same time that your production

A MORE EFFICIENT SCREENING TEST FOR TRICHOMONIASIS Beef Cattle Research Council

Trichomoniasis (or trich) and other venereal diseases can result in large numbers of open cows at the end of the breeding season, and can cause enormous economic losses in the cow-calf sector. Good diagnostic tests are available for trich but these tests require that bulls be tested three times, one week apart, with no breeding activity in between. A recently-completed research project funded by the National Checkoff and Canada’s Beef Science Cluster studied whether samples from multiple bulls could be pooled together and tested as a group using

www.mbbeef.ca

PCR trich tests. If effective, pooling strategies would make testing for trich more affordable and feasible during routine breeding soundness examinations. The research found that pooled sampling for trich testing is an effective screening tool. The optimal pool size will depend on the expected number of positive bulls; with more positive bulls, smaller pools should be used. Three tested samples per bull are still recommended before considering them negative. To learn more about this research, visit the Beef Cattle Research Council website, www. beefresearch.ca.

falls to 90 calves, you suffer losses in the futures that cannot be offset in the better local market because you have fewer than expected calves to sell. Again, hedging made things worse. In our study, we reviewed price and currency hedging strategies for Manitoba over three and five months. We found that 55 to 61 per cent of Manitoba’s cash price risk could be removed with hedging ratios ranging from 15 to 37 per cent of production, depending on the periods analyzed and the length of the hedging strategy. The periods we analyzed fell between 2003 to 2010. Recent border impacts, like Country-of-Origin Labelling (COOL) could make these prices move apart in a way that nullifies hedging gains and reduces the optimum hedge to a very low level.

Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers

The announcement of Manitoba’s Outstanding Young Farmers (OYF) for 2014 will be made at the Manitoba OYF Annual Banquet on February 8, 2014 at Elkhorn Resort, Onanole, Man. Manitoba’s 2014 OYF nominees include Yan Lafond of St. Jean Baptiste; Eric Gluck and Jodi Griffith of Lowe Farm; Myron and Jill Krahn of Carman; and Paul and Kyla Devloo of Swan Lake. Each nominee has completed a lengthy nomination form and will appear before a panel of judges before the final announcement. The recipient of the award will then go on to compete at the national level in Quebec City in November 2014. Celebrating 35 years of identifying great agricultural successes, Canada’s OYF program is an annual competition to recognize farmers that exemplify excellence in their profession and promote the tremendous contribution of agriculture. For more information about the event, please contact Angie Fox, Regional Administrator, at 204-448-2162.

February 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 19

Enhance the Beef Flavour in Your Favourite Recipes Adriana Barros, PHEc.

Seven

In my first column of sweet caramelized lemon fla2014, I would like to provide vour to beef. 10 ways to naturally enhance the beef flavour in your fa- Four vourite recipes this year. Seasoning with spices and limiting excessive salt will One add unique flavours to all Create the Maillard re- your main beef dishes. For action with everything you example, using paprika, chili cook to enhance flavour. powder, ginger, nutmeg or The Maillard reaction is the cinnamon will grab attenbasic breakdown of sugars tion. Help your taste buds naturally found in meats and focus on flavour! vegetables. Caramelizing enhances natural flavours and Five forms a crust on beef that is Nutrients are most sucessential in creating intense cessfully absorbed when beef flavour. An important found in their most natural step is to sear your beef be- and fresh form. Try choosfore roasting it in the oven. ing fresh foods whenever It is also great to caramelize possible. If using frozen or your root vegetables as this canned products try chooswill help enhance sweetness. ing products that are low in sodium (salt) or give the item Two a good rinse before adding to Reduce salt and concen- recipes. trate on adding fresh herbs to flavour your dishes. Six Fresh herbs, such as roseLayer flavours with mary, thyme, cilantro, ba- simple cooking techniques. sil and bay leaves, all add When pan frying steaks, sear wonderful flavour to beef. the beef on high heat—this Fresh herbs are phytonu- will cause the Maillard retrients and they act similar action mentioned earlier, to antioxidants, working at caramelizing the meat and preventing damage to cells developing flavours from in the body. naturally occurring sugars. Once searing is finished, use Three the brown bits and juices left Add intense flavours to in the pan to make a steak kick your beef dishes up a sauce. Instead of thickennotch! When making soup, ing your sauce with white stews, stir fry or roasts add flour, use pectin, which is a tomato paste for rich, intense natural fiber found in fruits. tomato flavour. Or try incor- For example, use diced pears porating lemon into savoury or apples for added flavour, dishes. Using lemon zest will texture and to thicken your not only perfume your main sauce. For an added zip of entrée, but adding lemon bold flavour use your favouhalves to a roast can add a rite Dijon mustard.

Low and slow develops the most prominent flavours. Let your slow cooker work for you! Cooking roast beef in the slow cooker helps breakdown the connective tissue that makes up the muscle tissue in meats. The cooking method of braising low and slow leaves beef roasts incredibly soft, tender and flavourful. Cooking beef dishes like chili or stew in the slow cooker melds flavours together in a way that helps develop savoury, rich flavours that are only achieved with patience.

Eight

Marinating is a sure way to add flavour and tenderize meats. Marinades are flavour boosters that can be made by a variety of herbs and spices. Adding an acidic component to marinades will help tenderize the beef without adding high amounts of salt. Try a fruit juice, wine or mild vinegar in your next marinade.

Ten

Enjoying food with good company will taste better. Share a home cooked meal this month; I suggest tasty pan seared Striploin Medallions with Caramelized Pear & Cranberry Sauce. This entrée is a special delicacy

ATTLEMAN’S BULL SALE Unseen Purchase SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!

Friday, March 7, 2014 • 1:00 p.m. Heartland Livestock Yards

Buyer Rep: John Lamport

Brandon, Manitoba

204-841-4136

View Catalogue online at:

www.hendersoncattle.com everythingangus.com

For information on how to become an advertiser in this newspaper, contact the Manitoba Beef Producers office at 204-772-4542.

Cooking Beef Roasts and Steaks Med-Rare: Pink center, light brown on outside

145°F, 63°C

Medium: Light pink center, brown on outside

160°F, 71°C

Well Done: Brown centre, brown on outside

170°F +, 77°C+

Ground Beef No pink, brown center, brown outside

160°F +, 71°C+

Use a meat thermometer to take the guess work out of getting the perfect steak or premium oven roast. Use the chart on the sidebar to ensure your beef is cooked right every time.

BLACK ANGUS BULLS

Thank you to our advertisers! They help make Cattle Country possible!

Nine

SELLING 100 th 9 1 nnual

that is ideal to share with your special someone. This recipe uses the Maillard reaction, caramelized pears and a natural thickening agent, pectin, that works at thickening the red wine reduction sauce. This recipe and others can be found at www. mbbeef.ca and also on the spring airing of Great Tastes of Manitoba on CTV.

Striploin Medallions with Caramelized Pear & Cranberry Sauce 4

Beef Strip Loin Medallions/steak; 1" (2.5 cm) thick Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp

Canola oil (divided)

Shallot, minced

1/2 cup (125 mL)

Dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/2 firm pear

Anjou or Bosc variety, chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL)

EACH dry red wine and low-sodium beef broth

1 tsp (5 mL)

Dijon mustard

1 oz

Spiced rum

1 tbsp (15 mL)

Cold butter

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat with oil.

Season the medallions with salt and pepper, and sear five to six minutes per side or until 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare doneness.

Remove from heat and tent with foil.

Add shallots, cranberries and pears to skillet, stir in beef drippings until slightly softened.

Add red wine and beef broth to deglaze the skillet.

Guest Consignor

Manager Barb Airey

Mix in Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper.

HBH Farms Inc. Oak River, MB

T: (204)566-2134 or (204)761-1851 email: rbairey@hotmail.com

Bring sauce to a boil and reduce by half.

Right before removing the sauce from the heat at the desired consistency, add spiced rum and butter.

Stir until melted and spoon sauce over striploin medallions.

Brookmore Angus

Sale managed by:

Jack & Barb Hart • Brookdale, MB R0K 0G0

Douglas J. Henderson & Associates

T: (204) 476-2607 • C: (204) 476-6696 brookmoreangus@gmail.com

T: (403) 782-3888 • C: (403) 350-8541 F: (403) 782-3849

www.mbbeef.ca

20 CATTLE COUNTRY February 2014

Grant Moffat Herdbuilder Fund Supports Youth

Bennett Foster.

Wyatt Inglis.

A fund honouring a Man- for 18 Manitoba youth to be Man., went missing in Auitoba cattleman is making a awarded up to $2,000 each gust, 2006. The funds, generdifference in the lives of rural toward the purchase of a ously donated by cattlemen, youth. heifer calf selected from a friends and relatives across Over the past seven years, Manitoba purebred sale. the country, were offered as a the Grant Moffat HerdbuildGrant Moffat, of Holm- reward for tips leading to his 4:14whereabouts. PM Page 1 After a year, a erSCG_076 Fund hasbullish madead_E_Cattle it possible Country_Layout syde Charolais1 14-01-15 in Forrest,

WHAT DO SCOURS VACCINATION AND YOUR BULL INVESTMENT HAVE IN COMMON?

committee handling the funds made a decision to channel the money to Manitoba youth for the purpose of starting their own purebred herd. This year, youth submitted essays on why they

want to start or build their own purebred herd of cattle. Award recipients were selected by a committee of six of Grant’s friends and family, representing many breeds. The award applicants were

They both have a lifelong eﬀect on your calves.

The right bulls improve the performance of your entire herd. One episode of scours can set them back for the rest of their lives. Protect your investment. Maximize colostrum quality in terms of preventing scours by using ScourGuard™ 4KC when the time is right.

Visit timing-is-everything.ca to calculate the best timing based on YOUR expected calving dates and find out how to receive a free vaccinator with your next purchase of ScourGuard 4KC.*

When the time is right.

* Offer valid with a minimum purchase of 100 doses of ScourGuard 4KC from a Canadian veterinary clinic. While supplies last. Zoetis™ and ScourGuard™ are trademarks of Zoetis or its licensors, used under license by Zoetis Canada Inc. ©2013 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. SCG-076 SCG4 JADP06 1113E

www.mbbeef.ca

evaluated on desire, need and previous expression of interest in the industry. For 2013, the committee combed through 17 excellent entries to pick the final three recipients, including Bennett Foster, 14, from Dropmore, who purchased a Hereford heifer to start his purebred herd; Andria Bertram, 12, of Portage la Prairie, who purchased a Simmental heifer for her new herd; and Wyatt Inglis, 11, from Rapid City, who selected a Shorthorn heifer for his herd. Grant Moffat invested a lot of energy in actively helping youth get started in the business and his fund continues to support youth in the cattle industry today. The complete story about Grant Moffat and information on the past recipients can be found at www.grantmoffat. com. The application deadline for the 2014 Grant Moffat Herdbuilder Awards is September 1, 2014.

CALL 1-800-772-0458 FOR REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST OR ADDRESS CHANGE.

Andria Bertram.

Published by Manitoba Beef Producers

march 2014

Price Insurance and Enhanced Forage Coverage Page 3

Angela Lovell With more optimism in the beef industry than probably any time in the last 10 years, perhaps it was fitting that the first resolution debated at the Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) 35th Annual General Meeting was to increase the provincial check-off by $1 per head to $3, as of July 1, 2014. Mover of the motion, Don Guilford, said, “I think there is optimism in the beef industry and we need people representing us on a day-today basis. Plus, there are a lot of environmental and animal welfare issues that need to be addressed and we need positive, researched information that we can take to the public to represent our case. We are environmentally friendly in our industry and the public needs to know that.” Tyler Fulton, in seconding the motion that his father, David originally proposed at the fall 2013 MBP District 7 meeting, said it was fitting that he was there at the AGM in Brandon to speak in favour of the motion. “This is an advancement for the future of the organization and the industry, which I believe is strong and bright,” Fulton said. “In my opinion,

this is a great investment in the future.” The motion was carried with 71 in favour and five opposed, so a second motion that suggested the check-off be raised by 50 cents was not debated. Effective July 1, the total check-off collected will rise to $4 per head, $3 of which will go to support MBP’s activities and $1 will go toward the National Check-off. Some of the funding increase will go towards research and outreach to the public. MBP’s outgoing General Manager Cam Dahl explained that MBP is working with other partners—including Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD); Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC); and Ducks Unlimited Canada—on a proposal to develop a demonstration site that would determine the applicability of research done elsewhere to Manitoba’s production systems. This demonstration site would provide research to producers and educate the public about Manitoba beef producers’ sound environmental practices. Dugald-area cattle producer Calvin Vaags, speaking in favour of the motion, said there is a need to increase revenue for MBP in light of

positive opportunities in the beef industry, such as new trade agreements with Europe and Asia. “I think it is a good investment to capitalize on some of those positive opportunities that are coming,” he said. “The economic pendulum is swinging right now and with what is happening in the world, there is some bright potential for producers in Manitoba. I think we have a great organization in this room, with great people working for it, and conscientious directors.” “They have steered this organization through some difficult times and now is the time to give them a little more revenue and let them do their work in some very positive times coming ahead.” It was noted by a producer at the AGM that the total check-off collected in 2014 will still actually be less than last year, because of the end of the levy formerly collected by the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council (MCEC).

Other resolutions debated and discussed

Among the other resolutions that stimulated some debate was a motion that MBP lobby the federal and

provincial governments to provide RFID tags at no cost. “This program benefits everyone right down the chain and we already have the responsibility of installing and record keeping, so I think it is only fair that some of the cost be unloaded onto someone down the chain,” said mover Garth Hugill. Other producers expressed concern there might be more waste if tags were provided by the government and that if they were not paid for directly, that money from the increased check-off might be well spent on research to improve tag retention. Outgoing MBP president Trevor Atchison spoke against the motion because he believes there are larger costs coming associated with full traceability that are more appropriate for producers to lobby governments to fund. “Currently, the industry is lobbying to have governments pick up part of the costs of the further implementation of traceability, such as readers,” Atchison said. “I think it is a better fit to have governments buying that infrastructure, which is going to be very expensive.” In an interview following the session, Atchison added, “We need governments to fund things like tag retention

studies and the cost of putting readers in facilities like feedlots, auction markets, cattle depots and co-mingling sites.” In addition, Atchison noted, “There is also the ongoing upkeep cost of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and we do not know today what somebody may want traced in the future. A lot of those things are going to be coming from consumers. That is where we will need the government to step in and pay—for those things that are not in the system today but which social demands are requiring more and more.” Producers were fully supportive of a resolution that MBP demand a full accounting and audit of all the activities of the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council (MCEC) through to the end of the MCEC check-off on September 1, 2013. Calvin Vaags, speaking in favour of the motion, said, “As far as I know, not one dollar of that money collected actually went to the mandate that MCEC was put together to perform, so not one dollar went to develop any slaughter plant. Producers have every right to demand a full accounting and audit of what happened there.” Continued on page 2

Be on the Lookout for Water Hemlock Page 16

Postmaster: Please return undeliverable copies to: MBP, 154 Paramount Road, Winnipeg, MB R2X 2W3 Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement Number 40005187 Postage paid in Winnipeg.

More Check-off Dollars Reflect Growing Optimism

Meet MBP’s New General Manager Page 7

CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Continued from page 1 would have changed the intent of the original motion. “Removal of the school tax is one thing that the province can do to ensure that these former community pasture lands remain as CPP lands and ensure the integrity of the pastures not only for the livestock, but for the wildlife species that co-habit these lands,” said mover Gloria Mott.

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Top left and right: Producers Don Guilford and Calvin Vaags brought forward resolutions at the 35th Annual General Meeting in Brandon. Bottom: Outgoing President Trevor Atchison was on hand to answer questions about specific issues.

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MBP welcomed three new directors to the board at the 35th Annual General Meeting: Larry Wegner in district 6, Tom Teichroeb in district 8, and Dianne Riding in district 9. MBP looks forward to working with our new directors and thanks them for their commitment to serve their fellow beef producers.

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Two resolutions pertaining to the Community Pastures Program (CPP) in Manitoba were passed, the first asking MBP to continue lobbying the Province of Manitoba for the policies and programs required to ensure the continuation of the CPP in Manitoba. The second resolution, asking MBP to lobby the government of Manitoba to remove the school tax rebate for community pastures, sparked a discussion about whether the motion should be amended to include all Manitoba producers, not just those using community pastures. However, the motion was not allowed because it

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DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin,LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

Dave Koslowsky

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

Larry Wegner

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

Dianne Riding

DISTRICT 10

Theresa zuk - TREASURER

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 4

Tom Teichroeb

Cheryl McPherson

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

Larry Gerelus

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Landsdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

Caron Clarke

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

bill murray - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

Manitoba Beef Producers 154 Paramount Road Winnipeg, MB R2X 2w3

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

stan foster

policy analyst Maureen Cousins

communications coordinator Kristen Lucyshyn

finance

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

executive assistant

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer

Shannon Savory

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

Price insurance and enhanced forage coverage boost producers’ competitiveness ron friesen

A new pilot price insurance program and recent crop insurance improvements for forages could give Manitoba beef producers a competitive edge in the marketplace. The price insurance program, launched in January, enables producers to set a floor price for their cattle. This gives them a backstop for negotiating credit with lending institutions. The new forage insurance package, announced last fall, will provide enhanced coverage for producers wanting to insure hay crops. Together, the two programs should give Manitoba cattle producers “a very strong tool” for improving profitability and competitiveness, said Cam Dahl, outgoing Manitoba Beef Producers general manager. “Manitoba beef producers are going to have a package that is not available anywhere else in Canada,” said Dahl. “Our forage insurance is the best in the country. It really is.” The jewel in the crown is a price insurance plan for western Canadian livestock farmers, announced by the federal government January 24. The four-year pilot project will help producers protect themselves against

unexpected price declines by purchasing insurance for a target price selected from available coverage levels. Called the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP), the regional program is an expanded version of an Alberta program introduced for that province’s hog and cattle farmers in 2009. It will now include producers in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Manitoba was not able to take part in the January 24 announcement because of the provincial by-elections that were underway at the time. The province confirmed its participation on February 13. Under WLPIP, producers pick the price at which they want to insure their cattle on delivery. The program provides a range of price offerings several months in advance. Producers can insure against either price or basis. “What it does is it allows producers to set a floor,” said Dahl. “When the policy matures, if the average price is below what they insured for, they get paid the difference. Producers can assess their level of risk comfort in determining what their floor price is. The higher the price, the higher the premium. That is a producer’s individual choice.”

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WLPIP is a crowning achievement for Canadian Cattlemen Association (CCA) president Martin Unrau, who has long lobbied for a program to give beef producers equal footing with crop growers in risk management. Unrau and CCA have argued for years that not having an insurance program puts cattle producers at a disadvantage with growers who can insure their crops against losses in production. While the Alberta program was in effect, producers in the other western provinces quietly complained it put them at a competitive disadvantage. That was seen during an E. coli outbreak at the XL Foods plant in 2012 when Alberta producers were insulated from a resulting four-month price dip while producers in other provinces were not. “That will be different now,” Dahl said. WLPIP does not actually cover production losses in livestock. But it does enable producers to insure a price for a unit of production (e.g., one cow or one calf), Unrau said. “It is a little different from crop insurance but at the end of the day you are insuring one unit of production,” he said. “It is almost exactly what we were looking for.” Another advantage of guaranteeing income through a price insurance program is that it gives producers some surety in negotiating operating loans, said Unrau.

Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announces price insurance at Edie Creek Angus on February 13. From right: Beef producer Jonathan Bouw, MBP President Heinz Reimer and KAP President Doug Chorney.

“You can be sure you will have a certain income from a certain number of units of production,” he said. “It puts me on a more level playing field with the grain side of my operation because now we have a situation where my lending institution has some guarantee that I can pay back my loan.” Unrau said the program’s bankability could give producers the confidence to expand their herds and reverse the downsizing which has occurred throughout the industry over the last several years. It might even encourage new producers to get into the business. “This is another tool we have to add to the toolbox and move our industry forward.” Although WLPIP is only a pilot project, Dahl hopes it will become permanent. “I think the probability of this becoming permanent is quite high. But that, of course,

will depend on whether producers take it up.” Unrau said the take-up rate might be slow at first as producers learn how the voluntary program works. But he would like to see 25 to 30 per cent of Manitoba producers enrolled in the first year, with a possible 40 to 50 per cent participation rate by the end of the third year. Producers pay the full premiums for the program, while federal and provincial governments cover administration and delivery costs through Growing Forward 2. Dahl has some simple advice for producers considering whether or not to enroll. “Sign up for it. If you do not use it, it will be gone.” Meanwhile, the enhanced forage insurance package administered by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation will allow producers to select insurance for five types of hay: alfalfa, alfalfa/ grass mixtures, tame grasses,

sweet clover and coarse hay. Each hay type can be insured separately for coverage and claim calculations. Coverage can be selected at 70 or 80 per cent of a producer’s individual long-term average yield. Producers were able to insure forage crops before but coverage was based on a farm’s total yield. Now, forages are insured individually, just like any other crop. Dahl called this a major improvement. “The flexibility on covering individual crops is a big change. You get better coverage that way because you’re insuring one crop and not your whole farm. If your alfalfa fails and the rest of your forage crops are good, you still get coverage on your alfalfa, just like on the grain side.” The deadline to sign up is March 31, 2014. More information is available from MASC offices or at www. masc.mb.ca.

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CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

The views expressed in Cattle Country do not necessarily reflect the position of the Manitoba Beef Producers. We believe in free speech and encourage all contributors to voice their opinion.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

moovin’ along HEINZ REIMER

HEINZ REIMER Hello and thank you for reading my first president’s column in Cattle Country. There are many issues that are in front of the beef industry, and I will try to address them in this column and in other columns to come. First, I would like to tell you a bit about myself. My wife Elsie and I run a cowcalf operation just south of Steinbach, Man. We have five children and four grandchildren. I am also the Land Manager at HyLife Limited out of La Broquerie. I have most recently served Manitoba Beef Producers as vice president and district 4 director. I have chaired the animal health committee and served on the environment and nomination committees. I have been on the board for the Manitoba Livestock Cash

Advance, and one of your directors for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. I welcome the opportunity to serve my fellow beef producers as your new Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) president. I would like to thank all of the MBP directors and staff for their dedication and hard work on a very successful 35th Annual General Meeting and President’s Banquet. It was an excellent meeting and we appreciate everyone who took time to join us, including producers, stakeholders, speakers, sponsors and tradeshow representatives. Thank you for supporting the beef industry in Manitoba. I welcome MBP’s incoming directors: Larry Wegner in District 6; Tom Teichroeb in District 8; and Dianne Riding in District 9. I would like to thank you all for coming onboard, and I am looking

forward to working with you and the rest of the directors as we engage in current and new issues and policies in the coming year. I would also like to thank our outgoing directors and their families for their hard work, dedication and time they have put into our industry. Thank you to our retiring President and District 6 Director Trevor Atchison; retiring District 8 Director Glen Campbell; and our Past President Ray Armbruster. Remember, I know where you live and I do have your phone numbers in case I need to pick your brains on certain issues. This year’s AGM featured many sessions on topics that affect our industry, along with 22 resolutions that were debated. Results of the resolutions are in this issue of Cattle Country, on page 5. Directors and staff will build policy and take

direction from these and previous resolutions, in the coming year. The AGM included a session on the new revised Beef Code of Practice and what it means for us as producers. You can read the article about this session on page 14. There was also a presentation on the new forage insurance program. It looks like producers in Manitoba will have one of the best programs in the country and I encourage you to check into it through your local Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation office. During the AGM I enjoyed hearing from our panel on “What Does Sustainability Mean for Our Social Licence and the Future of Beef Marketing and Production?” and I hope other producers did as well. The panel featured Dr. Kevin Ellison, Grasslands Ecologist with the World Wildlife Foundation-U.S. Northern Great Plains Program; Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, Manager of Sustainability and Government Relations for McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd.; and Cherie CopithorneBarnes, CEO of CL Ranches Ltd. The panel covered issues including enhancing consumer confidence in the

www.mbbeef.ca

Canadian beef market, and increasing public recognition of the importance of beef production to wildlife habitat and environmental health. You can read more about the session on page 13. The President’s Banquet was an enjoyable evening with an awesome beef supper, outstanding keynote speaker Bruce Vincent and a number of award presentations. The Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to Richard and KristyLayne Carr and Family of La Broquerie, Man. They will represent our province at the national competition at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association meeting in August in P.E.I. Read more about the award on page 9. MBP also presented the first ever Manitoba Beef Producers Lifetime Achievement Award to Betty Green of Fisher Branch, Man. for all of her efforts to support beef producers over the years. One of Betty’s nominators explained that she is “a proven people motivator and leader in the Canadian and Manitoba beef industry.” Betty has invested years of service on industry-related boards and committees, as well as in her community. You can read more about her award on page 10.

In the coming year, your MBP board will focus on many issues, including rebuilding our cattle numbers. With the recent announcement of a new pilot livestock price insurance program and new forage insurance programs, beef producers will have these valuable risk management tools to use. They are critical components that will help the industry start to rebuild Manitoba’s beef herd. Some of the other issues we will be working on include sustainability of beef, engaging and educating our customers, and science/industry-based research. MBP will continue to push governments on issues such as informed access to Crown lands, and environmental goods and services programming. These are just some of the issues that your directors and staff will work on in 2014. At this time, I would like to say a big thank you to Cam Dahl for his work as general manager of MBP for almost three years. We wish him well in his new position as president of Cereals Canada. It has been a pleasure to get to know Cam and to work with him. He has done so much to revitalize and shape our organization, and to get results on many critical issues that affect our operations and industry. We wish you all the best Cam. Thank you for your service to beef producers in Manitoba. I would also like to welcome Melinda German to the position of general manager. Melinda begins her new role as of March 3, 2014. She comes to MBP with a lot of knowledge, experience and passion for the beef industry. In closing, I will note that reading the president’s column is surely easier than writing it, as I found out. Nevertheless, I definitely look forward to working on your behalf as president of MBP and meeting you at upcoming events throughout the year to hear your views on policy, beef production and the industry. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local director, the MBP office, or myself, and we will try to help. Have a safe calving season!

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS AGM SPONSORS E V E N T F U N D I N G provided by

diamond sponsors

platinum sponsors P resident ’s B an q uet sponsors

B an q uet B eef sponsor Cargill Meat Solutions and Cargill Animal Nutrition

B A N Q U E T CO C K TA I L sponsor

lunch sponsors

coffee sponsors CPS Canada Inc.

Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association

Enns Brothers

B E E F CO D E O F P R AC T I C E B R E A KO U T S E S S I O N sponsor Sterling Truck & Trailer Sales Ltd.

G O L D sponsors Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development, Livestock Research Branch Alert Agri Distributors Inc./P. Quintaine & Son Ltd. Allen Leigh Security & Communications

Allflex Canada & Kane Veterinary Supplies Horizon Livestock & Poultry Supply

MacDon Industries Ltd. Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation Manitoba Angus Association

JDA Livestock Innovations Ltd.

Manitoba Charolais Association

Landmark Feeds

Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation Manitoba Hereford Association

The AgriPost Victoria Inn Brandon Zoetis 730 CKDM 880 CKLQ

Merck Animal Health

L I F E T I M E AC H I E V E M E N T AWA R D sponsor Canadian Cattle Identification Agency

president ’s ban q uet table of 8 sponsors Bank of Montreal

MNP

silver sponsors Cattlex Ltd.

Dairy Farmers of Manitoba

Co-op Feeds

Ducks Unlimited Canada

Prairie Livestock

TD Canada Trust Agriculture Services

The Hartford Tuff Livestock Equipment

bron z e sponsors Aikins Law

CIBC

Harvest Salvage Company Ltd.

Mansfield’s Western Shop Ltd.

www.mbbeef.ca

Paddock Drilling Ltd.

Sunrise Credit Union

CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Outcome of Resolutions Sessions at MBP’s 35th Annual General Meeting The following resolutions were presented for debate at MBP’s 35th annual general meeting. The resolutions were passed at MBP’s 2013 fall district meetings. Twenty-two of the 23 resolutions arising from the district meetings were debated. Sixteen resolutions were carried. There were no late resolutions.

A. Check-off/ Administration/ Operational

1. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers increase the provincial check-off by $1 per head. 1.A There was a friendly amendment moved to meet the legal requirements for regulatory change under The Cattle Producers Association Act. Be it resolved that the Regulation to amend the Cattle Fee Regulation increasing the fee imposed under that Regulation to $3 per head of cattle, effective

July 1, 2014, in the form presented to this Meeting, be made as Regulation No. 1, 2014. Outcome: CARRIED Final vote on the amended resolution: CARRIED by a vote of 71 to 5. 2. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers increase the provincial check-off $0.50 per head in 2013-14 and that there be another $0.50 per head increase in 2015-16. Note: This resolution was not debated as the first resolution dealing with the $1 per head check-off increase had carried. 3. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers provide services only for beef producers who are members in good standing of the association. Outcome: CARRIED 4. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers

lobby the Government of Manitoba to amend The Cattle Producers Association Act to make the check-off non-refundable. Outcome: DEFEATED 5. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to change the refundability of the provincial check-off so that only 50 per cent of the check-off can be refunded. Outcome: DEFEATED

B. Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council

6. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba for full disclosure, transparency and accountability for the producer and government funds collected by the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council (MCEC). Outcome: DEFEATED 7. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers demand a full accounting and audit of all the activities of the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council, from the inception of the organization through to the end of the MCEC check-off on September 1, 2013. Outcome: CARRIED

C. Production Management

8. Whereas elk can cause significant damage to crops and fences. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship to issue more elk tags for game hunting in regions where elk are known to cause problems. Outcome: CARRIED 9. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to return all drainage inlets into Lake Manitoba to pre-2011 flood levels as is directed by The Emergency Measures Act. Outcome: CARRIED

10. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to provide the RFID tags at no cost. Outcome: DEFEATED

D. Community Pastures

Be it further resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to meet this commitment. Outcome: CARRIED

15. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers continue to lobby the Province of Manitoba for the policies and programs required to ensure the continuation 19. Be it resolved that 11. Be it resolved that of the Community Pasture Manitoba Beef Producers Manitoba Beef Producers Program in Manitoba. continue to lobby the federal work to increase the under- Outcome: CARRIED and provincial governments standing of the requirements for a $15 per head musterfor organic beef production. 16. Whereas the Com- ing fee to compensate proOutcome: DEFEATED munity Pasture Program ducers in the RMEA who provides an environmentally participate in TB testing. 12. Whereas “night light- sustainable use of the land Outcome: CARRIED ing” (or hunting at night and the process has been using lights) poses a sig- provided to manage that land 20. Be it resolved that nificant safety issue for both retaining the same principles. Manitoba Beef Producers people and livestock in rural Whereas the community lobby the Government of Manitoba. pastures provide a valuable Manitoba for full compenBe it resolved that Mani- resource for the preserva- sation, including the cost of toba Beef Producers lobby tion of species at risk. raising an animal, for predaManitoba Conservation and Be it resolved that Mani- tion losses. Water Stewardship and the toba Beef Producers lobby Outcome: CARRIED RCMP to ensure that regula- the Government of Manitions prohibiting “nightlight- toba to remove the school 21. Be it resolved that ing” are universally enforced tax rebate cap for the com- Manitoba Beef Producers throughout the province. munity pastures. lobby to have needleless inOutcome: CARRIED Outcome: CARRIED jectors funded through the Growing Assurance – Food 13. Whereas rural Mani- E. Animal Health Safety On-Farm program tobans depend on a reliable 17. Whereas the reclassi- under Growing Forward 2. power supply for their per- fication of anaplasmosis by Outcome: CARRIED sonal safety, as well as to the Canadian Food Inspecensure proper care for their tion Agency will result in G. Ongoing Impact of animals; and decreased surveillance and the 2011 Flood Whereas a lack of time- support to producers; and 22. Whereas the flooding ly emergency repairs puts Whereas this disease can of the Shoal lakes and Lake both people and livestock result in significant and on- Manitoba caused significant at risk. going costs for the beef in- damage to fence lines on Be it resolved that Mani- dustry. both Crown and private land. toba Beef Producers lobby Be it resolved that ManiBe it resolved that Manithe Government of Manitoba toba Beef Producers lobby toba Beef Producers lobby and Manitoba Hydro to en- the Government of Manitoba the Government of Manitoba sure that emergency services to ensure that adequate sur- to provide support for the reto rural Manitoba are im- veillance, laboratory facilities pair of these fence lines; and proved from current levels. and producer supports are in Be it further resolved that Outcome: CARRIED place to adequately deal with Manitoba Beef Producers this disease. lobby the Government of 14. Whereas freeze-up Outcome: CARRIED Manitoba to take measures to and snowfall do not happen ensure that lake levels remain at the same time every year F. Domestic below levels that caused the and; Agriculture original damage. Whereas Manitoba’s ma18. Whereas the Govern- Outcome: CARRIED nure management regula- ment of Manitoba made a tions do not have adequate commitment to fully com- H. Miscellaneous flexibility; pensate producers for losses 23. Whereas McDonalds Be it resolved that Mani- incurred in the 2011 Lake is continuing to utilize 100 toba Beef Producer lobby Manitoba flood and for on- per cent Canadian Beef; the Government of Mani- going losses beyond 2011. Be it resolved that Manitoba to build flexibility into Be it resolved that Mani- toba Beef Producers carry, manure management regu- toba Beef Producers re- free of charge, McDonald’s lations to accommodate mind the Government of advertising in Cattle Country fluctuations in weather con- Manitoba that this ongoing to show our appreciation for ditions. compensation has not been McDonald’s support. Outcome: CARRIED forthcoming; and Outcome: DEFEATED

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COLUMN

Optimism High for Agriculture’s Future Outgoing MBP General Manager.

Incoming MBP General Manager.

CAM DAHL

cereals industry. We will be working on developing international markets, co-ordinating research and presenting a strong coordinated approach to domestic agriculture policies. In a broad sense, many of these goals are the same as those pursued by MBP—borders that are open to trade, sciencebased regulations both here at home and abroad, and increased investment in research and development. These are the things that will help most of Canadian agriculture to succeed, no matter what sector you call home. I leave MBP knowing that it is a very strong organization. You have a powerful board of directors and dedicated staff who work far beyond their job descriptions. They do this because of their belief in the people who produce our beef and drive this industry forward. I also leave knowing that your new general

This is my last column for Cattle Country. This is a very bittersweet thing. On one hand, I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to help build agriculture in other ways. On the other hand, it is not easy to leave Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and its people. It has been a privilege to be your general manager and many of the relationships that have grown over the past few years will last for the rest of my life. For those of you who do not know, on March 3, 2014, I took on the role of the first president of Cereals Canada. Cereals Canada is a new national, not-for-profit organization that brings together producers, grain companies, crop development companies and seed distributors to enhance the domestic and international competitiveness of the Canadian

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manager will do a stellar job for you. I am thrilled that Melinda German has agreed to join MBP. She has a strong background in extension, research and communication, in addition to having a real understanding about the things that make government work (or not). Melinda will move your organization forward to meet the new challenges that are coming your way. You have had a very difficult time for over ten years since the BSE crisis began. Not only have you faced closed international borders but you have also weathered floods, drought, U.S. Countryof-Origin Labeling and more. But the years ahead are bright. The prices that you are seeing today should last. Optimism was on display at the recent AGM. Not only were long-time industry leaders talking about re-building, but I saw more young producers in the room than I have seen at any past AGM. I leave knowing that MBP will be there with you during the better times, just as the organization has fought for you in the difficult times. All the best.

Melinda German I am very excited to be joining Manitoba Beef Producers. As a farm girl from west central Saskatchewan, working for the beef producers is a natural fit. My family is still actively farming but I chose to feed my farming addiction in a different way. I worked as an animal health technician in the feedlot industry in Alberta and I had a summer job on a ranch east of Calgary for several years. I returned to Saskatchewan and completed my Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science degree, focusing my studies on beef production and pasture management. After teaching for a few years at the University of Saskatchewan, I was offered the position of provincial beef specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and Food. When I moved to Manitoba, I met so many fantastic producers and I learned a tremendous amount from each of them. To have the formal education is one thing but to combine that with the practical, real world knowledge was a benefit to the services I could provide for clients.

One of the first producers who I worked with was Trevor Atchison. I would like to thank him for his continuing enthusiasm and, in particular, his leadership over the last year. I also want to thank Cam Dahl; he has worked tirelessly on your behalf and has made significant contributions to the industry. There is tremendous optimism in the beef industry; prices are up and we are approaching spring, which on our farm always meant new life and a fresh start. This does not mean we are not facing significant challenges in the future. Long term, we will face pressure from society and we need to work to build positive relationships with our consumers and educate them about our industry. Market access will always be an arena we will have to work in to maintain current markets and open new ones. We will need to continue to foster strong working relationships with our national associations, as well as federal and provincial governments to address issues like Countryof-Origin Labeling.

Lastly, we need to address the three legged milking stool of sustainability; economic, environmental and social. I have addressed social licence already but I believe it is critical that we lead initiatives where we invest in Manitoba research and innovation that will address profitability, continued environmental stewardship and demonstrate our significant contributions to food production systems in Canada. There is change on the horizon for the beef industry and I believe Manitoba producers are positioned to seize opportunities for growth and prosperity. The increased attendance and broad representation at the Annual General Meeting in February is an indication of the industry’s readiness to embrace change. Engaging consumers and demonstrating what you do to produce a high quality product in a sustainable manner is one of those opportunities. I look forward to working with you to make positive changes. I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes: “To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.” ‒ Winston Churchill.

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mbp thanks the agm speakers for making the meeting a success! Revised Beef Code of Practice: What Does it Mean for You?

Dr. John Campbell, University of Saskatchewan

Ryder Lee, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

New Forage Insurance Programs

Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed, National Cattle Feeders’ Association

Rheal Bernard, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation

What Does Sustainability Mean for our Social LICENCE and the Future of Beef Marketing and Production?

Dr. Kevin Ellison, World Wildlife Foundation-U.S. Northern Great Plains Program

Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd.

President’s Banquet Keynote Speaker

Bruce Vincent

National Representatives

Cherie Copithorne-Barnes, CL Ranches Ltd.

Dr. Pat Burrage, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency

Martin Unrau, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

Chuck MacLean, Canada Beef Inc.

Jeff Warrack, National Cattle Feeders’ Association

MBP would also like to thank the following people for speaking at the AGM: Arnthor Jonasson, Chair of MBP Resolutions Session Dori Gingera-Beauchemin, Deputy Minister, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Jody Jury, Monsanto Canada Trevor Atchison, Outgoing MBP President

Report on Bovine TB

Heinz Reimer, MBP President

For full speaker

Theresa Zuk, Finance Chair

biographies

Ramona Blyth, AGM Chair

and to view the AGM Program, go to

Ted Artz, District 1

www.mbbeef.ca.

Dave Koslowsky, District 2 Dr. Allan Preston, Manitoba Bovine TB Co-ordinator

Cam Dahl, MBP General Manager

Thank You to our Tradeshow Booth Participants Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development, Livestock Research Branch

Manitoba Hereford Association

Allen Leigh Security & Communications

Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance

Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd.

Masterfeeds

Bank of Montreal

Mazergroup

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

The Cattle Range

CPS Canada Inc.

True North Foods

Horizon Livestock & Poultry Supply

Verified Beef Production Program

Landmark Feeds

Zoetis

Livestock Predation Protection Working Group Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation Manitoba Angus Association Manitoba Charolais Association Manitoba Farm & Rural Support Services Manitoba Forage & Grassland Association Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation

www.mbbeef.ca

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

Beef Producers, Speaker Shine at President’s Banquet Producers and supporters of the beef industry gathered to celebrate Manitoba Beef Producers’ 35th anniversary at the President’s Banquet, held on February 4, 2014 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. The evening featured awards for environmental stewardship, MBP’s new Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognition of retiring directors and past presidents. To help celebrate its special anniversary, MBP invited keynote speaker Bruce Vincent of Libby, Mont. to speak. Vincent enthralled guests with his presentation “With Vision, There Is Hope. Ag Advocacy As a Business Line Item.” Read “Don’t Let Others Tell Your Story” on page 12 for full details.

The Environmental Stewardship Award was presented to Richard and Kristy-Layne Carr of Rich Lane Farms near La Broquerie. Read more about the award below. MBP’s first ever Lifetime Achievement Award recognized Betty Green, a Fisher Branch beef producer. Read about this award on page 10. MBP’s outgoing president Trevor Atchison of district 6, as well as Glen Campbell, district 8 director, have reached the end of their terms and were presented with buckle awards for their service to the organization. MBP thanks both long-time directors for their efforts and dedication to the beef industry. MBP was pleased to have several past presidents in attendance at the banquet and

Glen Campbell (right) receives his buckle from Ted Artz.

we thank them all for joining us. MBP was also pleased to have Jody Jury bring greetings on behalf of Monsanto Canada, MBP’s 35th

Annual General Meeting Funding Partner. Special thanks to the generous support of our President’s Banquet sponsors, Farm Credit Canada and Masterfeeds, as

Carr Family Awarded Environmental Stewardship Award

Trevor Atchison accepts his buckle from Theresa Zuk.

well as our cocktail sponsor Mazergroup. Thank you to Cargill Meat Solutions & Cargill Animal Nutrition for sponsoring the beef for the meal, and to

our Lifetime Achievement Award sponsor, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency. Thank you to all who attended.

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The Carr family receives their award from President Trevor Atchison.

Manitoba Beef Producers was pleased to present The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA), to young producers Richard and KristyLayne Carr of Rich Lane Farms of the La Broquerie area, at the 35th President’s Banquet. Manitoba’s beef producers are responsible for sustainably managing tens of thousands of acres of privately and publicly-owned land. They use many beneficial management practices, creating strong ecosystems that support a broad array of wildlife and plant species. TESA recognizes cattle producers whose exemplary stewardship practices contribute to the environment while enhancing productivity and profitability.

In 2006, the Carrs established a mainly cow-calf beef operation close to the Sandilands provincial forest where they calve approximately 230 head. A percentage of their angus-influenced herd is also used for direct-marketing grass fed beef. As the parents of four young children, the Carrs are deeply committed to environmental stewardship in order to leave a positive legacy for the next generation. They recognize the importance of sustainability. A healthy environment means healthy grass, leading to healthy cattle, which in turn translates into a healthy business. As one of the Carrs’ nominators for TESA noted, “The Carrs strive to implement

progressive and innovative practices on their family farm and are very conscious of the effect their operation has on the environment.” The Carrs use beneficial management practices aimed at increasing their farm’s productivity, while also protecting and enhancing the environment. For example, all of the dugouts and water holes are being fenced off from livestock, which are watered using solar powered pumps. This creates direct and indirect benefits, including strong vegetation growth adjacent to the water, which promotes water filtration and improved water quality for the cattle. Rotational grazing is used to help better utilize the forage on the pastures, which promotes growth of desirable species and decreases invasive species. This has also led to improved soil structure and fertility. Winter site management, and specifically bale grazing, is used with an eye to increasing organic matter and fertility. Any manure and bedding that does accumulate in the yard pens is hauled to the pasture and composted. And, rather than drain low lying land in their pastures, the Carrs have fenced them off. This protects the land for wildlife and maintains water stores for drought years.

CASH ADVANCE FORMS AVAILABLE ONLINE The Carrs have worked at: www.manitobalivestock.com closely with other organizaCash Advance Program Applies to: tions on their environmental • Manitoba cattle, bison, sheep and goat producers initiatives. • Saskatchewan cattle, bison, sheep and goat producers • Alberta sheep, bison and goat producers For example, they worked • British Columbia bison, sheep and goat producers with the Seine-Rat River Con• Quebec bison producers servation District when setCall: 1-866-869-4008 to start your application** ting up their riparian manage*Per applicant, includes all APP Programs. ment program and to access funding toward their riparian fencing and off-site watering MB_Cash_Advance.indd 1 12-10-22 4:26 PM systems projects. Staying on top of the latest production information has also been important to * Free Board until May 1 the Carrs. They take advan* Delivery Available tage of learning opportunities, * Semen Tested such as grazing tours, beef days workshops and grazing 2:00 p.m. at Rolling D Farm schools. The Carrs also like 3 miles north of Dropmore, MB to share their knowledge with on PTH #482 their fellow producers. For example, in 2012 they hosted a stop on the Manitoba Provincial Pasture Tour. By implementing conservation and stewardship programs, Rich Lane Farms is not only benefiting financially, they are also helping ensure Charolais Bulls the long term productivity 17 Yearlings (4 Red) and environmental sustain12 Two Year Olds (2 Red) ability of their land and water, Simmental Bulls protecting our environment 2 Black Yearlings for current and future genera5 Red Yearlings tions. The Carrs will move forward as nominees for national recognition from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Carman & Donna Jackson & family Association (CCA). The naInglis, MB tional TESA recipient is an- Phone: (204) 564-2547 Cell: (204) 773-6448 nounced during the CCA’s email: jackson7@mymts.net annual convention.

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10 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

MBP Presents New Lifetime Achievement Award This year, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) was proud to present its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Betty Green of Fisher Branch, Man. The award was developed to recognize Manitoba beef producers who have made significant contributions to the beef industry and for their commitment to excellence, exemplifying leadership and involvement in their community and province. There were a number of very worthy nominations for this award and the selection committee went through a challenging process in determining the recipient. Green is heavily involved in her family’s beef operation, and she is no stranger to the countless long hours and hard work that goes with it. The steadfast support of her family has allowed Green to dedicate countless hours to the advancement of not only Manitoba’s beef industry, but also the larger Canadian industry. Green recognizes the importance of mentoring future generations of beef leaders. She has long been active with her local 4-H program, assuming a leadership role there. Similarly, Green is a mentor with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Program, providing guidance and insight about our industry.

As one of the nominators noted, Green “is a proven people motivator and leader in the Canadian and Manitoba beef industry.” Green has participated in several research projects aimed at advancing the beef industry, such as the residual feed intake project and the tag retention project. She has also been a strong proponent of ecosystem management and is dedicated to educating the public about the key role that producers play in protecting the environment. In addition, Green was an early adopter of the Verified Beef Production program. Green has years of experience serving on industryrelated boards and committees, including Manitoba Beef Producers, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, the Canadian Animal Health Coalition, Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba, and the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, among many, many others. Green was extremely active during her time on MBP’s board, serving on virtually every committee. She also sat on the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association board, both as a director and as the chair of its animal health committee. She also served as MBP president during the early

years of the BSE crisis. Hundreds of hours of her time were dedicated to meetings and phone calls with other industry stakeholders and government officials trying to come up with meaning- The Green Family (L to R): Robert and Betty Green, Crystal Meisner, and Jennifer and ful strategies to try to guide Donald Green. the industry through that crisis. This critical work was in addition to the many other issues that MBP had to deal with at the time. Despite wearing these many industry hats, Green also found time to serve as a school trustee, to serve on her local parent council, hospital guild and the Women’s Institute. And one can not state strongly enough what a devoted family person she is as well. As one of the nominators noted, Green “is a proven people motivator and leader in the Canadian and Manitoba beef industry.” Another www.nerbasbrosangus.com & nominator explained that Green is “well respected for her dedication, work, knowlwww.nerbasbrosangus.blogspot.com edge and commitment to the beef industry.” Shellmouth, MB CANADA 204-564-2540 MBP congratulates and celebrates Betty Green, the very worthy recipient of our first Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Everett More & Irene Vanin 2013 Simmental Ambassador Award Winners

Melvin & Janet Dunn Carman, MB Pembina Triangle Simmental Association Commercial Producer of the year 2013

Janessa Warkentin, Danitra Warkentin, Raina Syrnyk Manitoba YCSA Scholarship

4H Voucher Winners – Virginia Olson of Russell & Viktor Popp of Erickson

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Don’t Let Others Tell Your Story: Highlights from the AGM Keynote Speaker Angela Lovell

What do Manitoba beef producers and a logger from Montana have in common? The answer, says Bruce Vincent, a third-generation logger from Libby, Montana, is a shared problem. “We only operate in things like beef and forestry with the consent of the public,” says Vincent, who was the keynote speaker at the 35th annual Manitoba Beef Producers’ AGM recently. “We have a social licence to operate in their environment. Where we are at now in our rural areas is that we are on a collision of visions.” The collision began around 50 years ago, says Vincent, who came back to the family logging company that his grandfather started in 1904 after earning degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Administration at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Vincent says he did not see the collision coming as he was growing up in a culture that was heavily conscious of conservation and had been practicing sustainable forest management since the 1930s. “We knew that if we did not practice sustainable forestry we would not have

Bruce Vincent

another generation to manage our forests,” says Vincent. “I was raised in that culture.” After living and working in the city for a few years, he and his wife Patti decided that they wanted their children to grow up in that same culture so they returned to Libby in 1984. Over the last 30 years, Vincent has seen a lot of changes take place in that idyllic, rural environment. A lot of it has to do with public perception. “The citizens of both of our countries have had more time and money than any society in history, and what have they been doing with their two week summer vacation? They have been going out into our rural areas and falling in love with the very things we love about where we live,” he says. “Clean air,

clean water, abundant wildlife—those are the things that we love. They are part of our fabric. And when society comes out of places like Winnipeg or Chicago they fall in love with our natural environment and our cultural environment. They have no idea what makes it work but they get to see this whole chunk of what used to be Canada or America, and what do you know, it is still alive and well.” Urban people often have a stereotypical view of rural life, adds Vincent, but they return to their homes with a strong sense that they want to protect it. “They want to save what they perceive to be the last, best places in both of our countries,” he says. “So, they go home and they start trying to imprint this vision of protection on us. In the United

States, it is through legislative activity, regulatory reforms and judicial activism. They are imprinting their vision and sadly, their vision for the last, best places has no provision in it for the last, best people.” Vincent knows this from painful personal experience. His family no longer logs the vast forest that surrounds his community and neither does anybody else. “The sawmills in my community and my county are now closed. Two and a half million acres of trees surround my town and we have no forestry on public land that can sustain a sawmill.” The Vincents lost their social licence to log as a result of public pressure and a much publicized lawsuit brought by an environmental group to ostensibly protect grizzly bears. Although the timber industry lost the battle they eventually won the war and had a hand in developing the progressive, Healthy Forest Initiative, a vision for healthy communities and healthy forests.

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During the fight, which Vincent was heavily involved in, he learned three big lessons that he shared with Manitoba’s beef producers. “Democracy works but it is not a spectator sport,” he says. “We need to stand together and with our politicians, and support those who support us. Local and municipal elections are more important than federal elections because our last line of defence is the people we live with.” Vincent also learned that when people lead, leaders follow because leaders are just as disjointed from society as the rest of the people are. “You need to lead the people with your vision for the future and envision agriculture being a part of that, because if you don’t, someone will offer a vision for Manitoba without you in it. Paint yourself in and talk about how they don’t need to make choices between preserve and destroy, and talk about your vision for conservation.”

Finally, says Vincent, the world is run by those who show up. “Attend meetings and show up in this debate,” he says. “Do not just join associations and expect them to represent you without weighing in and showing up for your district meetings. Show up in the schools and in your community. Engage one hour a week of your business time to advocate for agriculture. You are the most efficient, environmentally responsible producers of beef in the history of man. You are the green choice but you have got to tell the public that.” The conflict industry, says Vincent, needs a new piñata and he believes the next one is going to be anything to do with water and animals. “That is you guys,” he says. “So, remember the three truths and if you all work and stand together, your kids are going to have the same meeting here in another 35 years.”

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

Defining Sustainable Beef Production angela lovell Sustainability was a recurring theme at this year’s Manitoba Beef Producers AGM in Brandon, where a panel discussion focused on what the word and the concept really mean in the context of future Canadian beef production and marketing. There are a lot of people trying to come up with a definition of what “sustainable” really means, including the Global and Canadian Roundtables on Sustainable Beef, which bring together producers and producer associations, processors, environmental groups, retailers and other industry participants to try and arrive at a definition of sustainable beef, what it looks like, how it is produced and how it is verified. McDonald’s is one of the companies at the table. The fast food chain has publicly announced it will begin purchasing verified sustainable beef by December 2016, even though the company is not sure what that means yet, admits panellist Jeffrey Fitzpatrick-Stilwell, Manager of Sustainability for McDonald’s Canada. “We don’t know what verified sustainable beef is but the verification piece is key to help us relate to our customers,” he says. “Ultimately, we want all the beef that we source globally to come from verified sustainable sources, but we cannot do that alone. It has to be producer led from our perspective, so we need producers to tell us how their best management practices work and why they really are the best practices.” McDonald’s purchases 70 million pounds of Canadian beef annually and has already committed to supply 100 per cent Canadian beef to its Canadian restaurants in response to customer feedback. Where McDonald’s will purchase its first verified sustainable beef is still unknown, but Fitzpatrick-Stilwell hinted that Canada may have an edge. “The global McDonald’s company has been beyond impressed as it has learned more about the Canadian beef industry,” he says. “One of the things that they have been hearing from everyone is that the industry is willing to collaborate and that has really impressed them.” He adds that he believes Canadian producers are already producing sustainable beef. “Once we define it and put key performance

indicators in place, I am confident that in Canada, the vast majority of beef we are purchasing is already sustainable beef,” Fitzpatrick-Stilwell says. “I do not believe we are starting at zero and are going to have to push people to get there. Once we get this defined, I hope we are able to say that McDonald’s Canada is the best test case because we are already purchasing sustainable beef.” Groups like the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) are also involved in the process to find not just a definition but a balance between sustainable food production and conservation. Panellist, Dr. Kevin Ellison, is involved in the WWF U.S. Northern Great Plains Program. “Our focus is on grassland conservation but we also have to look at the bigger picture and to be concerned with conserving grasslands while dealing with a growing world population,” he says. Ellison explained that studying songbird migrations gives a good indication of the health of grassland ecosystems, upon which they depend throughout their life cycle, moving from Canada’s grasslands where they breed to as far south as southern Mexico. “The majority of grasslands are privately owned and managed and some of the public lands are grazed by ranchers, so we have a lot in common. That is why we are working with ranchers to develop programs that will sustain ranching and sustain wildlife,” he adds. Increasingly, public perceptions of what people believe is sustainable can influence what practices or systems are allowed to exist to satisfy a view that is not always well informed. “We are neighbours to a million people and most are three generations removed from the farm,” says panellist Cherie CopithorneBarnes, a fourth-generation rancher at Jumping Pound, 30 minutes west of Calgary. “My family has been in the community for 130 years. Everybody around me has been there no more than 30 and yet their opinions are now becoming critical; the corporations and politicians are listening to them.” Copithorne-Barnes is Chair of the Canadian Roundtable on Sustainable Beef and believes it is vital that producers engage the public so they understand how their food is really

produced. “We each know what sustainable is because we do it every day, but we have a hard time defining that and communicating that to the public,” she says. “We have to do a better job of telling our story.” Fitzpatrick-Stilwell also encourages Canadian producers to get involved in the process to make sure whatever definition of sustainable beef emerges works for them. “I would encourage producers to participate in the programs that already exist, like the Verified Beef Production program, because I think we are looking to utilize programs that already exist versus creating new ones and adding more complexity,” he says. “I think it is critical for producers to take part

because we want to make sure that when we get to the end of this process, any producer across Canada can say I was part of the discussion about it.” Copithorne-Barnes hopes the definition of sustainability will not be too black and white. “Sustainability needs a living definition,” she says. L to R: Cam Dahl moderates a panel discussion on “You never know what sustainability, with speakers Kevin Ellison, Jeffrey consumers are thinking Fitzpatrick-Stilwell and Cherie Copithorne-Barnes. and we have to be flexible enough to respond, but we also need to know that what is being defined to us as sustainable is going to work functionally. It is our responsibility to make sure our politicians, trade regulators and everybody involved in the business aspect ensures that we can do this in an economically viable way.”

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View our catalogue & videos online: www.wilkinridge.blogspot.com SID WILKINSON (204) 373-2631 ph • 324-4302 cell

14 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Protecting our Social Licence angela lovell An important session at the 35th Annual General Meeting covered the revised Beef Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle and how it affects producers. There are some significant differences between the revised code, which was released by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) in August 2013, and the previous code of practice from 1991. Public pressure has played a role in determining some of the changes, including new requirements for animal pain control during painful procedures such as castration or de-horning. “There certainly was public pressure to deal with painful procedures in some fashion,” says Dr. John Campbell of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, who also served on the Beef Code of Practice science advisory committee. “From the public’s point of view this is a major priority welfare issue and it was one of the toughest things to reach consensus on.”

Dr. John Campbell

KEY POINTS • Public pressure was a key reason why there were changes to the Code, in regards to dealing with painful procedures. • From January 2016, the Code requires that pain control be used for de-horning and castration of animals older than nine months. • Starting January 2018, the Code will include all cattle castrated older than six months. The new code requires that from January 2016 pain control must be used, in consultation with a veterinarian, for de-horning and for

Joyce Van Donkersgoed

castration of animals after the age of nine months. The requirement will change in January 2018 to include all cattle castrated older than six months. The best practice for castration is still to do it as early as possible, says Campbell, who adds that there are not many options for local anaesthetics. Currently, producers have the choice of an anaesthetic, such as Lidocaine, which blocks pain during the procedure but quickly wears off, or an analgesic, such as Metacam, which can help to control pain for up to 24 hours following the procedure. Both need to be prescribed by a veterinarian. Establishing an ongoing working relationship with a licensed practicing veterinarian and developing a strategy

April

2014 Spring Sale Schedule

March

DLMS INTERNET SALES EVERY THURSDAY AT www.dlms.ca - Call our office to list your cattle! Monday, March 3 Wednesday, March 5 Friday, March 7 Sunday, March 9 Monday, March 10 Wednesday, March 12 Saturday, March 15 Monday, March 17 Wednesday, March 19 Thursday, March 20 Monday, March 24 Wednesday, March 26 Friday, March 28 Monday, March 31

Butcher Sale Regular Feeder Sale Bred Cow Sale & C/C Sale Rebels of the West Bull Sale Butcher Sale Presort Feeder Sale Pleasant Dawn Charolais Bull Sale Butcher Sale Regular Feeder Sale Sheep Sale Butcher Sale Presort Feeder Sale Bred Cow Sale & C/C Sale Butcher Sale

9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

Ryder Lee

for disease prevention and herd health is another requirement of the code. “When we talked with the enforcement people that get called to deal with real wrecks, a common theme is that there was no relationship with a veterinarian,” says Ryder Lee, Manager of Federal and Provincial Relations for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), who was involved in development of the code. “If you want access to drugs that need a prescription, veterinarians have to know you and your operation, and what they are releasing to you on their behalf and with their name behind it.” Other priority welfare issues deal with feedlot health and morbidity, weaning methods and environmental and housing issues, including new requirements around mud and snow as a water source. Snow as a

water source is fine as long as there is an adequate supply of clean, loose snow, but not for lactating or weak cattle with a body condition score less than 2.5 out of 5, or any cattle that do not have access to optimal feed resources. The National Cattle Feeders’ Association is developing its own feedlot animal care program in collaboration with industry partners including packers, retailers, researchers, auditors, NFACC and the CCA. It will include an on-site assessment tool for producers. The industry is anxious to be proactive, says Dr. Joyce Van Donkersgoed, a veterinarian who is project leader for the program. Industry wants an achievable feedlot program that is credible to the industry and consumers, but not unduly cumbersome or costly for producers to implement.

9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 12 Noon 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m.

Wednesday, April 2 Regular Feeder Sale 9:00 a.m. Sunday, April 6 Cattlemens Classic Bull Sale Monday, April 7 Butcher Sale 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 9 Presort Feeder Sale 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 14 Butcher Sale 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 16 Regular Feeder Sale 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 16 Pen of 5 Replacement Heifer Sale 1:00 p.m. Thursday, April 17 Sheep Sale 12:00 noon Friday, April 18th to Monday, April 21st CLOSED for EASTER WEEKEND Wednesday, April 23 Regular Feeder Sale 9:00 a.m. Friday, April 25 Bred Cow & C/C Sale 11:00 a.m. Monday, April 28 Butcher Sale 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 30 Presort Feeder Sale (pending) 10:00 a.m.

Monday Butcher Sales end April 28th Sheep/Lamb/Goat and Horse sale May 22 at 12:00 noon We will sell feeders and butcher cattle Wednesdays until fall starting May 7

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

th 46 Annual

LUNDAR

Purebred Beef Cattle Show & Sale

SSaturday, t d April A il 12, 12 2014

Show: 10:00 a.m. LUNDAR ARENA Sale: 1:00 p.m. HEREFORD 9

SIMMENTAL

2 Year old Bulls

1 Year old Bulls

2 Year old Bulls

1 Year old Heifers

11 2

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1 Year old Bulls

For more information, contact:

Connie Gleich 739-5264 or Jim Beachell 467-8809

Visit our catalogue at www.buyagro.com Auctioneer - Bud Bergner

www.mbbeef.ca

“Proper animal care ensures good animal performance, reduces injuries, improves employee morale and retention, minimizes losses and reduces the risk of additional regulations or other punitive actions,” she says. “It is part of our future sustainability.” Animal care fits into a larger, global discussion, says Lee, about how the beef industry is viewed by the public. This can have a tremendous influence upon retailers and government policy. “They allow us to do what we do because we have a social licence and they accept that we raise animals where and how we do,” he says. “We want to keep our licence and the way to do that is through trust and credibility. We care for our animals and we do what we know is right, but it does not mean it is going to be accepted by others. We have to make sure people understand what we are doing.” Developing trust and credibility is the next step, says Lee and that is why the CCA is part of the Canadian Round Table for Sustainable Beef, which, with other beef industry partners, is seeking to define what sustainable beef is and create a measurable benchmark for the industry. “We have the Verified Beef Program, which is our onfarm food safety program, and our next project is to add some other modules to provide assurances to packers, retailers or consumers about the environment, biosecurity or animal welfare.” As important as codes of practice and auditing tools are, producers have a huge role to play in informing the public about their practices. This can help shape consumer perception of livestock production and animal welfare. “How we talk about our industry and what we do is huge,” says Lee. “The values that you hold as a producer, a parent or animal care practitioner are much more important than the skills and what you do. Consumers want to talk about what is important to you and when you tell them that our animals are well cared for and that you do not want to see anything bad in the food system because it is your food system and your kids’ food system too, that makes a lot of sense to them.”

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

Vet corner

Lameness: Timing is Critical

Dr. Tanya Anderson, DVM Just as Manitoba Hydro implores to “call before you dig,” changes to the Health of Animals Transport regulations necessitate that you “call before you inject.” An injection of long-acting tetracycline is cheap, effective and the preferred treatment for foot rot. However, if the issue is something else that is not amenable to treatment, it can cost you the market value of the cow. Meat withdrawal times vary from a minimum of 28 days up to 60 days, depending on the product and route of administration used (intramuscular or subcutaneous). When you review the section about transportation under the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle, there is an excellent pretransport decision making process in a colourful chart. Cattle cannot be transported unless you

Assess your herd regularly and make decisions early. Get the correct diagnosis early so that you can institute proper treatment and opt for a plan that works for you. can be sure that they will remain healthy enough to handle the entire journey—whether that is direct to slaughter or after unloading and reloading at multiple auction marts and assembly yards. Cattle with fractures or arthritis in multiple joints cannot be transported, but must either be salvage slaughtered or euthanized. Cattle with Class 1 lameness (visibly lame, no

evidence of pain, can keep up with group) or Class 2 lameness (unable to keep up, difficulty climbing ramps) must be transported direct to a processor as soon as possible. Class 2 cattle require loading in the rear compartment. Good footing and ample bedding ensure that these compromised animals can arrive safely at the slaughter plant. Class 3 cattle require assistance to rise but can walk freely while Class 4 animals show a reluctance to walk. Class 5 cattle cannot rise or, if assisted to rise, cannot remain standing. These animals should not be transported or loaded, except for veterinary treatment. Few veterinarians want these cattle in their facilities; they will go down and their management becomes a nightmare for all involved! Unfortunately, many producers do not bother calling until an animal has advanced to Class 2 lame. Simple footrot (like the picture shown)

readily responds to antibiotics if caught early (within the first few days). Note how the area above the hoof is swollen and the foot is held gingerly. Some feet also have redness and swelling between the toes. Clinical improvement is noted within two days of treatment. If an animal does not respond to antibiotics or if the swelling worsens or extends up the leg, do not just keep giving antibiotics. Treating multiple times for weeks will result in a Class 3 or worse cow. Call your vet and book a hooftrim. Mention that the cow is lame so that your appointment is prioritized. Nonresponsive footrots usually have toe abscesses, sandcracks, heelbulb/sole ulcers or hairy heel warts. All can be economically and effectively treated when caught early. Similarly, have your cow assessed if she is lame and the foot seems normal. While the vast majority of lameness involves feet,

hock, stifle, shoulder and hip injuries do occur. Unfortunately, these are not amenable to treatment but early diagnosis will keep your options open. Assess your herd regularly and make decisions early. Get the correct diagnosis early so that you can

institute proper treatment and opt for a plan that works for you—whether for continued productivity in the herd, sale at top cull cow price or for salvage slaughter. Doing nothing or doing something too late is no longer an option for lame cattle.

IT’S UNMISTAKABLE Pounds at a Premium. It’s Proven!

Upcoming Events MCA Pen Show and Picnic held at HTA Charolais Rivers MB • June 21, 2014

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Back: Ian Milliken, Jeff Cavers, Ernie Bayduza, Jim Olson, Michael Hunter, Kevin Stebeleski, Trent Hatch • Front: Vonda Hopcraft, Andre Steppler (First Vice President), Shawn Airey (President), Hans Myhre (Second Vice President), and Rae Trimble-Olson (Secretary/Treasurer)

Provincial Heart of Canada Show held in conjunction with the Carberry Fair • July 6, 2014 National Canadian Charolais Youth Show held in Portage la Prairie • July 23-26, 2014 National Charolais Show held in conjunction with the MB Livestock Expo • November 6-8 , 2014 in Brandon MB For more info on these upcoming events, contact any of our board of directors.

Check out our new and improved website. www.charolaisbanner.com/mca

www.mbbeef.ca

16 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Water Hemlock: Be on the Lookout for this Poisonous Plant Douglas J. Cattani, Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba

Figure 2

Figure 4

Douglas J. Cattani

• Water hemlock is poisonous to livestock when young sprouts or a tuber are consumed.

Figure 3

Doug Goldman, USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA-NRCS-NPDT

Figure 1

Douglas J. Cattani

• Water hemlock is typically found in wet areas, including ditches. • Leaf-like appendages at the base, where the flower stalks come together, can help identify this plant. to grow past the early sprouting stage, there are two major differences. The leaves of water hemlock have divisions of the leaf within divisions (bior tri-pinnately compound), as seen in Figure 2. Water parsnip has a simple pinnately compound leaf, while poison hemlock has leaves that resemble parsley (Figure 3). The bi- or tri-pinnately compound types of leaf appear once the plant emerges above the water in the spring. The flowers of the plants can also be used to determine

Figure 5

Regular Cattle Sales every Tuesday at 9:00 A.M.

Sheep and Goat Sale with Small Animals & Holstein Calves MONDAY, MARCH 10TH & 31ST @ NOON

Bred Cow Sale

SATURDAY, APRIL 12TH @ 10:00AM Sales agent for HIQUAL INDUSTRIES Specializing in Livestock Handling Equipment For info regarding products or pricing, please call our office

Figure 1. Typical plant in a Manitoba wet area.

Figure 4. Water parsnip inflorescence. Note the presence of bracts.

Figure 2. A water hemlock leaf.

Figure 5. Water hemlock inflorescence. Note the absence of bracts.

Figure 3. Poison hemlock leaves.

For on-farm appraisal of livestock or marketing information, call:

HAROLD UNRAU - Manager/Sales Rep. 1-204-434-6519 office or 871-0250 cell

www.grunthallivestock.com g_lam@hotmail.ca

CONTACT

www.primegrains.com John Husband • (306)739-2900 jhusband@primegrains.com

CATTLEX LTD.

• CATTLEX offers a complete Order-Buying service and covers all Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan Auction Marts. • CATTLEX buys ALL classes of cattle direct from producers. • CATTLEX is interested in purchasing large or small consignments of Feeder Cattle, Finished Cattle, Cows and Bulls. For more information and pricing, contact any of the Cattlex buyers: Andy Drake (204) 764-2471, 867-0099 cell Jay Jackson (204) 223-4006 Gord Ransom (204) 534-7630

Clive Bond (204) 483-0229 Ken Drake (204) 724-0091

Bonded & Licensed in Manitoba & Saskatchewan

www.mbbeef.ca

Douglas J. Cattani

Check out our Market Report online UPDATED WEEKLY

KEY POINTS

Douglas J. Cattani

Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata L.), also known as spotted water hemlock, is a perennial native plant found throughout most of Canada. This species is generally found in areas that tend to be wet and are commonly found in roadside ditches in many parts of Manitoba. Water hemlock is very poisonous to livestock when either the young sprouts or a tuber are consumed. Early spring is the most likely time for problems as wet soil conditions allow for the removal of the tubers from the soil during grazing and this is when new sprouts are present. Older plant parts, while poisonous to animals, are not necessarily fatal. Water hemlock is a member of the Carrot family and is similar in appearance to a number of other species, some poisonous, others not. For example, water parsnip, which is not poisonous, (Figure 1) can be confused for water hemlock at first glance. Once the plant begins

which plant species is present. All of the plants in the Carrot family have umbel type of inflorescences (Figure 4). A trait that may be used for differentiating between water hemlock and the others are the presence or absence of bracts. These are leaf-like appendages at the base of the umbel (where all of the flower stalks come together, as seen in Figure 4. The water parsnip and the poison hemlock both have bracts while water hemlock does not (Figure 5). Water hemlock can be problematic in Manitoba, however, they are easily distinguished once the leaves develop into their characteristic multi-pinnately compound phase. Unfortunately, this is after they pose the greatest risk. Hemlocks may be easily identified later in the year and control is easiest at this time. Areas with standing water are the preferred habitat and previously flooded areas should be watched for the appearance of water hemlock.

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 17

Agvocates Pose at President’s Banquet Guests took time to have fun and show their love for agriculture during MBP’s 35th President’s Banquet at the Agriculture More Than Ever booth. Agriculture More Than Ever is an industry cause to improve perceptions and create positive dialogue about Canadian agriculture. Manitoba Beef Producers is a proud partner. The story of Canadian agriculture is one of success, promise, challenge and determination. Share your story at www.agriculture- Elsie and Heinz Reimer, MBP President morethanever.ca.

14.april.2014 Martin Unrau, CCA President

20th yearling BUll Sale

k i S B e y, S k

Theresa Zuk, District 10 Director

49a

Rally son • bw100 / ww738

36a

Malcolm son • bw86 / ww703

21a

Rally son • bw76 / ww710

view the complete sale offering on our website

Ben Fox, District 13 Director

designeR A dozen designer sons sell - many suitable for heifers. Ramona Blyth, District 5 Director

Kristy-Layne and Richard Carr, La Broquerie Producers

www.mbbeef.ca

sRiRAchA several sons sell!

18 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Examining the Financial Requirements of the Retiring Generation Terry Betker Often there is some really important information that is missing in succession planning. The financial needs of the retiring generation are often not worked through in enough detail—unintentionally getting lost in the tax and estate planning discussions. It is important that retirement living costs be analyzed, in as much detail as possible, to ensure that there will be enough money to support the standard of living that the retiring generation desires. Without adequate planning, the retiring generation may find that their income is not sufficient. They often are unable, in these circumstances, to make adjustments to meet their needs. There may not be enough time or there may be no recourse due to previously completed asset distribution. Year over year living costs are one consideration. There are often accompanying large capital expenditures planned, such as housing, that can significantly impact their financial affairs.

Therefore, it is important that the retiring generation ask questions, do some research and gain a thorough understanding of their financial realities in retirement before the transition of ownership and management is finalized. Following are a series of questions the retiring generation can use to stimulate discussion regarding their retirement and related financial needs: • What do you envision yourselves doing in retirement? • How much income will you need to live this way? • What are your current costs of living? • Have you thought about inflation pressures and how this might impact your retirement needs? • Are you planning to purchase any big ticket items in the five years post-retirement (i.e. house, cottage, extensive travel)? • Are you planning on gifting assets or cash to your children? If so, how much and when? • Do you wish to leave a financial legacy to

family, community or other causes? There is a free retirement calculator available at www. backswath.com. Simply go to the website and send the appropriate email request and you will receive an example version, a template ready for completion and a how-to guide. Similar calculators are available from investment advisors but they tend not to be farm friendly. The calculator available on the Backswath website is farm-specific. It is adapted from the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development RetirePlan. It requires that you enter certain information, such as: • Birth dates; • Life expectancy; • Inflation rate; • Rate of return on investment; and • Current income tax rates. You are asked to record your current monthly living costs. This is one area where I find that information is insufficient. Detail is important. If the information is not readily at hand, work through an exercise to determine what your actual living

KEY POINTS • It is important to analyze retirement costs to ensure there will be enough money to support your standard of living. • Future retirees need to ask questions, do their research and gain a thorough understanding of their financial reality before ownership and management of the farm is transferred. • Do you know what your actual costs of living are? costs are. The calculator applies the inflation rate you provided and forecasts what your living costs through your retirement will be so it is important to get as accurate a starting point as you can. Having said that, most families do not know what their actual living costs are. If you fall into this category, start with your best estimate and then begin to record more accurate living cost information that you can use when working through your future calculators. Pension information is required. Old Age Security (OAS) information is readily available through the Canada Revenue Agency website. Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) information is specific to an individual and your entitlement can be determined by visiting a Service Canada office or by accessing www. servicecanada.gc.ca.

MARCH

9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

THE REFUND FORM IS AVAILABLE ON THE MCEC WEBSITE: www.mancec.com click on refunds. Please ensure that in order to process your application quickly, all supporting documents (receipts) are included, and the name of the applicant(s) is the same as the name on the receipts. The application also needs to be signed by the applicant(s).

Tuesday, April 1 Saturday, April 5 Tuesday, April 8 Tuesday, April 15 Tuesday, April 22 Tuesday, April 29

9:30 a.m. 12:00 noon 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m.

Spring 2014 Sale Schedule

Terry Betker is a farm management consultant based in Winnipeg, Man. He can be reached at 204-782-8200 or terry.betker@backswath.com.

Tuesday, March 4 Regular Sale Thursday, March 6 Regular Sale Friday, March 7 Cattleman`s Connection Bull Sale Tuesday, March 11 Regular Sale Thursday, March 13Regular Sale Tuesday, March 18 Regular Sale Thursday, March 20Regular Sale Thursday, March 20Bred Cow Sale Tuesday, March 25 Regular Sale Thursday, March 27Regular Sale Thursday, March 27Pen of 5 Sale

The regulation specifies refunds as follows: THE APPLICATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY MCEC WITHIN 1 YEAR AFTER THE MONTH END IN WHICH THE FEE WAS DEDUCTED

There is another significant benefit to using the calculator. The ongoing farming generation can apply the retirement estimates to the farm’s ongoing financial performance. How will the $750,000 be paid? Will it be financed in whole or in part? How will this impact the farm? There are three options if the farm does not have the capacity to fund the $750,000; the retirement plans need to be adjusted; the farm’s profitability needs to be improved; or a combination of the two. Scenarios can be analyzed, trying to find mutually workable arrangements. I recommend that farm families work through the calculator every year. Circumstances and situations change so it is important to monitor their effect on retirement plans on a regular (annual) basis.

APRIL

1 March 2013 - 31 August 2013

Savings (such as Registered Savings Plans or Tax Free Savings Accounts), large capital expenditures in retirement and large inflows of money (sale of land) are recorded. Any ongoing income in retirement is entered, such as employment or land rent. Once information is entered, the calculator provides a summary. The summary indicates if there are enough funds through retirement and what residual, given the life expectancy, may exist. It will also indicate if there is a shortfall. What-if scenarios can be entered. For example, the retiring generation estimates they will need $500,000 from the farm to adequately fund their retirement. Working through the calculator indicates there will be a shortfall by age 76. They can increase the capital from the farm to $750,000 and see if that will be sufficient. Any number of options, for example, increasing rental income or decreasing retirement needs, can be considered.

Presort Sale Great Spirit Bison Sale Regular Sale Regular Sale Regular Sale Regular Sale

APRIL – AUGUST WILL BE TUESDAY SALES ONLY. STARTING AT 9:00 A.M. Presorts MUST be booked in advance. Bred cow sales must be pre-booked and in by NOON on Thursday prior. Age verification papers must be dropped off with cattle.

www.mbbeef.ca

Heartland Livestock Services

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 19

Government Activities Round-up:

Highlights of the Federal Action Plan 2014 Maureen Cousins The recent federal budget offered little in the way of new agricultural programming but still contained some items of interest to Manitoba’s beef producers. The following are some highlights of Federal Action Plan 2014, announced on February 11, 2014.

Livestock price insurance

The federal government restated its commitment to the four-year pilot Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP). Additional details can be found on page 3. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) had long sought the creation of this program, which it believes will be a valuable risk management tool for Manitoba’s beef producers. Strong participation in the program by western Canadian livestock producers will be important to the program if it is going to move beyond the pilot stage.

Food safety initiatives

The federal government is making a substantial financial injection—$390 million over five years—into food safety initiatives. There are three key elements. One involves an investment of $153.6 million to strengthen the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) food safety programs targeted at high-risk foods. This will include the hiring of an additional 200-plus inspectors and other staff, creating programs to minimize risks and efforts to ensure that unsafe food imports do not enter Canada. Another element will see $30.7 million spent to establish a national Food Safety Information Network. It will link federal and provincial food safety authorities and private Canadian food testing labs. This will allow for improved information sharing, which should lead to more rapid detection of food safety hazards and faster response times. The final element involves an investment of

$205.5 million for continued BSE programming, provided by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. The government notes the programs are “aimed at safeguarding human and animal health, maintaining consumer confidence in Canadian products and enhancing market access.”

Dealing with disasters

The budget contains a number of measures aimed at dealing with disasters, particularly on the mitigation side. Starting in 2015-16, the government is providing $200 million over five years to establish a National Disaster Mitigation Program. Investments will be made in structural mitigation measures, like infrastructure to control floods. Costs will be shared with the provincial and territorial governments, with details to be released in the coming months. Canadians do not currently have access to residential flood insurance, leaving them at financial risk during overland flooding. The federal government plans to consult

Expanded broadband deferral to all types of horses service that are over 12 months of age Producers stymied by poor broadband service may benefit from the budget. The federal government will be providing $305 million over five years to extend and enhance broadband service to a target speed of five megabits per second for up to another 280,000 households. The government says this will represent near universal access, however, no timeframe for rollout was identified. The government also committed to take steps to lower wholesale roaming rates within Canada.

Expanded tax deferral

Currently, producers who have to dispose of breeding livestock due to drought, flood or excess moisture conditions in prescribed conditions are allowed to exclude up to 90 per cent of the sale proceeds from their taxable income until the year following the sale, or a later year if the conditions persist. This applies to cattle, sheep and goats over 12 months of age kept for breeding. The federal budget proposes to extend the tax

ANGUS BULL? No sir... he’s a

ANGUS BULL?

No sir... he’s a

with provincial and territorial governments and the insurance industry to explore options for a national approach to residential flood insurance. Finally, the federal government has committed to consult with the provinces on potential changes to the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). The DFAA is the mechanism by which the federal government provides financial assistance to the provinces and territories when there is a natural disaster, such as the 2011 flood. Monies are used to help offset response and recovery costs, which can include evacuation costs; the cost of replacing or repairing basic, essential property of individuals, small businesses and farmsteads; and restoring public works and infrastructure. MBP welcomes this discussion around the DFAA. The program has not been updated since it was introduced in the 1970s and MBP believes there is room for modernization of certain elements of the program to make it more responsive to victims of disasters.

ANGUSBULL! BULL? SALERS

and that are kept for breeding, as well as bees. This will be effective for the 2014 and subsequent taxation years.

Miscellaneous

The federal government continues to encourage donations of ecologically sensitive land via the Ecological Gifts Program. It has committed to double to 10 years, for income tax purposes, the carry-forward period for donations of land under the program. Donations must be made to specific registered Canadian charities. The current carry forward period is five years. The current freeze on Employment Insurance premium rates will be maintained. A Canada Apprentice Loan will be created to give apprentices registered in Red Seal trades access to interest-free student loans. Finally, legislation will be introduced to address the price gap between identical goods sold in Canada and the United States. No details have been provided as to how this may work or when it would take effect.

SALERS BULL!

No sir...he’s a

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www.salerscanada.com T:403-264-5850 and email info@salerscanada.com www.salerscanada.com Richard & Gill Grudeski GRUDESKI SALERS Box 9 Vista, MB R0J 2E0 T: 204-859-2899 vistasalers@hotmail.com

Ken & Wendy Sweetland SWEETLAND SUPER SIX SALERS Box 84 Lundar, MB R0C 1Y0 T:204-762-5512 sweetlandsalers@xplornet.com

David Wright ALL WRIGHT FARMS Box 1210 Carberry, MB R0K 0H0 T: 204-466-2684

Sponsored by the Salers Association of Canada and the above Manitoba breeders

www.mbbeef.ca

20 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

The Bottom Line

Will 2014 Continue to Break Records?

Rick Wright

KEY POINTS

With March on the calendar, cow-calf producers are in full swing when it comes to calving. A few years ago, I would have opened the February edition of The Bottom Line with that statement but times are changing. More and more producers are foregoing the cold weather calving of January and February. This year has opened with record cattle prices for both finished and feeder cattle. These high prices are bringing cattle to market earlier than normal. Producers do not want to miss this upswing in the marketplace, so they are selling early. Many mixed farmers are also feeling the cash crunch and have to sell cattle for cash flow. The slow movement of grain has delayed the delivery on grain contracted in the fall. A shortage of rail cars and storage space at the terminals could mean that cash sales are months away. Some producers are

• Record cattle prices in 2014 mean cattle are coming to market earlier than normal. Producers do not want to miss out on high prices. • Can prices continue to improve? Most of the fundamentals indicate prices may go a bit higher. • Higher prices for consumers may make top cuts of beef a luxury food, similar to lobster. • A colder than normal winter, shortage of rail cars and the slow movement of grain means grain contracted in the fall has been delayed. just not prepared to market their grain at the current prices. Combine that with a colder than normal winter, which has used up hay supplies faster than anticipated, and selling

the feeder cattle is an easy choice. Can these cattle prices continue to improve? Most of the fundamentals indicate that the feeder cattle market on lighter weight cattle, under 750 pounds, will remain strong and may even get a little bit higher prior to the grass season. Contracts for yearlings off the grass are strong as well, and support the aggressive current cash market for feeders. The heavy feeder cattle have started to experience some price resistance and they may have reached a threshold where the futures do not support the current feeder cattle cash market. Late January saw fed cattle prices as high as $1.50 per pound live in Nebraska, which was another record. However, the cash price was much higher than the futures and the majority of the cattle feeders were very nervous about the summer market, especially the August market. There is recent news that will affect the price of meat

in stores. The hog industry is battling against a virus that kills newborn piglets. This virus has been spreading across the U.S. and has been found in Canada. It has an extremely high mortality rate, which will delay the expansion of the hog industry. It will also short the supply of the finished product. This shortage of pork will undoubtedly push up the pork prices, which, in turn, will decrease the price spread between pork and beef in the stores. There has been some concern that consumers will rebel against the retail beef prices that will be required when the record high beef lands in the store coolers. Consumers have always been prepared to pay more for beef than pork. Other protein choices are also higher than in the past and industry feels that we have surpassed a new threshold in retail beef prices. The cattle industry needs these prices to continue to be sustainable in the future. Consumers will always

purchase beef, but they may switch to cheaper cuts and eat more ground beef. In the future, the top cuts of beef may become a luxury food, much the same as we treat lobster and some other types of seafood. Regardless of the price, we still buy it—we just do not have it as often as we would like to. With that in mind, we can expect the cull cow price to remain very strong. Despite the fact that we have record numbers of cows still going to kill, the majority of the good bred cows sold in January found their way back to the farms. Producers are not expanding in Manitoba; they are replacing their culled inventory and, in many cases, are not keeping replacement heifers at the current feeder cattle prices. There was a great deal of disappointment and anger from the beef industry on both sides of the border that the mandatory Countryof-Origin Labeling (COOL) issue was not dealt with in the passing of the Farm Bill that President Obama

14th Annual

Cattleman’s Classic Multi-Breed Sale Sunday, April 6, 2014

Heartland Livestock 1:00 p.m. Virden, MB

Selling approximately 63 bulls: 35 Char, 15 Hereford, 10 Angus POWERFUL 2YEAR OLDS THICK BEEFY YEARLINGS

Brought to you by these respectable cattlemen:

(offering Mb. largest selection of red factor Charolais bulls)

Tri N Charolais - Mervin & Jesse Nykoliation at 204-838-2107 or 851-3391 LEJ Charolais - Jim & Rae Olson at 204-252-3115 CattleLac Charolais Ranch - Tyler Wilkinson at 204-448-2181 RSK Farms - Andrew Kopechuk at 204-573-9529 New Horizon Angus - Kiern Doetzel at 306-336-2245 BASKM Angus - Brad&Mathew Ginter at 306-586-4404

Watch the sale and bid online at www.dlms.ca

Our bulls are affordable! 75% of our bulls sold last year between

$2,200 - $3,500!

View catalogue online@www.charolaisbanner.com or to request a catalogue contact Mervin or Jesse at 204-838-2107 or 851-3391 or merv1@prairie.ca www.mbbeef.ca

signed recently. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to address the issue in mid-February and it is hoped that they will grant Canada the authority to introduce the tariffs threatened by our federal government. There is a small silver lining in the current situation. If the U.S. government scrapped COOL, the demand for Canadian feeder cattle would be even stronger than it is right now. If you compare our current prices to those in the Dakotas, we could see a 10 to 15 cent per pound increase. This short-term benefit to the cattle producers could produce long-term problems in Manitoba and the rest of Canada. It would certainly drain Manitoba of the majority of its feeder cattle, regardless of the weight and kind. Manitoba has changed from a finishing province to a backgrounding province; there are very few finishing lots left here. If all of the feeder cattle were exported out of the province, producers in Manitoba risk losing the cattle feeding infrastructure that we have left. Even today, every available custom feeding pen in Manitoba is full of cattle purchased in Manitoba but owned by out-of-province investors. I need not remind you that, in as few as 25 years ago, Manitoba was considered the Chicago of the north, in reference to the huge packing industry located in Winnipeg. When we lost the packing industry, we rapidly lost our finishing industry. That infrastructure has never been revitalized despite many attempts. If our backgrounding industry is not full for the majority of the year, we risk losing that infrastructure and the synergies that are associated with it. The cattle business runs in cycles and we have seen the Canadian dollar move from 65 cents U.S. to above par in the past. There will be a day in the future when we may not have the same demand from south of the border that we enjoy today. It is fine to enjoy the moment but we do need to protect the future. Until next time, Rick.

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 21

Straight from the Hip Where Should I be, When I Don’t Have the Ball?

Brenda Schoepp Not all of us are star players. I love the game of basketball and although a decent shot, I am far from the star of the team. In setting up the person to make the shot, I always had to ask myself, “Where should I be when I don’t have the ball?” In agriculture, we are often met with challenges that leave us scrambling, perhaps caught with a foul or holding the ball too long. These are little setbacks that may seem overwhelming at times. Team players understand that everyone, at some time, goes through the agony of defeat and it is their responsibility to play at full best regardless of who gets the point. I recently facilitated a group of young farmers through a hypothetical disaster at their farms. The case studies involved the participation of everyone in the room and that participation came with a responsibility to engage, empower and help find solutions for the struggling farmer. What would your response be to a

neighbour caught hitting a cow or a neighbour misrepresented in the media? Let us see how teamwork can help turn the tide and create preventative processes and protocols to mitigate risk. Sandy* has a dream of starting a vegetable and berry farm with her partner. She has never farmed before but is passionate about the possibilities and about growing food in a sustainable manner. Her location is good for public interaction as her little farm sits on a main roadway where folks can get out and look at the product. She has started by cultivating and planting some varieties so she can learn about the production end. I asked her to tell her story in 60 seconds and she did with clarity. As a team, we talked about those areas in her story that were not clear and encouraged her to remove “want to” and “would like to” with “I am” and “I do” sentences. If there was an open ended statement, she was able to close it with the help of her farming community team input. So, rather than say, “I

want to grow vegetables that are good and hope that I will have a roadside stand,” the statement would be more like, “I grow delicious vegetables that are produced in a sustainable way and sold fresh to you at my roadside stand.” It was very exciting to have everyone engaged in the process and Sandy felt really good about her farm because she saw herself living the dream. Of course, like any basketball game, someone dropped the ball. In this case, we created a situation where a customer bought a product and claimed they got sick from it. The once engaged team sat back quietly; just like the cold shoulder you give the player that dropped the ball. My job was to bring them back to support the farmer and to help her ensure the situation could not repeat itself. In the meantime, the media was accusing her of mishandling the product. This lead to a statement which clearly outlined her production practices. It had to be worded carefully though. Responding by saying “I do not use raw manure” opens

the gate for a media frenzy as that can easily be taken out of context. Working through a statement like, “I provide organic nutrients in a sustainable manner” is a closed ended statement and does not leave the farm gate open for further harassment. Through the stress of that exercise, Sandy also had the opportunity to engage with the rest of her team who set her up to score. In the end, she had a quality assurance program that had documented and auditable protocols and processes, and a biosecurity program that included hand washing on site for her and her customers, a fact sheet on handling vegetables and fruit, and a “no trespass protocol” to keep snoops out of the growing fields. The production and presentation protocols were so tight that the risk was transferred entirely to the buyer. So, if the customer chose to leave their purchase sweltering in the car for the rest of the afternoon, Sandy could not be held responsible for the product. What started out as a collective “you dropped the ball”

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attitude from the team turned into collective intelligence and problem solving. This left Sandy, the new farmer in the room, confident that she could approach her fellow farmers for advisement because they all bought into the leadership model; a model which says we are accountable at all times and we are prepared because preparedness mitigates risk. We are kind and generous, wanting to see our fellow farmer succeed because we alone cannot carry the ball—because agriculture benefits us all. We lead by inspiration and not by condemning someone who is on a losing streak and at all times we conduct ourselves from a place of core values and beliefs. As a team, we radiate confidence

in ourselves and even on the day when we do not score, we are always asking—for the betterment of our team, community and industry—where do I need to be when I don’t have the ball? Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively, exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor, she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted through her website, www. brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014. *name changed

Amaglen Limousin 204-246-2312 www.amaglenlimousin.ca Bulls for sale on farm & at Douglas Bull Test Station Campbell Limousin 204-776-2322 Email: cam.limousin@xplornet.com 9th Annual Homegrown Bull Sale April 1st Cochrane Stock Farms 204-855-2191 Darby www.cochranestockfarms.com 2 Yr. Old Bulls for sale on farm Cherway Limousin 204-736-2878 Red & Black Polled Bulls www.cherwaylimousin.ca Bulls & females for sale on farm Diamond T Limousin 204-838-2019 Email: DiamondTLimo@gmail.com 9th Annual Bull & Female Sale March 21st Hockridge Farms 204-648-6333 Brad www.hockridgefarms.ca Bulls for sale on farm Jaymarandy Limousin 204-937-4980 Len www.jaymarandy.com Western Gateway Bull Sale Mar 29, Ste. Rose L&S Limousin Acres 204-838-2198 Bull Sale March 21 with Diamond T Limo & April 5th at Douglas Bull Test Station L.G. Limousin 204-851-0399 cell 204-748-3728 home Private treaty sales on farm Maplehurst Farms 204-274-2490 Bob 204-274-2634 Ken Bulls for sale on farm Roaring River Limousin 204-734-4797 2 Yr. Old Bulls for sale on farm Triple R Limousin 204-685-2628 Custom built panels, bunk feeders, etc. Annual Bull Sale April 4th

22 CATTLE COUNTRY March 2014

Canadian Angus Youth Come Home as Champions Canadian Angus Foundation The Canadian Angus Association, on behalf of the Canadian Angus Foundation, recently announced the Canadian Angus youth chosen last spring to compete in the Youth Programme at the 2013 PGG Wrightson World Angus Forum have been awarded champion and reserve champion world titles. Canada sponsored three teams of four individuals to compete at the pre st i g i ou s i n au g u r a l event in New Zealand. The Canucks—with team members Jared Hunter, Didsbury, Alta. (captain); Patrick Holland, Montague, P.E.I.; Melissa McRae, Brandon, Man.; and Michael Hargrave, Maxwell, Ont.— brought home the world

champion title along with $10,000 NZ prize money. “I am so honoured to have been selected to represent Canada on this prestigious trip and winning it is truly unbelievable!” said Melissa McRae, winning team member. “I want to thank all the sponsors, organizers and volunteers for making this my best trip ever. Also, I want to congratulate all the other competitors for welcoming us Canadians and for all of their hard work!” The reserve champion world title was also awarded to a Canadian team; Team BsquarED, consisting of captain Erika Easton, Wawota, Sask.; Ty Dietrich, Forestburg, Alta.; Kaitlynn

Participants were tested on skills including general knowledge, sportsmanship and parading.

Bolduc, Stavely, Alta.; and Matthew Bates, Cameron, Ont. Bates was also announced the high individual for the entire contest, scoring highest in the most challenges as an individual. Matt Bates explained to his peers after his win, “Named world champion today at the 2013 World

Angus Forum Youth Programme in Auckland, New Zealand…Cloud nine doesn’t begin to describe it.” The third team of outstanding youth representing Canada was The Eh Team, which included Sean Enright, Renfrew, Ont., as captain; Stacey

Attend Agriculture in the Classroom Manitoba’s Annual General Meeting Thursday, April 24, 2014, 5 p.m. Western Canada Aviation Museum 958 Ferry Road, Winnipeg, MB For more information visit www.aitc.mb.ca

The Canucks, including team member Melissa McRae from Brandon.

Domolewski, Taber, Alta.; Chad Lorenz, Markerville, Alta.; and Breanna Anderson, Swan River, Man. The Eh Team brought home honours for champion Team Presentation. Team members traveled to Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, on October 9, 2013 for a five section contest that included general knowledge, parading (presentation, showmanship and sportsmanship with an Angus animal), stock judging, animal preparation (clip an animal for show) and agri-sports (hands-on team challenge involving day-today tasks). Team members also had the chance to visit Angus studs in the area and participate in an adrenaline tour with the 10 other teams from across the world. “I wish all of our [CAA] members could have been

here [at the World Angus Forum] to experience this,” said Canadian Angus Association CEO Rob Smith. “Our 12 youth had pride and gratitude for representing us so well this past week. Countless individuals have told me how impressed they were by our capable, friendly, polite Canadian youth ambassadors. We have so very much to be thankful for as our nation celebrated Thanksgiving last week, including a future that includes 12 outstanding young leaders and Angus breeders.” The Canadian Angus Foundation functions to preserve and expand the Angus breed for future generations through education, youth development, scientific and market research, and historical preservation.

Manitoba Beef Producers is a proud member of AITC-MB. 7 TH ANNUAL

16 th Annual Bull & Female Sale Saturday, April 5th - 1:00 p.m. Goodeve, Sask. - Approx. 90 miles west of Russell, MB

On the Farm

Bull & Heifer Video available March 10 online. Sale will be broadcast live. www.cattleinmotion.com

All Bulls Semen Tested & Carcass Data Available Bulls can be delivered or picked up sale day ($75 credit)

WOS 10A Sire S-Chisum6175

60 Black Angus Bulls

WOS 24A Sire S-Chisum6175

40 Open Replacement Heifers

Crescent Creek Angus

Home (306) 876-4420 Wes & Kim Olynyk & Family Cell (306) 728-8284 Box 192, Goodeve, SK S0A 1C0 Darren Bouchard (204) 526-7407 info@crescentcreekangus.com • www.crescentcreekangus.com

www.mbbeef.ca

2 YEAR-OLD BULL SALE BULL SALE March 15th, 2014 1:00 p.m. Ashern Auction Mart

30 Forage raised Offering: 2 year-old, & 30 Forage raised,Black 2 year-old, Red Angus Bulls Black and Red Angus Bulls Moderate Framed

Grass-based GeneticsGenetics Moderate Framed Grass-based ••Thick, easy fleshing bulls Thick, easy fleshing bulls • No Bulls sold before the sale • Many Happy Customers Backed by Maternal Strength Backed by Maternal Strength and Easy Calvingand Easy Calving

Videos and catalogue Videos and catalogue available online available online

Jonathan Bouw • 204-471-4696 Jonathan Bouw

204-471-4696 info@ediecreekangus.com • www.ediecreekangus.com info@ediecreekangus.com

WWW.EDIECREEKANGUS.COM O C C WORTHY MAN 967W, Resident herdsire Imported from Kansas. 6 of his sons for sale. Best hind quarter on an Angus bull this side of the border, and with no grain.

March 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 23

What is the Paleo Diet About? Adriana Barros, PHEc. The number one diet searched for with Google in 2013 was the trendy Paleolithic (Paleo) diet, also known as the “caveman diet” or “Stone Age diet.” As March is Nutrition Month in Canada, and observing that dieting and food has become increasingly important to many, let us explore more about this high protein trendy fad diet that has us beef lovers excited. The Paleo diet is a nutritional plan based on a perceived diet of people during the Stone Ages, dating back to before farming became a worldwide sustainable food system. It is estimated that agriculture commenced 15,000 years ago and this new fad diet is attempting to imitate a human diet from a time that proceeds modern agriculture and embraces the hunter-gatherer approach.

In terms of foods that are allowed and not allowed in this diet, here is a break down: The Paleo diet encourages the consumption of “hunted” foods, like wild seafood and fresh lean meats, and “gathered” foods, such as eggs, fungi, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts. The Paleo diet excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, starches, refined salt, refined sugar, processed oils and alcohol. The Paleo diet first became popular in the mid1970s by gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin. It has been widely researched and linked to a decrease in many chronic diseases, such as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension. With years of research conducted by a number of medical doctors and nutritionists, the Paleolithic diet is supported by a number of health

professionals, resulting in its popularity today. (Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia, 2014) Let us look at how the Paleo diet activists follow this diet daily with today’s commonly available modern foods, cultivated plants and domesticated animal meat. There are no official guidelines of the Paleo diet breakdown. However, various sources indicate calorie distribution to be 15 to 40 per cent of energy coming from protein sources; 10 to 40 per cent of energy coming from carbohydrates; and 28 to 65 per cent of energy coming from fat. This diet is recommending higher protein and fat food choices and lower carbohydrates. (Karine Barlow, 2014) Here is a comparison to the Canadian Food Guide diet, which recommends 10 to 35 per cent of energy to come from protein; 45 to 65 per cent of energy to come

from carbohydrates; and 20 to 35 per cent of energy is recommended to come from fat sources. According to Statistics Canada data found by Canada Beef Inc., Canadians’ current protein consumption is approximately 17 per cent of energy; carbohydrates are averaged to be a moderate 50 per cent of consumed energy; and energy being consumed by fat is a moderate 31 per cent. (Karine Barlow, 2014) Although we can observe that Canadians are not getting enough protein, according to Canada’s Food Guide recommendations, it is also notable that the majority of Canadians are right on track with consumption of foods from carbohydrate and fat sources. Whether you decide the Paleo diet is for you or not, it is interesting to be educated on what new health trends are

surfacing. This gives us something to think about when it comes to what we put in our mouths. I will say that the elimination of processed and refined foods encouraged through the Paleo approach is promising. However, Paleo’s approach of restricting food groups like dairy, legumes, grains and oils is something that is not supported by Canada’s Food Guide. Moderation and a variety of different types of food is still widely recommended.

In reference to average Canadians not consuming enough protein, Manitoba Beef Producers has a lean top sirloin steak recipe this is great when served as an appetizer or adapted into a meal. These Pineapple Sirloin Beef Pops are delicious with homemade Asian marinade, although the sesame oil in the recipe is not supported by the Paleo diet (it can be omitted). For more information on the Paleo diet, visit www.mbbeef.ca for reference links.

Works Cited

Karine Barlow, R. &. (2014, 01 06). The Paleo Diet. Retrieved January 21, 2014 from Canadian Beef Blog: http://canadianbeefinfo.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ the-paleo-diet. Paleo Plan Food Guide (n.d.). Paleo Plan Food Guide. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from Paleo Plan: http://www.paleoplan.com/resources/paleo-planfood-guide. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. (2014, 01 13). Paleolithic diet. Retrieved January 21, 2014, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet.

Maine-Anjou...

Pineapple Sirloin Beef Pops

Profit Simplified! CONTACT ANY OF THE FOLLOWING BREEDERS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MAINE ANJOU BREED CAN DO FOR YOU! Wilkinridge Stock Farm Sid Wilkinson Box 102, Ridgeville MB R0A 1M0 Ph/fax: 204-373-2631 Cell: 204-324-4302 wilkinridge@xplornet.ca www.wilkinridge.blogspot.ca Johnson’s Black Maines Patrick & Connie Johnson Box 1171 Killarney MB R0K 1G0 Ph: 204-523-8408 pjj@goinet.ca Myron and Myrna Lees Box 111, Mather MB R0K 1L0 Ph/fax: 204-529-2055 mmt.lees@hotmail.com

Sean & Brandy Eggie RR#1 Comp 46, Swan River MB R0L 1Z0 Ph: 306-595-4789 Cell: 204-281-3182 seaneggie@hotmail.com Magpie Maines John Hanbidge 816, Comp 163, RR#8 Saskatoon SK S7K 1M2 Ph: 306-374-0763 magpiemaines@yourlink.ca www.magpiemaines.webs.com Badger Hill Maine Anjou Doug & Geri Kerr Box 12, Ninette MB Ph# 204-528-3293 GeriKerr@mts.net

Section 19 Cattle Co. Cam & Tracy Wood RR #4, Box 74, Portage la Prairie MB R1N 3A4 Ph: 204-239-1553 Cam cell: 204-856-6568 Tracy cell: 204-870-1564 section19cattleco@gmail.com McCormack Family Ranch Box 591 Grenfell, SK S0G 2B0 Ph# 306-697-2945 Scott Cell: 306-697-7844 sasksimmental@yourlink.ca www.mccormackfamilyranch.com

2 lb (1 kg)

Top sirloin beef steaks, trimmed and cut into bite sized cubes

2 cans

Pineapple chunks

1-2 cloves

Garlic clove, finely minced

1 tsp (5 mL)

EACH salt and pepper

1 tbsp (15 mL)

EACH hoisin sauce and soy sauce

1 tsp (5 mL)

Rice vinegar

1/4 tsp (2 mL)

Crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp (10 mL)

Sesame oil

50 four-inch bamboo skewers

Soaked in water

Soak skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Trim and cut top sirloin steaks into bite sized cubes.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk in all remaining ingredients for the marinade. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to one hour in marinade to absorb flavours.

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat.

Place cubed pineapple and sirloin cubes on small skewers.

Remember to keep the skewers bite sized.

Place on the hot grill, cook for three minutes per side.

The centres will be a light pink and approximately medium doneness, 160°F/71°C.

Recipe developed and written by Adriana Barros, PHEc.

www.mbbeef.ca

Davidson Gelbvieh & Lonesome Dove Ranch

EYOT Valley Ranch

Vernon & Eileen Davidson 306-625-3755 davidsongelbvieh@sasktel.net www.davidsongelbvieh.com Tara & Ross Davidson & Family 306-625-3513 lonesomedoveranch@sasktel.net www.davidsonlonesomedoveranch.com

Gelbvieh Stock Exchange Sale Group Don Okell - 403-793-4549 jenty@eidnet.org www.jentygelbviehs.com Gary or Nolan Pahl - 403-977-2057 garypahl@shockware.com www.towerviewranch.com Wade Watson - 403-528-7456 wjw@cciwireless.ca www.watsoncattle.ca

Fir River Livestock

Dave Hrebeniuk - 306-865-6603 Darcy, Renee, Colt & Kenzie Hrebeniuk 306-865-7859 Hudson Bay, SK firriver@xplornet.com www.gelbviehworld.com

Keriness Cattle Company Ltd. Kert Ness - 403-860-4634 kertness@shaw.ca Joe Ness - 403-852-7332 Airdrie, AB jonus@telus.blackberry.net

Foursquare Gelbvieh

Roger & Kim Sayer 403-875-8418 Carstairs, AB rogerandkimsayer@yahoo.ca

Twin Bridge Farms Ltd.

Ron, Carol, Ross, Gail, Owen & Aaron Birch Ron & Carol 403-792-2123 Aaron 403-485-5518 Lomond, AB aaron@tbfarms.ca www.tbfarms.ca

V&V Farms

Vern & Vivienne Pancoast 403-548-6678 Redcliff, AB vvfarms@xplornet.com

Maple Grove Gelbvieh

Lee & Neal Wirgau 204-278-3255 Narcisse, MB maplegrove@xplornet.com

Stone Gate Farm

Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance Sale Group Kirk Hurlburt - 306-222-8210 hurlburtlivestock@sasktel.net Wayne Selin - 306-793-4568 loisselin@hotmail.com

Lynne & Larry Fecho 780-718-5477 Millet, AB perfecho@aol.com www.evgelbvieh.com

Darrell & Leila Hickman 780-581-0077 Vermilion, AB darrell.hickman@lakelandcollege.ca

Man-Sask Gelbvieh Assoc.

c/o Lee Wirgau - 204-278-3255 Narcisse, MB maplegrove@xplornet.com

Royal Western Gelbvieh

Rodney & Tanya Hollman 403-588-8620 Innisfail, AB rodscattle@platinum.ca www.royalwesterngelbvieh.com

Nelson Gelbvieh

Duane Nelson - 403-331-9086 Glenwood, AB nelson.lad@gmail.com

Dayspring Cattle

Dan & Marilyn Nielsen Adam Nielsen -403-887-4971 Sylvan Lake, AB www.dayspringcattle.com

Gelbvieh Association of Alberta/BC

c/o Merv Tuplin - 780-450-1280 Edmonton, AB mervtuplin@gmail.com

CANADIAN GELBVIEH ASSOCIATION 5160 Skyline Way NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 6V1 Ph: 403.250.8640 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 403.291.5624 Email: gelbvieh@gelbvieh.ca â&#x20AC;˘ www.gelbvieh.ca

PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

JEANNETTE GREAVES

MAY 2014

Canada-Korea Trade Could Help Herd Page 3

COMMUNITY PASTURES CONTINUE UNDER DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT It is business as usual for Manitoba beef producers using community pastures to graze their cattle this year, even though the federal government is getting out of managing them. A private user organization has been formed to administer community pastures in Manitoba as Ottawa begins transferring their management to the provinces. The Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP), a non-profit group of pasture patrons, was incorporated this past winter. The province announced that it will fund the transfer of land management responsibilities to AMCP in a pilot project over the next three years, using money from Growing Forward 2. Trevor Atchison, Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) representative on the AMCP board, said the pastures will work the same as usual, despite the change in management. “We want producers to know we are very confident that we can operate them in the exact same fashion, or better. That is our goal,” Atchison said.

KEY POINTS •

A non-profit private user organization, the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP), has been formed to administer community pastures. •

The pastures will work the same as usual, despite the change in management. •

Ten of Manitoba’s 24 pastures are already under AMCP management. The remaining 14 will be transferred between now and 2018.

“We also want producers to know that we are ready to do business and we have the infrastructure and the backing of the province to do that.” Manitoba’s 24 community pastures, which cover 400,000 acres, normally open for grazing in late May or early June and close in late fall. Fees this year are expected to be 65 cents per cow per day and $30 per calf for the season. That is

“We want people who use those pastures to know that we will be ready to accept their cattle come grazing season this year.” slightly more than the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA), which previously managed the pastures, was charging. Even so, those fees are still a good deal for producers looking for extra pasture space to graze their herds, said Melinda German, MBP general manager. “It still is a really good, viable option for producers to access additional grazing land at that price,” German said. People using community pastures range from young producers who do not yet own enough grazing land to older ones who bring in their herds for the summer, she said. Ottawa created the community pasture program in the 1930s to help reclaim fragile land that was badly eroded during the Dust Bowl. Since then, the federal government has managed all 85 community pastures in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

But now the government feels its job is done. “Today the program has achieved its original goal, having returned more than 145,000 hectares of poor quality cultivated land to grass cover, significantly improving the ecological value of these lands and helping to increase the productivity of the area,” said an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada spokesperson in an e-mail message to Cattle Country. The spokesperson pointed out that over 90 per cent of the land used for community pastures is actually owned by the provinces, not the federal government. Atchison said producers were surprised to hear that Ottawa was pulling out of community pastures after managing them for over 70 years. “It was a complete shock to the industry and not just Manitoba. Nobody saw that one coming,” he said.

Atchison acknowledged some producers were worried community pastures would close as a result. But he said those fears have been laid to rest. “We want people who use those pastures to know that we will be ready to accept their cattle come grazing season this year.” Gerald Huebner, a Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development director responsible for agriculture Crown lands, said usually about 30,000 cows owned by roughly 500 producers graze on community pastures in the province each year. That is anywhere between five and 10 per cent of the provincial cow herd. Huebner said in the past community pastures were viewed as a kind of national park with grazing as the means to manage them. Now the federal government is transitioning their management to a producer Continued on page 2

Research Helps Producers Understand Manure Pros, Cons Page 10

POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: MBP, 154 PARAMOUNT ROAD, WINNIPEG, MB R2X 2W3 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE PAID IN WINNIPEG.

RON FRIESEN

WLPIP Allows Producers to Purchase Price Protection Page 6

CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

Continued from page 1 group with oversight from the province. Huebner said the pastures will continue to run pretty much the way they always have, even though a private organization will now be in charge of running them. “I think producers will feel more involved. The pastures will continue to be operated. They will continue to be managed at the same high level of range management. I do not think that producers will see very much difference. They will continue to be able to drop off their cattle and utilize pastures.” Huebner said AMCP has the full support of producers, municipalities, First

Nations and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. About 85 per cent of community pasture land in Manitoba is provincial Crown land. Rural municipalities own most of the remaining area, with the federal government holding the rest. Atchison, who raises cattle at Pipestone, said 10 of Manitoba’s 24 pastures are already under AMCP management. The remaining 14 will be transferred between now and 2018. He said AMCP would like to speed up that transition and have all pastures under their authority in time for the 2016 grazing season.

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS IS YOUR VOICE AS A PRODUCER The MBP check-oﬀ you pay promotes and defends beef producers’ interests and livelihoods through a united eﬀort.

REMINDER: ON JULY 1, 2014, THE MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS (MBP) CHECK-OFF WILL INCREASE TO $3 PER HEAD OF CATTLE. A resolution to increase the fee was passed at MBP’s 35th Annual General Meeting on February 4, 2014.

Loan period extended to 24 months! (For Cattle and Bison Only)

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Representation and a voice through your vote at district meetings and the annual Dianne Ridinggeneral meeting. District 9

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MBP lobbies governments and secures policy and programs that can benefit your operation. Recent examples are Forage Insurance, Price Insurance, Community Pastures, and Bovine TB eradication projects.

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at: www.manitobalivestock.com Cash Advance Program Applies to:

Manitoba representation and paid membership in the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and the National Cattle Feeders’ Association.

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Check out our Market Report online UPDATED WEEKLY

Regular sales every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 3 and June 14 at 10:00 a.m. Tack & Horses to follow Monday, May 26 at 12:00 p.m. Sheep & Goat with small animals & Holstein calves Tuesday, July 1st No sale – Happy Canada Day Sales agent for HIQUAL INDUSTRIES Specializing in Livestock Handling Equipment For info regarding products or pricing, please call our office

We ADVOCATE for beef producers on provincial and federal issues.

We PROVIDE a forum for discussion and the development of policies to benefit producers.

We FUND numerous research projects and work with research partners to meet our needs in the cattle industry.

We SUPPORT members with information on government policy and developments in research and production to maximize profitability.

We COMMUNICATE with the media and public to highlight issues and promote beef.

THANK YOU FOR INVESTING YOUR CHECK-OFF DOLLARS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION.

For on-farm appraisal of livestock or marketing information, call

HAROLD UNRAU - Manager/Sales Rep. 1-204-434-6519 office or 871-0250 cell www.grunthallivestock.com g_lam@hotmail.ca

PLEASE CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AT INFO@MBBEEF.CA OR CALL TOLL-FREE 1-800-772-0458.

WWW.MBBEEF.CA

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin,LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

DAVE KOSLOWSKY

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

LARRY WEGNER

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

DIANNE RIDING

DISTRICT 10

THERESA ZUK - TREASURER

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Duﬀerin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 4

TOM TEICHROEB

CHERYL MCPHERSON

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

LARRY GERELUS

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Landsdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

CARON CLARKE

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

BILL MURRAY - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS 154 Paramount Road Winnipeg, MB R2X 2w3

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

STAN FOSTER

POLICY ANALYST Maureen Cousins

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Kristen Lucyshyn

FINANCE

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer

Shannon Savory

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

CANADA-KOREA TRADE DEAL COULD HELP HERD REBUILDING RON FRIESEN

KEY POINTS

A new free trade agreement between Canada and South Korea may mark another step toward a long-delayed rebuilding of Canada’s shrinking beef cattle herd. The deal, announced March 11, will eventually remove nearly all tariffs between the two countries. It opens up Korea’s market to Canadian beef by gradually eliminating import tariffs over 15 years. The agreement, coupled with a recent free trade deal with Europe, which will also increase market access for Canadian beef, could send a signal to producers to increase their cow herds because international demand for beef is growing. “Even though the full value of these agreements is not here today or next year, we are going to need this increased demand five, six, 10 years from now to keep the upside of the cycle going,” said John Masswohl, government and international affairs director for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). Dave Solverson, CCA’s newly elected president, added, “It is another signal for market expansion. These deals are not just for next week or next

•

The trade deal, announced in March, will eventually remove nearly all import tariffs over 15 years. •

The agreement, coupled with a recent free trade deal with Europe, could signal to producers to increase their cow herds. •

If all of the details are finalized by year’s end, Canada will not fall even further behind the U.S., which signed a deal with Korea three years ago.

month. They are for the next generation.” The agreement with Korea, which includes a wide range of goods and services, still has a few hurdles to jump before becoming final. A full legal text has to be completed and translated. Both Canadian and Korean parliaments then have to ratify the deal before it can take effect. Masswohl said CCA hopes all these details can be accomplished before the end of 2014 so Canada does not fall further behind the U.S., which signed

a free trade agreement with Korea three years ago, in tariff reduction. The Korean deal will see Canadian beef subject to import tariffs of 40 per cent on fresh and frozen beef at first. These tariffs will gradually be eliminated in equal steps over 15 years. Tariffs starting at 18 per cent on offal meats will be phased out in 11 equal annual steps. The U.S.-Korea agreement also eliminates tariffs over time. Canada is currently eight per cent behind the U.S. in tariff reduction on beef. “This agreement, if implemented quickly, allows us to maintain a significant level of imports,” said Masswohl. “What it means is that we will not fall further behind the Americans on the tariff schedule. We will keep pace.” Trade deal negotiations between Canada and Korea have continued on and off for nearly a decade. But they seemed to stall every time progress appeared to be happening. Solverson said cattle producers were becoming worried about possibly losing the Korean market as a result. “It was a deal that had a real sense of urgency for us,” he said. “We were quickly becoming uncompetitive because the Americans had achieved their deal and were into their third year of tariff

reductions. If we had not achieved this deal, we would almost have had to concede the market.” Masswohl agreed the trade deal is essential to keeping Korea as a beef buyer. “If we did not have this agreement, we would say goodbye to the Korean market forever.” Korea used to be Canada’s fourth largest beef importer. But that changed after 2003 when BSE was detected in Alberta and international markets immediately closed to Canadian beef. Although other countries gradually re-opened their borders, Korea remained a holdout. From May 2003 to February 2012, Korea banned all imports of Canadian beef, allegedly over the BSE threat but more likely to pacify its own farmers, who opposed increased imports. Only when Canada launched a World Trade Organization challenge in 2008 did Korea eventually relent. Starting in early 2012, Korea began admitting some Canadian beef. Volumes totaled 2,247 tonnes, worth $10 million in 2012, and 1,166 tonnes, worth $7.8 million in 2013, all with a 40 per cent tariff. Masswohl said Canada can expect to keep “meaningful quantities” of beef going into Korea, even with an eight per cent

tariff disadvantage with the U.S. He said Canada could sell 1,000 tonnes, worth $10 million a year, at that level and might sell even more if the gap does not widen. “As the level of tariff goes down, that should encourage the level of shipments to go up.” Rob Meijer, president of Canada Beef Inc., said he is not so much concerned about volume as he is about value. He said Canadian beef has an advantage in Asia because of a branding program stressing quality and, therefore, higher value. Meijer said Canada Beef Inc. took on a “very strategic and focused master brand strategy,” expressing the uniqueness of Canadian beef under a brand rather than just specific cuts and specifications. Now, instead of competing solely on price, Canadian beef in

Asia competes successfully on quality, which often fetches a price premium. “We are not playing the market game and getting caught up in market share. It is about owning partnerships in the marketplace that value our brand and which are prepared to pay a premium for it,” said Meijer. “If you look at the value— how much you are getting cut to cut—you go to a store and our product is higher value. As the tariff tracks downward and we close the gap with the U.S., that is just going to make it better and better for us in that market.” Solverson said the Korean deal could help speed up free trade negotiations with Japan, where Canada also wants to increase its beef presence. Currently, Japan imports beef from Canadian cattle under 30 months of age but not over that limit.

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Western Livestock Price Insurance Program Market Volatility. Price Variability. We’ve got you covered . Price insurance is now available for finished cattle, feeders, calves and hogs. To apply, contact your local MASC insurance office today. Policies are available year-round for finished cattle, feeders and hogs. For calves – May 29, 2014 is the last day to purchase a policy (settlement in fall 2014).

WLPIP Call Centre: 1-844-782-5747

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Western Livestock Price Insurance Program Publication: Cattle Country Ad size: 1/4 Page Horizontal (6.625x5.75") Insertion date: May, 2014 Position: WFN

CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN CATTLE COUNTRY DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS. WE BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO VOICE THEIR OPINION.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

MOOVIN’ ALONG OPPORTUNITIES ON THE HORIZON

HEINZ REIMER It looks like spring has finally arrived after one of the coldest and longest winters on record. Along with spring comes more activity on the farm, calving time, sorting and moving cattle to pastures—everyone is extra busy. I just want to remind everyone that more accidents happen the busier we get, so please be careful out there. Cattle prices have continued to stay at a record level and the number of cattle being sold is also up. Bulls and bred cow sales have been strong, which is a sign of confidence for beef producers. The last few months have been very busy at MBP and there have been several positive announcements for our industry. For example, we recently welcomed the official announcement of Western

Livestock Price Insurance for Manitoba producers, which will provide a safety net for producers and the incentive to grow cattle numbers. We are pleased to see this programming, which beef producers can use as a new management tool to help reduce the cost of risk. This programming puts beef production on a more level playing field with other commodities and the tools they have available, and we encourage producers to investigate how this tool can work for their operations. Also, the combination of livestock price insurance and the revisions to forage insurance announced in 2013 will give beef producers a strong and bankable risk management package. The Government of Manitoba recently announced transition funding for the Community Pastures pilot program, which will

see management of the pastures handed over to the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures, ensuring producers continued access to these pastures. More details are available in the cover story. We will continue to keep producers updated on this issue. Spring has brought other welcomed announcements, such as two new bovine tuberculosis (TB) initiatives. A five-year, $297,000 initiative was announced by the federal government on April 23. It will build upon existing monitoring and management activities, including the development of a new traceability tool to better utilize data at the processing stage in the beef chain. MBP thanks the federal government for its support for this important research initiative. Manitoba’s beef industry depends on domestic and international

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marketing opportunities and it is critical that we continue to work on the bovine TB issue and maintain Manitoba’s TB-free status. This bovine TB initiative is crucial to moving toward a time when testing is no longer required on live cattle and the disease is ultimately eradicated. The federal investment means we have another tool to help meet the mandate of the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA). Beef producers in the RMEA continue to work diligently as part of the bovine TB surveillance program and we will continue to work collaboratively with governments and other stakeholders on their behalf. MBP also welcomes the renewal of Dr. Allan Preston’s role as Bovine Tuberculosis Co-ordinator. MBP appreciates Dr. Preston’s work to lead the effort to eliminate bovine TB from the RMEA and thanks him for his ongoing work on this file. At the end of March, MBP welcomed the launch of a new provincial bovine TB project, which will

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Cattlemen’s Association are proud to support Steaks for Soldiers events like this beef barbeque. These events reach thousands of soldiers and their families across the country. We appreciate the work of Harvey and Jackie Dann, the organizers of Steaks for Soldiers events, who have made serving soldiers their passion. In closing, I would like to share some thoughts on calving. Reproductive efficiency equals calves born alive, and survival rates from birth to weaning. If two or more calves were born for every 100 cows, and you also saved another two calves after birth, that would increase to four more weaned calves to sell at $1,000 each in your pocket. Sometimes the little things you do can equal big returns. As spring brings along new life, may calves grow on greener pastures. At press time, the snow is melting and I am paying close attention to the news and hoping that more flood water is not on the way. Have a safe spring!

MBP WELCOMES BOVINE TB ANNOUNCEMENT On April 23, MBP attended the federal bovine TB announcement in Russell, Man.

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support ongoing efforts to help eradicate the disease in Manitoba. That five-year $150,000 initiative will support on-farm risk assessments and other bovine TB surveillance activities. You can read more about this initiative on page 7. There have been a lot of positive things helping our industry lately but we need to continue to move forward on issues still effecting us such as eradicating bovine TB, environment, research, sustainability, just to name a few. On March 22, MBP directors Dave Koslowsky (with spouse Rhonda) and Ted Artz (with spouse Rebecca), past director Glen Campbell, GM Melinda German and I were honoured to serve a beef lunch at CFB Shilo for Welcome Home and Base Family Day. We were very pleased to be part of this event to welcome the return of TF 2-13 soldiers and to show our gratitude for the work they do as the Canadian Forces. Manitoba Beef Producers and the Canadian

Left to Right: Bovine TB Coordinator Dr. Allan Preston; GM Melinda German; MP Robert Sopuck; TB Task Force Committee Members Ray Armbruster and Larry Gerelus. Welcoming troops at CFB Shilo Home. Left to right: Base Regimental SergeantMajor CWO James Doppler; MBP President, Heinz Reimer; Base Commander for CFB Shilo, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Joudrey; and Steaks for Soldiers Organizer, Harvey Dann.

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May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COLUMN

A NEW GAME

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises” - Demsothones

MELINDA GERMAN In my last Cattle Country column, I introduced myself and talked about the changing industry we are facing; changes in terms of sustainability and our social license with our consumers. This time I want to ponder the new game we are playing in—commodity production versus the export game. As you know, a big chunk of our production is exported to other countries (40 per cent according to beefadvocacy.ca) and our two largest export locations are currently the United States and Mexico. Recently, there have been new trade opportunities opening up to us but what does that really mean for producers here in Manitoba? Let us take a look at three of the new export opportunities for the future trade of your beef. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

(CETA) is the soon to be concluded free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union (EU). This is a high value market that we, Canadians, and in particular the beef sector, have not had a lot of access to in the past. An agreement in principle has been signed and it is hoped that final negotiations will conclude shortly so the full agreement can be implemented and come into effect in 2015. CETA will result in immediate duty free trade for almost 94 per cent of agricultural product lines exported. Once fully implemented, opportunities to export our beef duty free will increase to 65,000 tonnes annually. This is a specialty market, thus there are conditions for accessing the EU, such as plants being federally licensed and certified to export to the EU.

In addition, meat processed for export to the EU must come from animals that are hormone and ractopamine free. Now you may think this does nothing for you, however, I would suggest that this is just another market opportunity, or tool, for producers and processors who wish to pursue it. The Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CKFTA) is a market that is returning to us after the long cold winter (pardon the pun), since BSE in 2003. This too should come into effect in 2015 and open the door for more beef to move into South Korea. Korea is the 15th largest market in the world, with 50 million people, so even though they are “only” the 15th largest, approximately 15 million more people live in Korea than live in Canada. In the last 30 years, Korea’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has not just

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doubled or tripled, but has increased more than six times. GDP is how economists calculate the fiscal health of a country, allowing them to compare how a country is doing year to year. The amount of tariff free product allowed into Korea as a result of CKFTA will increase over a 15 year period. However, as the country of Korea grows in population and economic buying power, so will the opportunity to gradually diversify our export options into Asia for the long run. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations involve 12 countries forming trade partnerships in the AsiaPacific regions of the world. Is this a significant trade agreement? I think so. When you add up the economic impact of these 12 countries it amounts to 40 per cent of the world’s GDP. There is a

significant amount of chatter about the pros and cons of this deal, but Canada is at the table working through the issues to try to pull together a very large trade agreement. The timeline for completion is unknown. Yes, I have omitted a discussion on mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) in this column, as we await the World Trade Organization’s ruling on our latest appeal. But, despite the outcome, good or bad, more markets opening to us will have a positive impact in the long run. Manitoba’s beef industry, like all provincial beef industries, wants to and needs to sell more beef. Specialized markets, like the EU and large emerging markets like Asia, will increase the amount of Canadian beef flowing in both the domestic and international markets. But it will take time and an entrepreneurial spirit to walk though some of these doors

and take hold of these new opportunities. In the end, all of this trade talk should result in a larger marketing “menu” for us to choose from, which, in the long term, can mean good things. What marketing path you choose is up to you. It is just nice to have a growing list of options. What is our role? As producers, you can stay the course and market the high quality product you produce today, or consider targeting some of the new and emerging opportunities. Here at Manitoba Beef Producers we will continue to advocate, educate and support new initiatives provincially, nationally and internationally. We will work with our provincial and federal governments, who continue to open new doors, secure market access and seek new opportunities for processors and producers.

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However, we would like for those eligible to apply for refunds within those time periods, to do so as soon as possible, in order for MCEC to be able to process as many refunds as possible in a timely manner. THE REFUND FORM IS AVAILABLE ON THE MCEC WEBSITE: www.mancec.com click on refunds. Please ensure that in order to process your application quickly, all supporting documents (receipts) are included, and the name of the applicant(s) is the same as the name on the receipts. The application also needs to be signed by the applicant(s).

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CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

WLPIP ALLOWS PRODUCERS TO PURCHASE PRICE PROTECTION AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Spring calving season is well underway in Manitoba and with an ongoing low cattle inventory, producers are hoping that calf prices remain high until the fall sales season. But there are always unknowns and question marks on the horizon for livestock producers. Drought in the U.S. could cause grain and corn prices to spike, triggering a major drop in calf and feeder prices, or a good crop year could lead to lower feed prices and higher than expected calf prices in fall. “Not knowing is probably the hardest part,” says Jason Dobbin, Livestock Price Insurance Coordinator for Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC). “It is hard to make plans when you do not know what kind of year you will have.” It is this uncertainty that has helped bring Alberta’s Cattle Price Insurance Program to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Renamed accordingly, the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP)

KEY POINTS •

Not knowing if there will be drought or bumper crops makes it hard to plan for the future. •

WLPIP gives cattle and hog producers the opportunity to purchase price protection. •

Flexibility gives producers the opportunity to pick their program. •

May 29, 2014 is the cut-off date to buy calf coverage.

allows cattle and hog producers to purchase price protection in the form of an insurance policy for one up-front premium. Coverage is based on market-driven factors and settlement prices are based directly on Western Canadian cattle and hog markets. Dobbin says WLPIP is a great risk management tool for livestock producers. “It is revenue protection that lets you lock in up to 95 per cent of the future forecasted price, based on the regional livestock market,” explains Dobbin.

Once a producer is signed up by MASC, he or she can purchase insurance (based on the expected sale weight of eligible livestock) with a policy length that matches the expected time of sale. The producer can select from a range of coverage options and once the premium is paid a protected market “floor price” is locked in. If the settlement price is below the producer’s selected floor price, the producer is entitled to an indemnity. With cattle settlement prices calculated weekly, cattle producers can trigger a claim in any of the four weeks (referred to as the “claim window”) prior to the policy’s expiration. Hog settlement prices are calculated monthly, so hog producers will receive an indemnity automatically after the policy’s expiration if the settlement price falls below their selected coverage. Dobbin explains the floor prices producers can insure at reflect variables that influence livestock prices, such as futures markets, price of barley, exchange rates on the

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Canadian dollar and the basis (the difference between U.S. and Canadian livestock prices). “The real beauty of WLPIP is its flexibility,” says Dobbin. “There is no obligation to sell livestock when the policy expires, whether the settlement price is above or below your floor price. If the settlement price is below your floor price when your policy expires, you can keep your calves over winter or you can sell them as intended, but either way, you still get paid the indemnity.” “You do not even have to keep your livestock for

the duration of the policy,” adds Dobbin. “If you insure a floor price for November but sell your calves at a higher price in August, you can still collect a payout if prices drop and trigger a claim in November, as long as you have owned the calves for 60 days during the policy.” This flexibility is also seen in how the overall program is designed. WLPIP for cattle (WCPIP) is comprised of three separate programs. WCPIP-Feeder is designed to insure feeder cattle, with settlement based on the average price of an 850 pound steer, and policy lengths

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range from 12 to 36 weeks from the date of purchasing coverage. WCPIP-Fed is available for fed cattle (approximate weight of 1,250 pounds) and also has policies ranging from 12 to 36 weeks from the date of purchasing coverage, with settlement prices based on data collected from CanFax. Policies for WCPIP-Feeder and WCPIP-Fed coverage are offered year-round. WCPIP-Calf is designed for cow-calf producers who typically calve in spring and sell during the fall calf run, with policy lengths ranging from 16 to 36 weeks. As such, producers may only purchase WCPIP-Calf coverage from February to May, with policies expiring from September to December, and a settlement price based on the average price of a 600 pound calf. May 29, 2014 is the last day to purchase WCPIP-Calf coverage for settlement in fall 2014. “The WCPIP-Calf program is maybe the best risk management tool to come along for cow-calf producers in a long, long time,” notes Dobbin. “We have had a lot of interest from calf producers in Manitoba. It is good to see. Calf prices are high right now but a lot could happen between now and the fall sales season.” A separate program, WHPIP, offers protection against declining hog prices. Offered year-round, hog producers have the option to purchase a price insurance policy based on a forecasted hog price, with policies ranging from two to 10 months. For more information on how to sign up for any of the WLPIP programs in Manitoba, contact your local MASC Insurance office. More information can be found at www.wlpip.ca.

May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GOVERNMENT NEWS ROUND-UP Livestock price insurance, the community pasture program transition, a bovine TB initiative and an auditor’s report looking at the handling of the 2011 flood are just some of the latest developments affecting Manitoba’s beef industry.

WLPIP launched

Manitoba producers can now apply for the pilot Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP), a new risk management tool that will provide an insurable floor price on cattle. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) had long sought this program’s introduction, as the tool will help reduce the cost of risk and put beef production on a more level playing field when compared with other commodities. WLPIP has three components covering the entire production cycle: calf, feeder and fed cattle. May 29, 2014 is the last day to purchase calf coverage for settlement in 2014. Entry to the calf program is only offered in the spring. Access to the feeder and fed cattle components is offered year round. Interested producers should contact their Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation office to complete the application for an identification number and the Application for Subscription forms. Go to www. wlpip.ca/manitobaforms or call (844) 782-5747. The article on page 6 provides more detail on WLPIP as well.

Community pasture program

MBP welcomed news in late February that the Manitoba government will be providing three years of transitional funding under Growing Forward 2 (GF2) to transfer management of the community pastures to the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP). Having access to the pastures is central to many Manitoba beef producers’ operations. MBP hopes producers will continue to utilize them as participation is key to the program’s success. AMCP will contact pasture patrons with details on how to enroll, entry dates and grazing fees. MBP was a key driver behind the advent of the AMCP. Its formation began when MBP called together all of the producers who chair the pastures’ Patron Advisory Committees

KEY POINTS (PAC). The PAC chairs • The Manitoba government have helped set the path announced a $150,000 forward. project in March, to MBP recognizes the better monitor TB in efforts of Hon. Ron cattle. Kostyshyn, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural • Newly released Development; Hon. Gord Auditor’s report looks Mackintosh, Minister of at how effectively Conservation and Water MASC administered Stewardship; departmenflood programs, tal staff; and the AMCP in and provided 21 bringing this pilot project recommendations. to fruition. All Manitobans benefit • Applications are now being accepted for from grazing these lands. GF2 funding, to adopt Benefits to the environassurance systems ment include protection and BMPs related to of wildlife habitat, wetland biosecurity, animal conservation and improved welfare, and more. watershed management. This issue’s cover story provides more information (LMFA) under the Building on changes to Manitoba’s and Recovery Action Plan (BRAP) and whether there pastures. are areas for future imBovine TB initiative provement. Better monitoring for Part C dealt with resibovine tuberculosis in cattle dential and business claims, is the aim of a new five-year, and Part D dealt with per$150,000 project announced manent flood protection by the Manitoba govern- for principal residence, ment on March 31, 2014. non-principal residences The initiative will sup- and business structures. port on-farm risk assessAlso examined was how ments and other bovine the BRAP Appeals CommisTB surveillance activities. sion and MASC handled apThis will include linking peals of claims under Parts C on farm data to traceability and D of the LFMA Program. tools used through the beef The audit found MASC processing system, includ- experienced challenges due ing at slaughter. to the large volume of claims It will be aimed at pro- and the fact it did not receive ducers in the Riding Moun- the advance notice needed to tain Eradication Area whose deliver the programs. This herds have been the focus of contributed to: bovine TB surveillance ef- • Timing and transparency forts for more than a decade. problems in setting and MBP supports ongoing communicating program efforts to eradicate bovine rules; TB and it is hoped this ini- • Inconsistencies and areas tiative could lead to reduced for improvement; and testing of live animals in the • Gaps in communicatfuture. The testing requireing payment decisions ment has been very costly to claimants and in hanfor producers and stressdling appeals. ful to their cattle. Moreover, The audit included 21 maintaining Manitoba’s TB- recommendations to the free status is important to provincial government and domestic and international to the Emergency Measures marketing opportunities for Organization that could be the beef industry. used for future programs, as The announcement helps well as for the Disaster Firecognize producers’ dili- nancial Assistance Program. gent efforts to help elimi- Some of these included that nate bovine TB. MBP will the province: continue to work with pro- • Develop policies and ducers, governments and rules for disaster finanother stakeholders toward cial assistance programs achieving this goal. as fully as possible before starting to process claims Auditor General’s and make them publicly report re: flood available; programs • Ensure communication As part of its annual strategies for programs report released in midmanage claimants’ exMarch, the Manitoba Aupectations about “being ditor General’s office exmade whole”; amined how effectively • Analyze costs and benethe Manitoba Agricultural fits of different approachServices Corporation ades used to obtain residenministered Parts C and D tial fair market values, as of the Lake Manitoba Fiwell as possible alternanancial Assistance Program tive approaches, and then

AJ BATAC / WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/AJBATAC

MAUREEN COUSINS

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adopt an equitable and consistent approach for all programs or clarify why different approaches are needed; Ensure disaster financial assistance payments compensate only actual or likely losses; Provide staff with sufficient training before they start processing claims; Ensure all decision letters clearly indicate whether claimed items have been accepted, adjusted or denied; Provide user-friendly explanations of how payments were calculated and why any claimed items were adjusted or ruled ineligible; and Appeal bodies for disaster financial assistance programs should have clear mandates, have independent access to program policies and rules, and clearly explain the reasoning supporting their decisions.

The audit did not examine two other components of the LMFA—Part A, which dealt with pasture flooding, or Part B, which involved the agricultural infrastructure, transportation and crop/forage loss component. As of September 30, 2013 there were 5,068 claims under eight programs under the BRAP program. Of these claims, approximately $150 million has been paid out and approximately $24 million accrued. To see the complete report, go to www.oag.mb.ca/ reports.

Growing Forward 2 program intake

Eligible producers are reminded to apply for GF2 funding to adopt assurance systems and BMPs related to biosecurity, animal and plant health, traceability and animal welfare. The intake period for the 2014-15 Growing Assurance

– Food Safety On-Farm program year began April 1, 2014. Applications will be accepted and reviewed until the program is fully subscribed. A combined total of $2,000 is available for the first audit for the Verified Beef Production (VBP) Program and for approved safety equipment for audited producers. A combined total of $5,000 is available for the beef biosecurity herd assessment and biosecurity GAP measures. For complete details and application forms, go to www.gov.mb.ca. Or, contact your nearest Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development GO office. Producers interested in the Growing Assurance – Environment program are required to have completed an Environmental Farm Plan. At publication time it was not known when the next intake will begin.

 calving ease  grass-based  strong maternal  longevity  moderate frame BULLS LIKE THIS

FROM COWS LIKE THIS

Shellmouth, MB 204-564-2540 Be sure to check our website to ﬁnd out about our current heifer promotion!

2 yr old bulls sold private treaty off the ranch!

www.nerbasbrosangus.com

www.mbbeef.ca

CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

VET CORNER

PREPARATION FOR A HERD DISPERSAL

As cattle prices remain high and producer ages climb, many producers are eyeing retirement. A herd dispersal also looks mighty inviting after one of the coldest winters on record and the current feed situation in many parts of the province. Like all major life changes, planning is required to maximize returns. For many producers, the sale day is bittersweet—an end to a part of their livelihood that is a source of pride. Growing and developing a quality beef herd takes years and it only makes sense to plan for your herd dispersal to receive a fair market value. Start preparing your herd for dispersal this fall by paying attention to details now. Good record-keeping is important; you cannot manage what you do not measure. Appeal to all buyers, including the export

market, by ensuring that all of your cows are ageverified; one cattle buyer ad stated that age verification is worth $3,500/hour! The returns do not get any better than that. Buyers are looking for uniform, well-fleshed healthy cattle. Avoid the extremes: too thin or too fat. Aim for a body condition of five or six out of nine. Cows should have a good smooth appearance throughout with some fat in the brisket and over the tailhead. The ribs should be covered and the back rounded. Thin cattle will not milk as well, will take longer to cycle following calving and will have a lower first service conception rate. Also, their calves may be weaker and colostrum quality may be compromised if body condition is poor. On the other hand, cows that are too fat are wasting

Thank you to ALL Bidders and Buyers at the 11th Annual Family Tradition Bull Sale. Your confidence in our program is appreciated.

High Sellers *EGC 82A - $10,500 Northern Light Simmentals *EGC 147A- $9,500 Boynecrest Stock Farms Volume Buyers - 2 lots each *Frank Senderwich, Roblin, MB *Soura-Horan Farms, Bowsman, MB *Chernoff Farms, Kamsack, SK *Harvey Eckel, Quinton, SK *PFRA, Roblin, MB *Willow Creek Ranch, Nanton, AB

High Bluff Stock Farm

Carman & Donna Jackson & family, Inglis, MB Ph: (204) 564-2547 email: jackson7@mymts.net

feed and tend to have more problems calving. Fat deposition in the udder also means poorer lifetime milk production. These cows are often best shipped direct to slaughter. Ensure a healthy and shiny thick hair coat by treating for lice and internal parasites well in advance of the sale. A heavy lice infestation causes an average 81.8 pound loss, in addition to the costs to repair fencing, hay racks and buildings damaged by rubbing. Cold weather and poor feed will exacerbate the problem. There is no excuse to not treat; ivermectin is very economical. Well-managed herds have good vaccination programs and minimal disease issues. Ensure that your herd is vaccinated annually for reproductively-important diseases like BVD and IBR. Talk to your veterinarian about the different options—killed versus modified-live four-way vaccines, and timing (at pregnancy testing or pre-breeding). Depending on the herd location and pasture environment, other diseases, like Leptospirosis and Vibrio, may be of concern. Bred cows should also be vaccinated for scours. Be sure to follow the vaccine recommendations as timing is critical to ensure that immunity can develop before disease challenges. Encourage prospective buyers to discuss your herd’s health program with your veterinarian. Keep your breeding season short; three cycles or 63 days is plenty long enough.

CANADA BEEF

DR. TANYA ANDERSON, DVM

“Growing and developing a quality beef herd takes years and it only makes sense to plan for your herd dispersal to receive a fair market value.” No one wants to go to a sale where due dates span five or six months. A short calving season is easier on manpower and results in a more uniform calf crop at weaning time. Astute buyers also wonder why the calving season is so long, possibly questioning the presence of Vibrio or other disease. Bull issues? Poor nutrition? No one wants to buy a mismanaged herd. Promote your herd and talk about the positives, such as health and vaccination status, bull

breeds and EPDs, calving statistics, and calf performance at weaning and in the feedlot. But do not lie to the sales staff. If you were too cheap to vaccinate your bred heifers for scours, do not lie and say you did. Buyers will find out come calving time. Finally, do not subscribe to the “bred cull” sale. Have some integrity and ship the bottom end of your herd direct to slaughter rather than to the bred cow sale. Cull cows with vaginal

prolapses, poor feet or udders, bad dispositions and mis-mothering. Hardcalvers and caesarian cows should be shipped for slaughter too, as should those with salvageable conditions like early cancer eye. Do not sell what you would not want to buy as a replacement and long-term addition to the herd. Whatever your role, buyer or seller, be sure to do your homework and ask or answer questions as required. Failure to plan can be expensive.

MANITOBA BEEF BURSARY Manitoba Beef Producers is pleased to offer four $500 bursaries annually for MBP members or their children attending a university, college or other post-secondary institution or pursuing trades training. Preference will be given to those students pursuing a field of study related to agriculture or to those acquiring a skilled trade that would be beneficial to the rural economy. Applications are available online at www.mbbeef.ca or by contacting MBP. Completed applications must be submitted by Friday, June 6, 2014. Eligibility: • must be at least 17 years of age as of January 1, 2014 • must be an active Manitoba beef producer or the child of an active Manitoba beef producer • must use the bursary within (2) two years

SUBMISSIONS MUST BE SENT TO MBP NO LATER THAN 4:30 P.M. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014 TO:

Requirements: • must submit a typed 600 word (maximum) essay discussing “What the beef industry means to my family, my community, and Manitoba.” Also include the reasons you enjoy being involved in agriculture.* • must submit proof of enrolment in a recognized institution (e.g. transcript) • must submit a list of community involvement (e.g. 4-H, community clubs, volunteer work) • post-secondary program or trades training must be a minimum of one year in duration • provide the names of three references, including their addresses and telephone numbers

For more information, please contact MBP at 1-800-772-0458 or email: info@mbbeef.ca

Manitoba Beef Producers Bursary Committee 154 Paramount Road • Winnipeg MB R2X 2W3 • Fax: (204) 774-3264 • E-mail: info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

THE BOTTOM LINE

UNDERSTANDING WLPIP, FROM A PRODUCER’S PERSPECTIVE

RICK WRIGHT

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When settlement occurs, the average price of 550 to 650 pound calves in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is formulated based on the prices of that weight of calf sold at 22 auction markets. •

Unlike a hedge position, there is no margin call or requirement to offset the contract. •

If you combine the higher volume of cattle traded in western Saskatchewan with a higher average price, the outcome could be a higher average price per pound on the combined marketings of both provinces, rather than the true Manitoba average.

“The premiums are reasonable and the cost is competitive, while the coverage prices offer producers relief from the anxiety of major price ﬂuctuations in the market.” Cattle producers in Manitoba were introduced to the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) in April. The program will enable producers in Manitoba to take risk management positions on price insurance on their fall calf crop, on backgrounded or grass cattle, as well as finished cattle. The premiums are based on a price per hundredweight. Producers select a marketing weight, time frame and price that they wish to insure during the times which coverage is offered. When the settlement date occurs, the average price of 550 to 650 pound calves in Manitoba and Saskatchewan is formulated based on the prices of that weight of calf sold at 22 auction markets. The formula works the same way for the feeder cattle program. The finished cattle program prices are determined based on Alberta prices, due to the lack of marketing volume in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The formula eliminates a percentage of the bottom priced cattle and a few of the very high sales to create an accurate average price. The program is also gender neutral so there is no difference in the coverage for steers and heifers. If the average price is higher than the insured price, then there is no payout; however, if the average price is lower, a payout is triggered. Producers are not required to insure their entire herd or production. They can purchase cattle to add to their inventory and buy price protection as well. There are some requirements to be eligible, such as the 60-day minimum time of ownership. On the first day the program was offered,

producers could insure 600 calves for $194 in mid-October, and the premium was approximately $3 per hundred, or $18 per calf. For producers who are worried that today’s record prices are not going to last, then the program is worth a second look. Cash price on April 7 for a 600 pound steer was approximately $2.10 per pound. Last fall the market was considerably lower; October was approximately $1.65, November was averaging about $1.60, and December had dropped to approximately $1.58. The coverage has nothing to do with when or how producers sell their cattle. Unlike a hedge position, there is no margin call or requirement to offset the contract. If producers use a forward contract for risk management, then they are required to deliver the cattle on the contract when the contract matures, regardless of the current cash market. In effect, this program allows the producer to market the cattle when, where and how he or she chooses. They are only insuring the number of pounds and the price selected; the lower the price chosen to insure, the lower the premium payed. The program was not developed to guarantee a profit to cattle operations. It will only protect producers from unexpected drops in cattle prices. For example, the program was offered in 2012 in Alberta and those feedlots and producers who purchased feeder cattle insurance for their backgrounding operations collected a very good payout from coverage in the spring of 2013. Higher grain prices and lower futures prices for the fall of 2013 pushed the

spring cash prices lower than expected. The scenario was the exact opposite this spring. If you had purchased coverage for feeder cattle to sell in the spring of 2014, there would have been no payout. Cash prices were considerably higher this spring due to lower grain prices, strong futures prices and a lower Canadian dollar, which all worked in the favour of stronger cattle prices. This spring, those who purchased coverage would lose their premiums and receive no payout. From a Manitoba perspective, the only part of the program that concerns me is the pooling of the Manitoba and Saskatchewan prices to determine the payout on the calf and feeder programs. There is no consideration for the difference in the freight costs that influence the cattle prices in different regions. The high volume markets are located in central and western Saskatchewan. Buyers work on a delivered price, so if you eliminate the strong American purchasing influence in Manitoba that we see this year, prices are traditionally higher the further west you go. If you combine the higher volume of cattle traded in western Saskatchewan with a higher average price, the

MICHAEL GIL / WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/MSVG

KEY POINTS

outcome could be a higher average price per pound on the combined marketings of both provinces, rather than the true Manitoba average. It is my understanding that the main reason for combining the two provinces was to obtain a big enough volume of marketings to establish an accurate price. The Manitoba Livestock Marketing Association had also requested that direct sales of cattle numbering over 100 head, and electronic sales, should also be reported and included in the determination of the average prices. Producers who wish to purchase calf insurance for the fall can purchase contracts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 3:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central time. The deadline for calf purchases is May 29, 2014. There are purchase blackouts from June to the end of August, inclusive for calf contracts. Settlement dates for coverage start for calves on September 18, 2014, and expire on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays until December 22, 2014. Coverage for backgrounded feeder cattle is available to purchase now and is available throughout the year, with selected purchase and settlement dates. There is a complete calendar on the website www.wlpip.ca. The new program may have a few flaws but it is certainly better than anything proposed in the past. The premiums are reasonable and the cost is competitive, while the coverage prices offer producers relief from the anxiety of major price fluctuations in the market. Until next time, Rick.

www.mbbeef.ca

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

Thanks to the many buyers and bidders who came out and supported the 7th Annual Edie Creek Angus 2-Year-Old Bull Sale! The Sale average was $4690. We are grateful to the repeat customers and new customers alike who believe in our program of breeding moderate, maternally efficient, easy-fleshing, easy-calving Angus cattle. Next year we will have enough bulls for everyone, with 40 2-Year-Old bulls coming to the sale, so c’mon down and check us out in Anola, or see you at next year’s sale in Ashern! EDIE CREEK WORTHY 93Z, High Seller of 2014 Edie Creek Angus 2-Year-Old Bull Sale, Sold to Wayne Blankenborg, Woodlands, MB for $8,100.00

Stefan Bouw • 204-232-1620 Jonathan Bouw • 204-471-4696

info@ediecreekangus.com • www.ediecreekangus.com

10 CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

RESEARCH HELPS PRODUCERS UNDERSTAND THE PROS AND CONS OF MANURE FOR CROP NUTRITION CHRISTINE RAWLUK, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LIVESTOCK AND THE ENVIRONMENT KEY POINTS •

Two University of Manitoba professors are looking at what happens to manure nutrients from different types of manure over time and how this is affected by nitrogen versus phosphorus-based manure management strategies. •

Both professors lead long term manure management field trials. •

This research should help producers balance the need to apply manure to agricultural land in an agronomically and economically sound manner while also minimizing environmental risks. •

As of this spring, there are several new research reports from University of Manitoba scientists on the risks and rewards of managing different manures in different ways for crop production in Manitoba.

rate of nitrogen from different solid manures. “By understanding how these biological processes respond to different soil and weather conditions, we should be able to better estimate nitrogen availability,” says Akinremi. Their main finding so far is that the breakdown of organic nitrogen into plantavailable forms was much slower for the clay soil than for the loam-textured soil used in the study. Nitrogen release rates were less than half of the 25 per cent estimated release rate used in Manitoba’s standard formula. Based on these findings, Akinremi tested a modified formula for calculating Nbased manure application rates using a 12 per cent estimated release rate of organic nitrogen. His team assessed nitrogen availability and crop response for dairy manures applied according to the new formula compared to the standard calculation. While overall they observed trends in higher grain yield, nitrogen uptake and nitrogen use efficiency with the revised

“Solid manures containing a large amount of straw may reduce the risk of nitrate leaching, particularly in a perennial system where the established root system can intercept nitrates before they move below the root zone.”

DON FLATEN

will be available for crop use in the first growing season after the manure is applied. “Not only are we seeing lower availability but it is also generally slower, with small amounts of organic nitrogen from repeated applications gradually becoming available over time,” says Flaten. “If conditions are right, there is potential for these regularly manured soils to provide a substantial amount of nitrogen for crop use. For the perennial rotation at our site, total nitrogen uptake under annual N-based solid manure applications at year six is now comparable to synthetic fertilizer.” “But this does not always happen,” he adds. “Nitrogen release from solid manure is a biological process and it can be highly variable and unpredictable from one site to another or from one year to the next.” In a separate study where nutrient release was monitored for three years following beef cattle manure application to cropland, manure nitrogen availability in year two was overall superior to urea fertilizer (46-0-0) when applied to perennial crops at one site. However, at another site, there was no apparent benefit from the manure in the second or third years following application to annual cropland. Adding to this is the variability of manure itself. For example, use of extra straw in particularly cold or wet winters increases the carbon content of manure. When there is a high amount of carbon relative to nitrogen, microbial breakdown of the manure may tie up nitrogen that would otherwise be available to crops. This can delay the release of nitrogen from months to years. Akinremi sees a bright side to this slower release. “Solid manures containing a large amount of straw may reduce the risk of nitrate leaching, particularly in a perennial system where the established root system can intercept nitrates before they move below the root zone. We observed this in our perennial plots where nitrate leaching with manure was small and no different than plots that were not fertilized.” Dr. Akinremi and his team are focusing on how to better predict the release

DON FLATEN

Now that spring has arrived, seeds will be sown, forages will revive and hungry plants will seek out the nutrients essential for healthy growth and development. We have heard it before— manure is an excellent source of nutrients for crop growth, but just like any other source of nutrients, manure can also pollute surface and ground waters if managed improperly. In their efforts to be environmentally sustainable, livestock producers are jugglers of sorts, balancing the need to apply manure to agricultural land in an agronomically and economically sound manner while also minimizing environmental risks. Research is one tool that can help producers juggle these complex issues. Towards this goal, University of Manitoba soil fertility and chemistry professors Don Flaten and Wole Akinremi are looking at what happens to manure nutrients from different types of manure over time and how this is affected by nitrogen (N) versus phosphorus-based manure management strategies. Both Akinremi and Flaten lead long term manure management field trials, where solid and liquid manures are applied either annually based on crop nitrogen requirements, or intermittently to match crop phosphorus removal in both annual and perennial crop rotations. Agronomic factors, such as crop yield, plant uptake and soil concentration of nitrogen, along with other nutrients, such as phosphorus, are measured in both studies. From an environmental perspective, Akinremi’s study is designed to assess the risk for nutrient leaching below the root zone in a sandy loam soil. Flaten’s study on heavy clay soil at the National Centre for Livestock and Environment (NCLE) is mostly focused on nutrient accumulations in soil, rather than losses. After six years of continuous measurements, both researchers can, without doubt, state that the availability of nitrogen from solid manure is overestimated when the manure application rate is calculated using Manitoba’s standard formula. This formula is based on the assumption that 25 per cent of the organic nitrogen in manure

formula, they advise to proceed with caution. With only one year of field data in a year that had greater than normal yields, the results are preliminary. Also important to keep in mind is that high rates or repeated applications of solid manure to the same field can have negative consequences. Compared with nitrogen, solid manures are relatively rich in plant available phosphorus and potassium. High levels of soil test phosphorus pose an increased risk to surface water quality while elevated potassium levels may pose a risk to cattle health and nutrition. After six years of annual N-based applications of solid manure at both long term sites, soil test phosphorus in the upper layer of

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soil has risen to levels that would trigger a shift from N-based to P-based manure management practices. This increase did not occur with intermittent applications of manure based on crop removal of phosphorus. At the NCLE site soil test potassium increased over time in proportion to the amount of manure applied. While this increase could be beneficial for potassiumdeficient soils, it could induce nutritional problems in cattle if forage is grown on soils with excessive amounts of potassium.

What’s next?

As of this spring, there are several new research reports from University of Manitoba scientists on the risks and rewards of managing different manures in different ways

for crop production in Manitoba. The next step, a work in progress, is determining appropriate adjustments to manure application rate recommendations. We look forward to working closely with producers, research colleagues, manure management practitioners and government representatives in developing a revised suite of recommendations. The research presented in this article was made possible by financial support from Manitoba Beef Producers, Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, Manitoba Pork Council, the CanadaManitoba Agri-Food Development Initiative, the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Thank you for your continuing support.

May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

NEW BEEF ADVOCACY PROGRAM EDUCATES CONSUMERS AND SHARES INDUSTRY SUCCESS STORIES All across Canada and beyond, there are countless conversations being held about the state of Canadian beef. As an increasingly discerning public becomes more and more interested in learning about where their food is coming from, the beef industry is exploring ways to find new solutions in order to better engage consumers and address myths about the Canadian beef supply. The Beef Advocacy Program, launched in early March, is one such solution. “There are many people talking about the Canadian beef industry, about how cattle are raised and how beef is produced,” says Tayla Fraser, Industry Communications Coordinator for Canada Beef Inc. “The goal of the Beef Advocacy Program is to empower advocates for the beef industry—those people who make their living by, and build their lives on, bringing beef to the world’s table.” The Beef Advocacy Program is based upon a similar strategy out of the U.S. called the Masters of Beef Advocacy, which is administered by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. After learning of the program’s success, staff at Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) came together to examine the possibility of creating their own industry-wide, industry-led program that focuses on Canadian content. The purpose of this program is to provide producers with the tools, information and skill set to become strong advocates for the industry, and then to give ground level information on gate-to-plate to all interested parties. To aid in this, a website was developed to gather the information from the various beef stakeholders and then to direct that information to one central portal. The online program is split into two courses. The first course is a basic look at the beef industry and is open to anyone who wishes to learn more about beef production or the beef that they eat. Course two is currently under development and will be launched later this summer. It will be designed

for those interested in taking the additional step in becoming advocates for the beef industry and will be primarily geared towards “insiders,” such as beef producers and beef industry representatives who have a story to tell. “Canadian beef advocates are talking about the Canadian beef industry from a place of credibility and knowledge,” says Fraser. “We are working with organizations around the country, such as breed associations, 4-H boards and post-secondary institutions to highlight Beef Advocacy Canada as a part of their programming.” Becoming an advocate involves sharing what you do and what you know, and then understanding and sharing the processes of the industry as a whole. The intention of the Beef Advocacy Program is to build a greater level of confidence in each of the graduates so that they are comfortable in advocating when the opportunity presents itself, or by seeking out ways to be proactive in representing the beef industry. “By empowering each person to tell their own story, we build a greater conversation that is based on fact rather than speculation, misinformation or hidden agendas,” says Jolene Noble of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “More and more, we are seeing people reach out with their story to the greater public and we hope this will continue that momentum. We also hope to engage the youth of our industry now, so they develop a passion for the advocacy of the beef industry and will continue to do so into the future.” Canada Beef, alongside the CCA, has gone to great lengths to make the program as accessible as possible for all those interested in advocacy. There is no cost associated with the program and course material can be accessed via smart phones, tablets and computers. Additionally, there is a downloadable PDF copy of the chapter materials, as well as streaming or downloadable audio. Two of the program’s highlights include the resource library and the glossary. The resource library collects pieces of

KEY POINTS •

A new Beef Advocacy Program launched in March. •

The purpose is to provide producers with the tools and information to become strong advocates for the industry, so they can give information to interested parties. •

Training consists of an online program, split into two courses.

CANADA BEEF

PAUL ADAIR

“The goal of the Beef Advocacy Program is to empower advocates for the beef industry—those people who make their living by, and build their lives on, bringing beef to the world’s table.” information, images, posters, videos, fact sheets and more from across the industry, creating a one-stop location for those wishing to share information. The glossary provides a guide to the lexicon used by those in the industry, allowing advocates to explain the industry’s terminology in basic language. “At Beef Advocacy Canada, we are giving people the opportunity to have a central location for facts

and information to share with the world,” says Fraser. “Advocates will be considered part of the ‘inner circle’ of the industry and will have access to key messages, speaking points and news to help us unite across the country. This will help in times of need and when great, positive things are happening, making sure that message gets spread too.” Saskatchewan rancher, Kate Lowenberger, heard

about the Beef Advocacy Program as she was preparing an Ag in the Classroom initiative for the local school. She hoped to learn more about the industry in which she operates and what she discovered was a wealth of unbiased and easy to access information, a valuable tool for future school agriculture presentations and a greater appreciation for the scope of the beef industry.

“The program has not changed the way I perceive the industry but it has provided more insight into it,” says Lowenberger. “It has taught me there is always more to learn in the cattle industry and I have challenged a lot of people so far to take this program. No matter if you have been raising cattle for 50 years or you are the most informed of consumers, I guarantee that there will be something new for you to learn.”

Come out and view the MB Angus cattle on display & competitions! THANK-YOU TO ALL THE 2014 BULL BUYERS WHO SUPPORTED MANITOBA ANGUS BULL SALES THIS SPRING! th-19th, 2014 Showdown July 17 age all 4-H & in Virden. Encour to attend. Junior members ation go online to For more inform uniors”. ca and click on “J www.cdnangus.

Heartland Livestock Services, Virden, MB Thursday, July 17, 2014 Show: 1:00 pm, supper to follow No halter classes - Commercial/ Purebred Pens/Junior Show CALCUTTA For details/entry form go to www.mbangus.ca Everyone is welcome to view MB Angus cattle Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup Aug 1-3, 2014 in Neepawa

MANITOBA ANGUS ASSOCIATION TOLL FREE 1-888-MB-ANGUS Check out our website: www.mbangus.ca

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12 CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

TIMES ARE GOOD...NOW WHAT? BY TERRY BETKER It has to be gratifying when, after years of trying to manage with low or negative margins, things improve. After all, there is no less work when prices are down. In fact, there may even be more as there is extra effort sometimes in trying to “cut corners” to save some money. There is a saying that next year will be better. Well, for a lot of farmers in the livestock sector, things are better. For some, the margins may be approaching “best ever” territory. For those of you who have only recently started farming, you might want to talk to a couple of more seasoned farmers to find out how special this may actually be. You have done a lot of work to get here...but now what? Some careful thought should go into getting the most benefit out of the current situation, for both the business and your family. Will it be long lasting? Nobody knows for sure. To use another saying, it is time to make hay while the sun shines. Pun intended. Managing the marketplace can have a direct impact on the potential benefit and for some producers, this should be a top priority. There can be situations—especially for some parts of the livestock sector—where a gain can be lost, or significantly reduced, while still owning market inventory. I have seen scenarios in the past where farmers had a really good year and watched while the profit eroded in the marketplace. This can be really frustrating. It is also very important to talk to your accountant as soon as possible to plan for managing any potential income tax implications that can come with greater profit levels. There can be advantages in considering

the highest interest incorporating a partnerrate, or with the highest ship or sole proprietorship. cash flow commitment. Time is generally an advanSometimes it is a bettage when it comes to deter business decision veloping and implementing to pay off a loan with a tax strategies, so it is better higher annual payment to be proactive in the dis(principal and interest) cussions. but with a lower interGiven that you have est rate. This strategy marketing and tax managecan help to improve liment plans under control, quidity. it will help to set priorities for optimizing the benefit 4. Succession planning is something to consider, from the current situation. even if actual succession Priorities can be separated may be years away. Basicinto business and personal/ ally, what can you do at family. this time to really benefit Business priorities a future succession plan? 1. I strongly suggest you 5. Be extra careful about prioritize how much buying into an “up market.” If you are thinking working capital you want about expanding the herd to set aside to finance and are finding breeding operations for the next stock is becoming more year(s). This is the single expensive, watch the most important strategy prices. Consider using for managing the liquidlonger term, more conity (cash flow) in your business. Many farmers servative prices for marare actively increasing ket sales when determintheir working capital as a ing how much you are way to manage the volawilling to pay for cows tility that exists in the or heifers. There may be business. older cows available at a 2. How much should be more reasonable price but spent on equipment and are the economics longer infrastructure? Right now term any better? It is realmay be a great opportunly important in situations ity to upgrade, especially such as these to try and if re-investment has been separate business from put on hold. How a puremotion when considchase is financed requires ering investment options. some planning. If the pur- 6. Some producers may chase is made with cash, take this opportunity it will impact on working to significantly downcapital and liquidity. If a size or liquidate a herd. loan is included, it will There are a couple of impact on future debt implications to this. servicing commitments. The potential tax liaThis is not necessarily a bility can be a huge concern while margins factor. There are tactics are good but can be an accountants can use to issue if margins decrease effectively manage the while an additional reliability, but as noted payment commitment is above, having more still in effect. Will there time to implement the be enough money available to make payments in the future if margins decrease? 3. Paying down debt may be an option. If this is a priority, you can focus on repaying debt with

KEY POINTS Talk to your accountant as soon as possible to plan for managing any potential income tax implications that can come with greater profit levels. •

Prioritize how much working capital you want to set aside to finance operations for the next year(s). Many farmers are actively increasing their working capital as a way to manage the volatility that exists in the business. Right now may be a good time to upgrade equipment but can you afford payments if the market gets worse? •

•

Be extra careful about buying into an “up market.” If you are thinking about expanding the herd and are finding breeding stock is becoming more expensive, watch the prices. tactics can be advantageous. The other consideration is the herd itself. Are you ready for this? Once the herd is gone, it is gone. Many of you have spent years and years personally investing in the herd. This should be a part of the emotion discussion. Whether and how any emotional investment is factored into a business decision to liquidate is highly personal. At the least, I think it should

be acknowledged and maybe discussed within the family. There is definitely no right or wrong here.

Personal and family priorities

1. You may want to simply spend some of the profit. Get some enjoyment or return on the personal investment that has been made in the business; take a trip, invest in the house or recreation property, as examples. 2. Personal retirement plans. Different from succession planning for the business, what can you do that may benefit your own retirement, even if it may be years out? 3. Consider management development. Good management programs and resources can require a significant financial investment. Is it a good time to invest in performance and business management development strategies? 4. Education for your children is an option. Costs associated with

education are high, especially if it requires moving away from the parental home. Could some of the current prosperity be set aside for this? There is a really good feeling that comes from having a good year—reward for all the work that has been done. With careful planning and priority setting, it is possible to extend those good feelings to realize a wide range of benefits that can ultimately come from better levels of profitability. Terry Betker is a farm management consultant based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He can be reached at (204) 782-8200 or terry.betker@backswath.com.

Black Meadows Angus 3

2 yr old & yearling Bulls for sale

3 3

Fertility Tested We deliver!

CONTACT Bill Walker • 204-567-3782 Minniota, MB

SEE YOUR PICTURE IN PRINT! Do you have a photo that you would like used in the pages of Cattle Country? If yes, we would love to see it!

Beef at the Winter Fair

There were over 108,000 visitors to the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair this year and MBP was excited to reach the public as part of the Thru the Farm Gate exhibit once again. MBP was pleased to have Lucky and Twister, an outstanding cow-calf pair, on site. Special thanks to Nolan Vandersluis for providing the cattle and to Trevor Carlson for his help.

Send your high resolution digital images to klucyshyn@mbbeef.ca, with the subject line “Cattle Country Photo”. Please include details such as where the photo was taken, what it is showing and who needs to be credited, if it runs.

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May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP IN MY DAUGHTER’S EYES

BRENDA SCHOEPP Women in agriculture are exposed to the risk of injury every day. Full time, part time or partner, women and girls on Canadian farms need to ensure they are protected from hurt and disability. Some of that mitigation starts by setting boundaries for themselves. Pat (name changed) works in partnership with her husband on a large ranch. They do everything together and that includes the feeding, calving and pasturing of 1,500 cows. She has had several broken bones from horse accidents and although she is in perfect physical condition, her aches and pains grab her at the most inopportune of times. At a mere 37 years old, her hospital rap sheet looks like a crash course in emergency care and that does not include the birthing of a raft of children. I went with Pat and her husband on a chore run one winter morning. It was not fun. Everything was in high gear, with little attention to the details. Under pressure to perform “her share,” she roared out of the yard at warp speed, dogs in hot pursuit. At the gate she screeched to a halt and sighed. “That gate is so hard to open,” she said. The gate in question, I learned, has been broken

for years and when you tug on it the whole fence line comes down. I was shocked. Fixing the gate post would take about half an hour. Taking the collective time that she struggled with the gate annually, the whole ranch could have had new gate posts. But hubby, she said, would not spend the money to fix it. My reaction was to ask hubby about the gate. Well, the proper latch would cost $129 and the ranch did not want to spend it. I inquired about the cull cow we just loaded—could the money not come from that? How about calculating the hours lost in dealing with the broken gate; did that not cover the repairs a hundred times over? How about the pup they just sold for $500; would that not fix the post and put the proper latch on? Pat needs to recognize that her health and safety is jeopardized every morning when she does chores. It should not be about the ranch—it should be about the people who live on it. Adding company to misery is not going to contribute to her quality of life. She is not the hired man. Setting boundaries on what we will or will not do as farming or ranching partners and owners helps put teeth into these situations. A protocol to immediately repair anything broken, treat anything

KEY POINTS •

Setting boundaries on what we will or will not do as farming or ranching partners and owners helps when issues arise. •

Think of your children. As adults we almost accept farm injury as part of doing business. But the fragile world of the child only sees their parent being hurt. •

We must clearly define our limitations and work with our partners to ensure that adequate help is available for the things that we cannot or should not do, and build it into the business plan.

sick, or clean up any mess as part of business planning is important. Pat may have had input into the business plan as a business partner but her role was not defined. So, as the ranch physically fell apart, she did as well. Think about this from the perspective of Pat’s children. As adults we almost accept farm injury or stress injury as part of doing business. But the fragile world of the child only sees their parent being hurt or, worse yet, going away. The younger they are, the less they can understand the timeline. Mommy will only be away for two weeks

with that broken leg and then she will be home. Two weeks? Is that not an eternity to a child? I recall my childhood and the regularity of farm accidents. Dad, the cat with 99 lives, has lived through gassing, poisoning, crushes, electrocution, gouging, trampling and major falls. He would spend some time recovering and then jump back into the game at full throttle—always shrugging it off. But in his daughter’s eyes, these were times of fear and anxiety. A child can see that something needs fixing or when adults are headed for disaster. They feel helpless and unheard. I cried many tears and still, today, accidents happen. However, I no longer have a fear or anxiety. This has been replaced by indifference and a quiet anger because I do not feel that through his actions, he respects us.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! The next issue of Cattle Country will be out in July. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your products and services in this issue! Contact the MBP office for more information.

And so I look at my own life and try to see it through my daughter’s eyes. How did she view the many times I was bucked off, bandaged up, operated on and hospitalized? Of course, I knew that I would get better… but did she? And how has that affected her respect for me? Did I teach her about boundaries or did I cross them all? Today, as illness still strikes me often from a lifetime of fatigue, is she scared or just simply angry? As women on the farm we need to STOP—stop treating ourselves poorly—for the sake of our long term health and to set examples of the use of boundaries for our sons and daughters. Not only are our actions alarming but our undue care and attention may jeopardize our homes, the very sanctuaries that we build for our children. We must clearly define

our limitations and work with our partners to ensure that adequate help is available for the things that we cannot or should not do, and build it into the business plan. This allows our business partner the dignity of finding solutions and gives our children a sense of security. Ranches and farms are the people who live on them. May they enjoy a safe, long, happy, and healthy life. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively, exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor, she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted through her website, www. brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014.

CATTLEX LTD.

204-772-4542 ereimer@mbbeef.ca

For more information and pricing, contact any of the Cattlex buyers: Andy Drake (204) 764-2471, 867-0099 cell Jay Jackson (204) 223-4006 Gord Ransom (204) 534-7630

Clive Bond (204) 483-0229 Ken Drake (204) 724-0091

Bonded & Licensed in Manitoba & Saskatchewan

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14 CATTLE COUNTRY May 2014

MAKING PROGRESS WITH FEED EFFICIENCY – THE CASE FOR RFI (RESIDUAL FEED INTAKE)

Individual feed intake is currently monitored with technology from GrowSafe® Systems of Airdrie, Alberta. This system collects phenotypic data to determine RFI.

Improving the feed efficiency of a herd can mean big savings for producers. Since feed costs represent greater than two thirds of total production costs in a beef operation, reducing them can have huge advantages to your bottom line. A five per cent improvement in feed efficiency could have an economic effect four times greater than a five per cent improvement in average daily gain (ADG). This means improving feed efficiency will have an effect on the unit cost of production and the value of the breeding stock and feeder animals.

How is feed efficiency measured?

Traditionally, feed efficiency has been measured by comparing the feed to gain ratio (feed: gain or FCR, feed conversion ratio). Basically, this is the calculation of the feed consumed per unit of weight gained. However, this measure only gives you a group average and does not tell you what an individual animal was eating for the gain it made. While a group average might be useful in a feedlot situation, it really is of little value to a breeding herd where you want to make progress through genetic selection. Many beef cattle breed associations have adopted a slightly different method of evaluating individual feed efficiency, called residual feed intake, or RFI. Residual feed intake is defined as

the difference between an animal’s actual feed consumed, or eaten, and the animal’s calculated feed requirements based on its body weight and ADG during a standardized test period. Essentially, RFI describes the variation in feed intake that remains after the requirements for maintenance and growth have been met. Efficient animals eat less than expected and have a negative or low RFI, while inefficient animals eat more than expected and have a positive or high RFI. Typically, RFI is measured in young cattle (seven to 10 months of age) in feedlot pens fitted with feeding stations designed to automatically monitor individual animal feed intake over a 70 day test (GrowSafe® Systems Ltd., Airdrie, Alberta) following a three week adjustment to their test diet. Cattle are weighed before feeding on two consecutive days at the start and end of the test period and at approximately 14 to 28 day intervals. Because RFI is independent of mature size and body composition, cattle are also measured for ultrasound backfat thickness (mm), rib eye area (cm2) and marbling score at the start (optional) and end of the test period. Those animals that maintain themselves on the least amount of feed possible for acceptable performance will be the ones that save you in feed costs. The challenge is finding out which they are and selecting their genetics

for the next generation so you continue to make genetic and economic progress.

Feed savings from RFI cattle

RFI is considered to be a moderately heritable trait, suggesting substantial progress can be made if selecting for it. The feed efficient cattle are those with negative RFI, while the average animal has an RFI of zero. Over six years, the savings in feed costs, if you used negative RFI bulls and retained their heifers, would amount to around $55/head; starting in year one at $9/head, then year two at $18/head, then steadily increasing from then on. Tremendous genetic and economic improvement is possible as long as you consider multiple traits like growth and fertility along with the feed efficiency trait.

Using RFI in a multitrait selection breeding plan

A summary of research by Dr. John Basarab, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, has shown that selection for low RFI (efficient cattle) will: • Have no effect on growth, carcass yield and quality grade; • Reduce feed intake at equal weight and ADG by 10 to 12 per cent; • Improve feed to gain ratio by 10 to 15 per cent; • Reduce net energy of maintenance by 10 per cent, reduce methane emissions by 25 per cent and manure production by

Yearling heifers, formerly of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada station in Brandon, Man., on test for RFI in Alberta.

This is the first in a series of fact sheets on RFI written by Susan Markus. The other titles are: “The Economics of RFI” and “Frequently Asked Questions about RFI”. 15 per cent (reducing the carbon footprint of cattle); Have little, if any, effect on age at puberty; Have no effect on calving pattern in first calf heifers; Have no negative effect on pregnancy, calving or weaning rate; Have little effect on bull fertility; Have a positive effect on body fatness or weight, particularly during stressful periods; Predict efficient mature cattle from younger growing animals; and Will reduce feed costs: $0.07-0.10/hd/day feeders; $0.11-0.12/hd/day in cows.

research projects focused on feed efficiency and residual feed intake in Mani• toba, Alberta and internationally. It is up to you to • carefully interpret the data when applying or adopting the technology to your • beef operation. While there exists a large variation in the range of RFI values in • animals (more than 35 per cent) and because the trait • is moderately heritable, significant genetic progress can be achieved in breeding programs resulting in cost • saving benefits. For now, because we can not possibly test all cattle • for RFI, contact your breed association to get a list of RFI tested sires for sale at The future of RFI upcoming bull sales. IntroData continues to be col- ducing sires with a known lected from collaborative RFI value is a first step to

moving your cow herd toward increased feed efficiency since 80 to 90 per cent of the genetic improvement in a herd comes through the sires. However, with time and continued improvement in genomics and infrared thermography technologies, the ability to detect efficient animals will improve and increase our ability to select superior animals. For further information on feed efficiency go to Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s home page (www.agriculture.alberta.ca) to search for RFI, Residual Feed Intake or Net Feed Efficiency for cattle producers. Additional information can be found at www.livestockgentec.com and www. growsafe.com.

Left to right: Dr. Kim Ominski, University of Manitoba, Dr. John Basarab, Alberta Agriculture and Dr. Susan Markus, Alberta Agriculture, working in collaboration on cow feed efficiency with forage based rations.

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May 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

COOKING IS A LIFE SKILL ADRIANA BARROS, PHEC. Starting out fresh each season can give us a sense of accomplishment and something meaningful to work towards. This spring, introduce a new extracurricular activity for the kids—invite them into the kitchen to develop life skills. Preparing children for adulthood is a responsibility all parents take seriously, but did you know that life skills can be developed in the kitchen? You will be surprised at how easy it is to have kids helping out as soon as they can balance on a step stool and reach the counter. We have all heard many times that our nation is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. The Childhood Obesity Foundation says that currently 59 per cent of Canadian adults are overweight or obese. According to a 2007 Statistics Canada report, 29 per cent of adolescents had unhealthy weights and it is predicted that if current trends continue, by 2040 up to 70 per cent of adults aged 40 years will be either overweight or obese (Childhood Obesity Foundation). These numbers are quite unsettling. Changing this, however, can start with a child’s number one influencer; their family. Putting

extracurricular activities into perspective does not mean eliminating soccer practice or taking away time from music lessons. Many children grow up to be young adults who do not have basic kitchen skills. They turn to packaged food products or eating at restaurants when young adults. This can impact their bank accounts and their waistlines. Food literacy can start at any age; many children realize that choosing carrots and dip is healthier than a package of fruit snacks but how do we safely wash, peel and cut the carrot? The goal in making sure future young adults possess basic cooking skills is as simple as including children in the kitchen. Perpetuating lifestyle habits of cooking at home regularly is normal and healthy. If the next adult generation can avoid the perception that beef is not an ingredient made in the grocery store or a box of macaroni and cheese is not a complete meal, we will have taken a step in the right direction. In the kitchen questions can be asked, mistakes can be made and spills will be inevitable. Here are examples of tasks children of

any age can help with in the with a real looking knife kitchen. You will be amazed made of plastic that can at how skills will quickly be used to cut lettuce, start developing. peppers, celery or any 1. Making toast: Learning soft vegetable or fruit. to use a kitchen appliAs children grow older ance is important. Using they can be trusted with the toaster safely can be sharper knives but, detheir first “cooking” skill veloping technique earand it is a simple task lier is a wonderful skill. that can help out in the If you want children kitchen; especially on helping in the chopping Sloppy Joe night. department, even at a 2. Learning to use measuryounger age, let them ing utensils: Not only is use the garlic press. This this an essential part of is a safe activity you can cooking and baking, it monitor while you are also teaches children to busy with other cooking use their minds in the tasks. kitchen. Yes, math class 4. Meal planning: This is a crucial life skill that teaches the skill of orwhen developed will ganization and the reexcel your child into a sponsibility of meal bright future. However, time. Once children are math skills can be furgrown and indepenther developed in the dent, knowing how to kitchen. Try problem plan meals will enable solving when measurthem to eat healthier ing with children, for as they’ll know how to example, if a recipe calls purchase foods ahead for half a cup, ask them of time and avoid relyhow they would double ing on take-out. or triple this recipe. 3. Knife skills: It is important to know how to use a knife safely in the kitchen. Instructing children of different ages in the kitchen can be challenging, but not impossible. When there is time to spare and skills to be learned, try teaching kids knife skills. Children can start

5. Cleanup: This rule will help out parents for years to come! Teaching kids to cook and help in the kitchen is one thing, but cleanup is equally important. Include children in sanitizing counters, properly cleaning work surfaces to decrease germs, recycling used tomato cans, and washing preparation dishes. Having children help with setting and clearing the table also builds an appreciation for all the parts of putting a meal together for the family. Children can be prepared for a big soccer match thanks to valuable teamwork skills; taught to swim thanks to countless lessons; and able to move

onto post-secondary education thanks to hours of studying and encouragement. But don’t forget to teach kids to cook. There will be no need to worry about what they are eating when they become independent. Cooking skills are a life skill that, when developed, can decrease risks of chronic disease associated with poor diet from packaged food items or fast food. This month’s recipe is Sloppy Joes, a classic for all ages to enjoy, courtesy of Canada Beef Inc. Enjoy spring with new beginnings and tune into the last episode of Great Tastes of Manitoba, May 17, 2014, for Two-Bite Appetizers— ideal for your first outdoor barbecue!

Works Cited

Childhood Obesity Foundation. (n.d.). Fact Statistics. Retrieved 03 31, 2014, from Childhood Obesity Foundation: www.childhoodobesityfoundation.ca/statistics

SPEEDY BEEF SLOPPY JOES

MISSED PAST ISSUES OF CATTLE COUNTRY? Did you know you can read past issues of Cattle Country online? Look up previouslyprinted recipes! Re-visit articles and information already discussed! Look back at the history of the industry’s most important news stories.

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2 cups (500 mL)

Frozen Big Batch Beef (recipe follows)

1 can (7.5 fl oz/213 mL)

Pizza sauce

1 ½ cups (375 mL)

Frozen mixed vegetables

2 tsp (10 mL)

Worcestershire sauce

Hamburger buns or baked potatoes

Combine frozen Big Batch Beef, pizza sauce, frozen vegetables, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 cup (50 mL) water in a large, heavy saucepan.

Cover and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Top four toasted hamburger buns with the mixture (also great over baked potatoes!).

RECIPE FOR BIG BATCH BEEF

Cook 4 lb (2 kg) lean or extra lean ground beef in a Dutch oven at medium-high heat for 10 minutes, breaking the meat into small chunks with the back of a spoon, until browned. Drain and return to pot. Add four EACH of onion and cloves of garlic, minced, and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Spread in a single layer on several foil or parchment paper-lined baking trays; freeze until meat is just firm (for about one hour). Loosen into chunks; scoop meal-sized portions into freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months.

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MBP CONGRATULATES THE 2014 CYL RECIPIENTS FROM MANITOBA

The Cattlemen’s Young Leaders (CYL) Development Program provides industry-specific training and mentorship, as well as a combination of formal and informal opportunities, to learn from existing beef cattle industry leaders and other youth organizations undertaking mentorship opportunities. Congratulations to the 2014 national mentorship recipients from Manitoba, who were selected following the final selection round at the CYL Spring Forum held in Calgary on March 22, 2014.

I grew up in Woodside, Man. on a cow-calf and backgrounding operation. The goals of our family operation have been to strive for excellence in grazing management and environmental stewardship. I am in the process of building my own cow-calf herd and I am very excited to be establishing an operation near Langruth, Man. I received my Bachelor of Science from the Faculty of Agricultural andFood Sciences with a major in Agroecology from the University of Manitoba. I have spent some time working for Agriculture and Agri-food Canada on projects including riparian area health, as well as the impacts of bale grazing on forage quantity, quality and species composition. I am currently enrolled in the Master’s of Animal Science program at the University of Manitoba. My research is part of a larger project that strives to develop beneficial management practices (BMPs) that will improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the Canadian cattle industry. This is particularly important as cattle producers in western Canada have begun to change the way in which they overwinter cattle, moving from traditional confined pen systems to in-field extensive systems including swath grazing and bale grazing. My project will compare energy lost as methane, a greenhouses gas, in backgrounded cattle. More specifically, this winter I compared intake, gain and energy use efficiency in steers that were fed four storage-based diets, which differed in protein content. The diets have been formulated to reflect the range of diets typically used for backgrounded cattle in western Canada. I am thrilled to have been selected for the Cattlemen Young Leaders program. To have the opportunity to work with such an accomplished group of young people is motivational and inspiring.

BRETT MCRAE, BRANDON

Along with my family, we own and operate Mar Mac Farms. We currently calve 210 head of purebred Angus and

ANDREW KOPEECHUK, BRANDON

I have grown up and lived at our family farm, RSK Farms, my whole life. It is a family-run mixed farm that began operation in 1984. We are located approximately 14 kilometres east of Brandon, along the Trans-Canada Highway. RSK Farms breeds approximately 120 females, which consist of Purebred Polled Hereford and Commercial Cross cattle, with a goal of expanding and calving 200 Hereford calves a year. The land base consists of three half sections of both owned and rented land, which is into annual crop, rotated perennial and annual pasture, for forage production and grain and hay sales. RSK Farms uses AI and ET breeding strategies to source some of the breed’s top genetics and in turn uses our top producing females to create quality offspring that display improved

consistency, performance maternal traits and carcass. Genetics from RSK Farms have been consigned to many sales over the past years and can be found throughout North America and globally. Beginning in 2013, RSK Farms is now a co-consigner to the Cattleman’s Classic Bull Sale that is held in the beginning of April in Virden, Man. RSK Farms also co-hosts an online female sale called the Elite Genetics Online Sale during the last week in October. I have been a member of the Carberry 4-H beef club from 1995 to 2000, and a member of the Manitoba Junior Hereford Association. I have also been a national delegate on the Canadian Junior Hereford Association board, and served as president from 2002 to 2003. I assisted in developing and enhancing many projects while on the board, including the heifer lottery, semen donation and fact sheets. I have also just finished up a fouryear term with the Manitoba Hereford Association, holding a vice president position for two years and the president position for one year. I served on many committees while there, including the MOE Show committee, the Marketing and Promotions committee and the Market Development committee, as well as recently assisting with the planning of a Canadian National Junior Hereford Show. I attended Olds College from 2001 to 2003, receiving a diploma in Agricultural Production with a major in Livestock Production, and from 2003 to 2005 I earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agri-business. I am currently employed with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada in Brandon, Man., where I am a research assistant. I am tasked with jobs such as project design, implementing sample collection, managing students, sample analysis and database preparation. I am quite excited to be involved in the CYL program. It presents many opportunities in personal and professional growth, including great networking opportunities with countless people in the livestock industry.

NEIL OVERBY, STE. ROSE DU LAC

I was raised on a commercial cow-calf and bison operation near Inwood, Man. I attended the University of Manitoba, where I was enrolled in the Animal Science program concluding in 2007. During university, I created Overby Stock Farm, a purebred Gelbvieh

operation and I have been expanding the operation ever since. I have been fortunate to be involved in many established purebred cattle operations post university completion, giving me valuable experience in moving the Gelbvieh program further ahead. My fiancé Deanne Wilkinson and I take great pride in how our purebred program has progressed over the years and we are excited about where we can take it in the future. The operation is located at Ste. Rose du Lac, Man., and along with Jaymarandy Limousin and Maple Grove Gelbvieh, we had the inaugural Western Gateway Bull Sale at the Ste. Rose Auction Mart on March 29, 2014, where we offered two-year old and yearling Gelbvieh and Limousin bulls. Along with the cattle operation, I also work for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development as a Farm Production Advisor – Ag Crown Lands representative out of the Ste. Rose office, serving the Crown land district north of Ste. Rose du Lac. I feel very privileged to have been selected into the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders program and I am excited about the knowledge I will gain through the year of the program.

About CYL

Each year candidates are selected to participate in the CYL Development program. The online application process opens in November and the deadline for eligible candidates to apply is in late January. Semi-finalists are chosen to attend a round table discussion event where final candidates are selected. The CYL program admits young beef enthusiasts between the ages of 18 and 35, with a wide array of backgrounds in the beef industry. Once selected the candidates are matched with a mentor by a mentor selection committee. Learn more at www.cattlemensyoungleaders.com.

CALL 1-800-772-0458 FOR REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST OR ADDRESS CHANGE.

KRISTINE BLAIR, WOODSIDE

Simmental cows, and we also farm 1,000 acres of grain and oilseeds. Growing up, I was heavily involved in 4-H, the Young Canadian Simmental Association and the Canadian Junior Angus Association (CJAA). I was a founding member of the Manitoba Junior Angus Association, and served on the board of the CJAA. In 2007, I earned my Agribusiness Diploma from Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta. In college I was involved with the Judging Team, Rodeo Club and I was president of the Stockman’s Club in my second year. After college, I worked in the oil field for one year and in the feed industry for three years, before moving to the farm full-time. Today I own 30 of the purebred head in our herd and manage just under half of our grain acres. I also run a custom A.I. business and usually breed up to 2,000 head each year. I also do some custom fitting and grooming at many shows and sales throughout the year. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, riding horses or quads, and rodeoing. I am very excited and thankful to be selected as a CYL finalist. I have already learned a lot about the beef industry and met some amazing people at the 2014 Spring Forum. I can’t wait to meet my mentor and start learning more about the industry, as well as improving my business. I would like to thank the CYL program co-ordinators Jill Harvie and Jolene Nobel, as well as all of the sponsors of this amazing program!

PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

JEANNETTE GREAVES

JULY 2014

Foreign Worker Program Changes Page 3

RON FRIESEN A promise by one of the world’s largest fast food chains to buy only sustainable beef could accelerate Canada’s Verified Beef Production program. The McDonald’s Corporation recently announced that, starting in 2016, it will begin purchasing “verified sustainable beef ” for its iconic hamburgers. McDonald’s says it will consult with the industry on defining sustainable beef and establishing criteria for producing it. Then it will develop targets for purchasing verified sustainable beef for its restaurants. On its website, McDonald’s promises to “listen, learn and collaborate with stakeholders from farm to the front counter to develop sustainable beef solutions.” The company admits there is not a universal definition of sustainable beef. Even so, it has already started to draft principles and practices for producing sustainable beef through its Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, a multi-stakeholder group launched in 2011. Melinda German, Manitoba Beef Producers general

KEY POINTS • Stating in 2016, McDonald’s will only purchase verified sustainable beef. • The company plans on consulting with the industry on how to define sustainable beef. • Canada’s Verified Beef Production program already educates producers about practices that influence food safety. • Becoming certified now will ensure producers are ahead of the game when McDonald’s and other major food chains, require sustainable beef. manager, said McDonald’s is taking the right approach by consulting with the industry about what verifiable sustainable beef is before going ahead with it. “Will buyers demand it right away? I do not think they can before we put some framework around what sustainability truly means. That word causes a lot of anxiety in the industry because it is so broad and we need to define it,” German said.

She called it significant that a major restaurant chain is starting to demand production standards for beef, much as other food businesses have already done for pork and poultry. “I think programs like verified beef are going to be critical because, as consumers and the public become further detached from farm life, they need to have some sort of verification for what our practices are and how we produce our product.” This is where the Verified Beef Production (VBP) program, Canada’s national onfarm food safety program for beef cattle, comes in. Like similar food safety programs for dairy, pork, chicken and other commodities, VBP provides standard operating procedures (SOPs) for management practices that are aimed at reducing or eliminating food safety risks on a beef cattle operation. SOPs are verified through a third-party audit, thus certifying the operation under the VBP program. VBP is a trademarked program that is owned by the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), with regional co-ordinators in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia,

Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Producers may sign up for the voluntary program after attending a workshop on VBP protocols. Betty Green, Manitoba’s VBP provincial co-ordinator said that, as of mid-May, 2,513 producers had been trained and were working toward certification. Another 400 have passed on-farm audits and are now fully registered VBP producers. Green, who raises cattle with her family near Fisher Branch, says much of VBP covers what most producers are already doing on their farms. Only now they are officially recognized for it. “This has not added an enormous amount of work for producers,” says Green. “And now they have the satisfaction of knowing they are registered verified beef producers.” VBP requires producers to keep records of practices that influence food safety on their farms. There are three areas of risk: chemical, physical and biological.

Chemical

Any chemical substance given to an animal that could potentially affect food quality is considered a food safety risk. This includes

medicated feed or water, vaccines, antibiotics or other medication. Producers must keep records of medications and the way they were given (e.g. intramuscular, subcutaneous, feed or water). Green says this is generally not a lot of additional work because medications are often given to all animals at one time (e.g. vaccination), so only one record is needed. Treating animals individually (foot rot, for example) requires separate records. However, recording it is not difficult because all cattle now wear some form of identification tag with a unique number. VBP also requires producers to record chemicals (such as fertilizer and herbicides) applied on pastures or grazing land. Green says many producers already keep records of chemicals sprayed on cropland, which means that if an animal gets out and grazes in a wheat field, this can easily be noted as well.

Physical

Producers must record physical objects that enter the body of an animal and remain there. Broken needles and wire fragments are prime examples. Continued on page 2

Connecting Youth to Your Farms Page 7

Promising Vaccination Technology Could Eliminate Needles Page 8

POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: MBP, 154 PARAMOUNT ROAD, WINNIPEG, MB R2X 2W3 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE PAID IN WINNIPEG.

THE VALUE OF VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION

CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

Continued from page 1 Occasionally, animals may carry buckshot from an errant hunter. Packing plants need to know about such objects so they can be removed from the carcass and not accidentally end up in a consumer’s mouth.

Biological

Cattle often carry biological agents (E. coli and listeria), which can be hazardous to food safety. Green says VBP acknowledges little can be done to eliminate such agents entirely while animals are on farms. Instead, the program requires SOPs to limit the presence of these organisms. Producers should clean pens regularly and make sure cattle carry as little tag (manure and dirt) on their hair coats as possible.

Training requirements

VBP also requires onfarm training procedures for hired employees. Producers must have records showing how employees are trained and what duties they perform. VBP provides readymade templates with SOPs for producers to follow. About three quarters of producers in the program use them. Green says producers who become trained and eventually certified often say VBP gives them greater confidence about administering drugs and calculating

withdrawal times. This, in turn, makes them better managers. “I think that is exciting, quite honestly. I see registered producers coming back to attend workshops even though they are already certified. When I ask them why, they say they always learn something new.” It costs $200 plus GST for a VBP audit. Green says the fee is kept low to encourage participation. The program is open to cowcalf, feeder and feedlot operators. Some money is available through Growing Forward 2 to help producers buy equipment to implement VBP on their farms. VBP is catching on across the country. Terry Grajczyk, VBP’s national manager, says last year two thirds of beef cattle produced in Canada came from producers trained in the program. The number of fully registered (audited) operations in 2013 represented 20 per cent of Canada’s beef cattle production. Efforts are underway to harmonize VBP with dairy farmers who also produce beef. Last December the federal government announced funding of $717,500 to allow CCA to develop biosecurity, animal care and environmental stewardship modules to be integrated as additional options in the program.

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3 Representation and a voice through your vote at district meetings and the annual general Dianne Riding District 9 3 MBP lobbies governments and secures policy and programs that can Lake benefit your operation. Francis

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www.grunthallivestock.com g_lam@hotmail.ca DISTRICT 1

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TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

DAVE KOSLOWSKY

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RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

LARRY WEGNER

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DIANNE RIDING

DISTRICT 10

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DISTRICT 3

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DISTRICT 11

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TOM TEICHROEB

CHERYL MCPHERSON

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

LARRY GERELUS

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Landsdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

CARON CLARKE

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

BILL MURRAY - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

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July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

BEEF PRODUCERS WORRY ABOUT FOREIGN WORKER BACKLASH RON FRIESEN

KEY POINTS

For years, Larry Schweitzer has been trying unsuccessfully to find skilled local workers, such as veterinary technicians, for his feedlot near Hamiota. Finally, he took the plunge and applied to bring in employees from overseas under the national Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Schweitzer is hopeful about having qualified foreign workers arrive this summer to help fill his chronic labour shortage. But his optimism is tempered by a recent controversy over the TFWP, which has thrown the future of the program into some uncertainty. “For sure we have some concerns about that,” says Schweitzer, co-owner of the Hamiota Feedlot. “We do not want the government to kibosh the whole program. We really need these workers in all aspects of agriculture, whether it is livestock, grain farming or whatever the case may be.” Schweitzer is not alone. Throughout Canada, beef producers worry about a federal knee-jerk reaction to alleged abuses by some employers that could negatively affect a program the industry badly needs. That is particularly true in the feeding sector, where an estimated 10 per cent of workers are from the TFWP. “Our concern is that this will lead to decisions

• Producers throughout Canada are worried about the suspension of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). • The program sparked controversy last year after a bank admitted to using the program to outsource IT workers. • This spring the Federal government announced a moratorium on hiring until the program is reviewed. that will inevitably impact our ability to source labour to augment our Canadian workforce,” says Bryan Walton, general manager of the National Cattle Feeders Association in Calgary. The TFWP became a source of controversy last year when the Royal Bank admitted to using the program to outsource IT workers. Recently, the fast food industry came under fire for allegedly displacing Canadian employees with temporary foreign workers hired under the TFWP. This spring the federal government slapped the food services industry with a moratorium on TFWP hiring, pending a review of the overall program. Other areas of the labour market were not affected.

But beef industry officials worry they could eventually be swept into the same net, now that the TFWP has become a political football. Their concerns include the possibility of higher fees to bring in workers, as well as increased red tape to access the program. “We are worried that the hoops we have to jump though become either more, or more difficult,” says Ryder Lee, federal-provincial relations manager for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. Founded in 1973, the TFWP was at first limited to agricultural workers and live-in caregivers. It was expanded in 2002, under the former Liberal government, to include a wide range of low-skilled workers. Changes by the present Conservative government beginning in 2006 made it increasingly easier for companies to hire foreign workers. Certain jobs require a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which is a screening process to ensure an employer cannot find the required labour within Canada. However, nearly two-thirds of temporary foreign workers do not require an LMO. According to federal statistics, there were 338,213 temporary foreign workers in Canada on December 1, 2012 (the latest period for which figures are available). That is more than triple the number of workers

employed under the program 10 years earlier. This massive increase in a relatively short time has produced allegations that some employers abuse the system by using foreign workers to displace domestic employees and undercut wages. Beef industry officials say, while that may or may not be true for certain labour sectors, that is certainly not the case overall. “There are a very small number of employers who have misused the program. There are thousands and thousands of people employed in the program who are working for reputable employers that are paying well and treating employees properly,” Walton says. As an example, Walton says foreign workers employed in Alberta’s feedlots are often paid double the province’s minimum wage.

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“The idea that the sector is paying non-competitive wages is balderdash.” Labour shortages in the beef sector also include processing plants, where foreign employees sometimes make up the bulk of the work force. Lee worries any changes to the TFWP could negatively affect packers, without whom there would not be a beef industry. “We are beholden to having profitable processors in Canada,” says Lee. “Already we know some processors that cannot run a full shift because they cannot find the people who will do the job.” The debate about temporary foreign workers points to the larger issue of severe labour shortages throughout Canada’s agricultural industry. A sobering 2011 report by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council predicted that employers in primary agriculture would need an additional 50,000 non-seasonal employees and 38,000 seasonal workers by 2013. Too often, however, the workers needed are not available. Either they are drawn to more lucrative

employment, such as the oil patch, or they simply are not there at all, as the rural population dwindles, especially in Western Canada. Meanwhile, Lee predicts the need for people to work in agriculture will only increase as impending trade deals with Europe and Korea come on stream and more Canadian beef will be needed to supply those markets. “There are so many opportunities for growth with new trade agreements coming along,” Lee says. “But one of our constraints is the people to do the work.” Walton believes there has to be a mindset change to the way foreign workers are viewed. Instead of just being here temporarily, as the program name implies, he says they should come on a path leading toward permanent residency and eventually Canadian citizenship. “What better way to channel people coming to this country? They are often among the best employees we have. Enabling them to one day become citizens of this country— what is the downside of that?”

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CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN CATTLE COUNTRY DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS. WE BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO VOICE THEIR OPINION.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

MOOVIN’ ALONG

CATTLE, CONSUMERS AND MORE CHANGES

HEINZ REIMER We are halfway through 2014 and there seems to be a lot of optimism in the beef industry. We have seen good returns as prices for cattle are strong. What is surprising is the number of cattle that were marketed this spring. In the past 12 months, 300,000 cows went for export to the U.S. and 450,000 cows were slaughtered in Canada. Consumer demand for beef is still strong, especially into the summer barbecue season. Someone asked me recently why producers are selling off and why rebuilding is slow. My comment (and I do not know if I am right), was that we have come through tough years since BSE and producers may be cashing in to pay off debt, possibly buying some new equipment or

a new truck, or finally doing that remodeling around the house that has been on hold. Retaining heifers and rebuilding the herd is starting slowly but I suspect we will start seeing rebuilding take off in the next 12 months. We have good prices for our cattle, new markets are opening up, grain prices are down and there is price insurance available. These factors are helping bring optimism back to our industry. Along with optimism, we need to continue to take advantage of opportunities to promote the Canadian Beef Advantage as the best beef in the world. How do we do that? Here are some ways: • Develop and communicate about Canadian beef through advertising through multi-media and being competitive;

• Getting the right products to the right customers by enhancing carcass utilization and value through new products by looking for markets for underutilized cuts; • Engage and target customers in marketing together with retail, food services and other trade partners; • Reduce tariffs for our beef products and live cattle for better market access; • Build on consumer confidence through communication with the message that we are raising the best products; and • Promote the health and nutritional benefits to our customers. I feel these are just a few of the issues we, as an industry, need to address. By working together, the future of the beef industry in

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We have good prices for our cattle, new markets are opening up, grain prices are down and there is price insurance available. These factors are helping bring optimism back to our industry. our province—and across this great country—can, and will, grow. One other issue I would like to discuss in this column relates to traceability. Recently, GM Melinda German and I had the opportunity to attend the Livestock Markets Association of Canada Convention and Annual Meeting in Regina, Sask. Our main focus was to attend the presentation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on the changes to the Health of Animals Regulations on traceability and movement reporting that the CFIA is recommending. These recommended changes include scanning in of all RFID tags at auction markets, buying stations and feedlots. This would increase costs and slow down operations when receiving cattle. There was strong opposition from our industry to this proposal but we do support the Cattle Implementation Plan (CIP) on traceability that was developed at the Cattle Summit Meeting in late 2012 in Saskatoon, Sask. The CIP, with the support of the industry through the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and subcommittee, developed a workable and acceptable plan for our industry. Let me outline the key points on the outcome of the policies: • Producers should only be required to have one

premise ID with their number available to the appropriate national and provincial agencies in case of a crisis; • Traceability must not increase costs to producers or slow down the process; • Movement out of a premise into another must be accompanied by a national cattle movement document, a paper manifest or electronic one in the future; • Neither the producer nor industry should be required to list specific RFID numbers in movement documents but should include premise ID number, where the cattle came from, and the number of animals shipped; and

• Federal and provincial governments must be responsible for offsetting the cost on traceability. MBP continues to support the CIP on traceability and we believe that new regulations should support this initiative as well. I always like to mention that MBP has a good mix of dedicated board members and staff that represent our association. We are here to listen and respond to producers’ needs, so if you have a concern, or even a compliment, please call us at 1-800-772-0458. In closing, I have to say that the last six months as your president has been busy, but also rewarding. Happy haying.

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July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COLUMN

TOOLS FOR YOUR BUSINESS TOOLBOX “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” – Abraham Maslow MELINDA GERMAN It has been just over three months since I joined Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and I must say, I have learned a lot. What has impressed me the most is the number of key programs and services MBP has been involved in, either through lobbying or helping to develop. These programs and services are instrumental in providing options in a changing business world that you, the producer, can use to better manage your risk. Some of the most significant initiatives in which MBP has been instrumental are the Western Livestock Price Insurance program, forage insurance and the Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance program. MBP lobbied for years for the development and implementation of price insurance and in April 2014, the Western Livestock Price

Insurance Program became available for Manitoba’s beef producers. This program, administered by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), is testing the waters with a four-year pilot project. This risk management tool helps producers navigate market volatility by providing an insurable floor on cattle prices. This program has been well received locally and, as of May 29, the number of Manitoba producers signed up is at 540, with 381 policies sold. This amounts to 21,982 calves, 13,534 feeders and 131 fed cattle on the program. Even though May 29 was the last day to purchase coverage for calves for settlement this fall, MASC will be taking applications year round on the feeder and fed policies. The newly-revamped MASC Forage Insurance program

provides more options and lower premium rates than its predecessor. The old program had limited uptake as it did not meet producers’ needs. MBP worked with MASC to secure changes and provided input into the new program. This tool can provide production and quality coverage on five hay types, as well as flood and enhanced quality options. Plus, at no extra cost, producers can take advantage of the Hay Disaster Benefit that provides added coverage when a severe, province-wide shortfall occurs. Having lived in Manitoba for 14 years, I can say I have seen that happen more than once. I would encourage you to look into this program to see if there is an option that fits your business. The Manitoba Livestock Cash Advance Program was established in 2007 through the hard work of dedicated

MBP directors in consultation with the federal government. This tool helps producers gain access to cash to meet financial obligations and to improve cash flow. Such a program was needed after the devastating impacts of BSE. Last December, the federal government announced Bill C-18 – The Agriculture Growth Act. It amends several pieces of legislation, including the Agricultural Marketing Programs Act (AMPA), under which the Advance Payments Program falls. One of the key changes in Bill C-18 affects the way all cash advance programs (livestock, crops and other commodities) are administered in Canada. Once enacted, these changes mean producers will be able to apply for their various cash advances from one provider instead of having to go to multiple organizations for funds, thereby creating

one-stop shopping. A date for this change has not yet been finalized as the legislation is still working its way through Parliament. These programs are just three of the crucial tools that help Manitoba’s beef producers manage the risk that is inherent in this business. I am proud to work for an organization that had the vision to pursue these programs and the fortitude to not give up until they were implemented. Lastly, I want to mention the recent changes to the Community Pastures Program. In early 2012, after more than 80 years, the federal government announced it was getting out of the grazing business. In June 2012, MBP pulled together stakeholders—particularly the pastures’ Patron Advisory Committee chairs—to examine what could be done to ensure

this valuable resource remained a tool for Manitoba producers. Over the next several months a proposed business plan for the non-profit Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) was developed. In late February 2014, the Manitoba government provided funding for three years to transition the land over from federal management to administration by the AMCP. This too is a key tool for producers. With seven of the 24 pastures already transitioning over this year, it secures the 440,000 acres of grazing land for future use. MBP continues to provide input as this transition process rolls out. I look forward to next year when I can reflect back again to see what progress we, as an association and producers, have made and how our industry will change in just 12 short months.

MANITOBA’S TESA RECIPIENTS HEAD TO PEI CATTLE COUNTRY STAFF

MBP presented The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) to young producers Richard and KristyLayne Carr at the 35th President’s Banquet. They’re now off to the national competition in PEI.

A young farm couple from Manitoba is heading to PEI in August to compete for a national beef environmental stewardship award. Richard and KristyLayne Carr, owners of Rich Lane Farms near La Broquerie, Man., will represent Manitoba as the provincial recipient of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA). The Carrs received the award at Manitoba Beef

Producers’ Annual General Meeting in February. TESA is awarded annually at the provincial and national level to recognize cattle producers’ leadership in conservation. Nominees are selected based on their stewardship practices, accomplishments and goals. TESA is presented by Manitoba Beef Producers, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) and national sponsor MNP. The national TESA recipient is announced during

the CCA National Convention and Semi-Annual Meeting. The CCA awards provincial recipients with an all-expense paid trip for two to attend the CCA Semi-Annual Meeting each year. The national TESA recipient is awarded a belt buckle and a monetary award to put towards their operation’s future environmental goals. Raising a young family of four, Richard and Kristy-Layne give environmental stewardship a high priority in order to leave a legacy for the next generation. The Carrs understand that a healthy environment means healthy grass, which in turn means healthy cows and calves, and that translates into a healthy business. All of these aspects are interconnected. The motto of Rich Lane Farms is “As farmers, we live where we work and we eat what we grow.” The Carrs believe in producing food in a sustainable way, which leads to a higher quality product. Manitoba Beef Producers wishes the Carrs all the best at the national level for TESA.

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CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

PRODUCER COUPLE HELPS RAISE MONEY FOR SICK KIDS BY RON FRIESEN A Manitoba ranch couple have spent 15 years doing something extraordinary— raising money for sick kids. Ron and Debbie Middleton have been volunteer fundraisers for both the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Children’s Hospital Foundation for well over a decade. Last year they raised $36,000 for the two charities. Over the years, they have collected almost $250,000 in total. They do it by collecting cash donations from private sponsors (local businesses) and from hosting a fundraising dinner and charity auction every summer. What do they get out of it? Their answer is simple. “Satisfaction that we have helped kids,” Debbie says. Ron and Debbie are recently retired beef producers who sold their operation, 7-6 Ranch west of Carman, last January. But just because they are retired does not mean they are slowing down.

Come July 26, the Middletons will hoist a tent on the farm where they still live and host a community dinner they call Lobsterfest. A $45 ticket will get you steak, potato and fresh lobster flown in from Halifax and cooked right there. Guests come from all over southern Manitoba, bringing their own tables and maybe a little wine for refreshment. The number of tickets is limited to 300 because that is all the room there is for guests on the yard. After dinner, there is a charity auction, which sells donated items ranging from artwork to horse harnesses. An auctioneer from Winnipeg Livestock Sales donates his time and talents. Following that, around 9 p.m., is an evening of music and entertainment. “It is just like a reunion,” says Debbie. Net proceeds are donated 50-50 to the Children’s Hospital, part of Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre, and

the Children’s Wish Foundation, a charity that grants the favourite wish of a child diagnosed with a life threatening illness. The young son of one of the Middleton’s neighbours once received an Alaskan cruise in answer to his wish. The Middletons are the charities’ biggest fundraisers in the Carman area. Ron once belonged to a local men’s group that donated money to those charities. After it broke up, the Middletons decided to continue on their own. Ron and Debbie had considered quitting a few years ago. But neighbours rallied round and promised to help with the dinner event. Now they say they will continue as long as enough people keep coming to their annual event. Lori Derksen, special events officer for the Children’s Hospital Foundation, has known the Middletons for six years. She believes the fact that Ron and Debbie have three married

Ron and Debbie Middleton

daughters and four grandsons are major reasons for their dedication. “They were lucky enough to have healthy children and so they want to pass that blessing on to other families,” says Derksen. Derksen says the Children’s Hospital Foundation has close to 400 thirdparty fund-raising events throughout Manitoba each year, ranging from

lemonade stands that raise $100 to community events such as the Middletons’, which raise tens of thousands of dollars. The Children’s Hospital Foundation last year received $18,000 from the Middletons’ efforts. The money is used for programs, equipment and research. “Volunteers are a huge part of our organization,” says Derksen. “Without

volunteers like Ron and Debbie, we would never be able to have staff coordinate all those 400 events. Derksen says her foundation depends heavily on volunteers for fundraising and can always use more. “There is always a need for more groups to do more events, for sure,” she says. “It would be awesome if there were more communities that hosted something like this.”

Producers who are enrolled in on-farm food safety programs, like Manitoba’s Verified Beef Program, or those who work closely with their veterinarian to develop herd health programs, including advice on the responsible use of antimicrobials, are already ahead of the game. Drugs should be only one tool in our toolbox for maintaining the health of our herds; it should not be the only tool. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still holds true when managing disease in animal agriculture. The cost of treating a disease outbreak and the resultant loss of productivity far outweighs the cost of prevention through proper nutrition, environmental management and vaccination. Relying on antibiotics and using them to treat “everything” is not only a “human health hazard” but it is not sound business management. Producers cannot afford to ignore their herd health management. Attend a Verified Beef Program workshop to learn about food safety,

and develop a herd health and biosecurity program with your veterinarian to decrease your reliance on drugs. Learn about the diseases of concern in your area and on your farm, and get up-to-date information on how to treat and prevent them. Most of the common infectious diseases cattle get are due to viruses, which are not killed by antibiotics. Prevent viral infection with a solid vaccination program. Work with your veterinarian to develop a program that fits your operation. Upgrade your facilities and assess your feeding program to minimize stress and avoid weakened immune

systems. Use all of the tools in your toolbox to safeguard your herd’s health. Since all living things get sick, sometimes the drug “tool” is needed. Follow treatment protocols developed with your veterinarian and stay updated yearly to ensure you are using the right drug at the right time in the right way (dose, route, length of time). The future health of your herd depends on the decisions you make today. We all can make management changes to ensure that the World Health Organization’s “post-antibiotic era” prediction will not occur.

VET CORNER PRUDENT ANTIBIOTIC USAGE

DR. TANYA ANDERSON, DVM Human nature has always been to do what is easiest and that is no different when it comes to treatment of disease, whether in ourselves or in the animals under our care. Unfortunately, our demand for “pills and

shots” to medicate ourselves, our pets and our livestock has resulted in the overuse, and inappropriate use, of antibiotics. The World Health Organization predicts that we are heading into the “post-antibiotic” era where

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

antibiotics will no longer be effective in treating many infections due to the development of superbugs; ordinary bacteria carrying resistance genes to the commonly used antibiotics. The media and internet are filled with reports and debates on who is to blame—animal agriculture, the medical system, the general public or the government. The reality is that everyone is to blame and we must all work together to ensure a more judicious use of antibiotics in human medicine and food animal production. Following the lead of the U.S., the Canadian government is looking at antibiotic use and new regulations will be phased in over the next three years. This may not be what some producers want to hear but expect changes in how antibiotics are distributed, dispensed and used. Producers wishing to import pharmaceuticals for their own use can expect further restrictions as can those who continue to use antibiotics in an off-label manner without veterinary advice or guidance.

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July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

CULTIVATING AN INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE; CONNECTING YOUTH TO YOUR FARMS PAUL ADAIR North America’s first self-service grocery store opened its doors in 1916, forever changing the way people thought about their food. It was not long before the supermarket quickly wedged itself into the fieldto-plate mindset of the average consumer. No longer did the meal come directly from the land, instead it was now purchased in sterile shrink-wrapped packaging. Skip forward a hundred years and there is such easy access to food that little thought is paid to where that food comes from. Reconnecting our youth to their agricultural heritage and cultivating an interest in the field has become the goal of Agriculture in the Classroom− Manitoba (AITC−M). The non-profit, charitable organization helps students understand what it takes to get food to their plates and to see that the agriculture industry is so much more than simply what you eat. “Agriculture is around you every day,” says Johanne Ross, Executive Director of AITC−Manitoba Inc. “So many things come from products that have been grown across the country by farmers. Without agriculture, we would literally have nothing. Without agriculture, we would be hungry, thirsty, homeless and naked.” AITC−Manitoba began in the early 1980s but has taken off over the last 15 years to where the initiative now provides programming and key messaging to over 40,000 students across Manitoba. AITC operates under its A.B.C. mandate, providing curriculum-ready information and tools that are accurate, balanced and current about telling the positive story about agriculture. “We offer outreach opportunities, in-class resources for teachers at all levels, and can arrange any special projects or tours when teachers reach out to us,” says Ross. “Everything that we develop as a teaching tool is connected to a curriculum outcome, whether that is science, social studies, math or any other subject area.” “That is one of the great things about the agriculture industry; that it touches on

Betty Green gives high school students a tour of the MLE cattle barns during AITC−M’s Amazing Rangeland Adventure. High school students learn about beef production at AITC−M’s Amazing Rangeland Adventure.

KEY POINTS • The goal of Agriculture in the Classroom— Manitoba (AITC−M) is to reconnect youth to the agriculture industry. • AITC−M provides outreach opportunities, in-class resources for teachers, can arrange tours, and more. • MBP partners with AITC−M, and MBP staff attend events, such as the Amazing Rangeland Adventure, which teaches students about beef production. all of these subjects, ensuring that we have no problem making these curriculum connections,” explains Ross. Discovering how agriculture plays a role in daily life is important for all ages. It is because of this that AITC−Manitoba shapes its programming for a variety of different school-aged groups. Basic, elementary topics are covered from kindergarten to grade 4, attempting to make the initial connection as to where food comes from. Grades 5 to 8 students look at the products that come from agriculture, beyond the food on their plates. High school students examine potential career opportunities and delve into the issues affecting today’s agricultural industry. “The feedback has been amazing and very positive,” says Ross. “The main thing that we hear from teachers and students is that they did not realize how important

agriculture was to their everyday life, which is key to us. We want to inspire them to just get curious about our industry and about all the jobs that are available in agriculture. It is marketing, it is sales, finance, science, and research—there is so much that you can do that most people do not even realize is part of the agriculture industry.” One of the teachers working closely with AITC is Winnipeg’s Dave Leochko, a recent recipient of the Manitoba AITC−Manitoba Driver Award. This award recognizes a teacher who shows leadership in developing a unique agriculture literacy project, helping to bring the world of agriculture into the classroom so that students can develop an understanding of how much agriculture plays a role in their daily lives. In doing so, Leochko wants to not only shape future agriculturists, but to also foster a greater societal awareness. “I have found since I started highlighting agriculture in the classroom, students have developed stronger skills and attitudes with regards to respect and responsibility,” says Leochko. “This new respect and responsibility then starts to carry over into other aspects of the student’s life. The effects have been so positive and rewarding for all involved in the learning,” Leochko says. AITC−Manitoba is currently managed and administered through the efforts of six staff members, all from different walks of life but sharing a singular passion for agricultural

advocacy. They are supported by over 400 partners, of which the Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is a patron member. “MBP is a fantastic partner for us,” says Ross. “They are very interested in developing beef messaging in AITC−Manitoba programs. Because of this, we have beef in many of our outreach programs. In addition, their membership and staff at the beef office are heavily involved in volunteering with a number of Meagan Kemp captivates high school students with a our events and programs.” grooming and showmanship demonstration at AITC−M’s One such program is the Amazing Rangeland Adventure. Amazing Rangeland Adventure, held in the fall for grade 10 students in conjunction with the Manitoba Livestock Expo in Brandon. The event is comprised of 16 different stations where young people can experience the world of beef production; everything from rangeland nutrition to the beef value chain. MBP is instrumental in facilitating this event, not only funding this program but also in developing the stations around it. “The kids love hearing about how farmers take care of their animals,” says Ross. “Events like these provide the opportunity to meet these agricultural issues head-on and tell the real story from real producers who are on the ground raising the cattle or growing the crops.” It is through the sharing of agriculture’s real story that AITC−ManiWe have 13 locations to serve you across toba strives to nurture the Manitoba and Southeastern Saskatchewan young agricultural leaders of tomorrow; sowing the seeds today in order to reap the benefits for years to come.

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A Proud Past

A Strong Future

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CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

PROMISING VACCINATION TECHNOLOGY COULD ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR NEEDLES CHRISTINE RAWLUK, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LIVESTOCK AND THE ENVIRONMENT Vaccinations and needles go hand in hand on cattle farms but the use of needles is not without drawbacks. Risks include needle sticks, broken needles and transmission of blood-borne infectious diseases when the same needle is used to vaccinate multiple animals. Broken needles pose food safety concerns and can reduce profitability if tissue damage is sufficient to impact carcass quality. For on-farm food safety programs like the Verified Beef Production program, safe strategies for delivering vaccinations are an important link in the food safety chain. Needle-free injection devices (NFs) offer a safer alternative to using needles. While NFs are used in the pork industry, use in the beef industry in Canada is limited. Until recently, there was no published Canadianbased information on the suitability of using NFs to vaccinate beef cattle. Newly published papers by a research team with the National Centre for Livestock and the Environment show NFs can be just as effective for building immunity in vaccinated calves as needlesyringe systems (NS). “We wanted to test the effectiveness of the needle-free system compared to the traditional needle-syringe system under typical production conditions in Manitoba,” says Kim Ominski, forage beef production systems researcher at the University of Manitoba and study lead. To be considered as a potential alternative to vaccinating with NS, the device must be as or more effective than NS under a range of production and environment conditions, and the technology has to fit with farm operation goals. “We evaluated NF technology for vaccinating two-month old spring and fall-born calves on two commercial farms using commercially-available vaccines,” explains Mitch Rey, who conducted this study as part of his graduate student research program. “Using both spring and fall-born calves meant we were vaccinating in both the summer and winter so we could determine temperature effects.”

Specifically, they tested the effectiveness of the Pulse 250 by Pulse NeedleFree Systems for vaccinating calves against BVDV and IBRV using a combination vaccine, as well as against clostridia strains using a clostridial vaccine. The self-contained, portable, lightweight system is designed for delivering one vaccine at a time using a pressurized gas to force the dosage through the skin’s surface to the subcutaneous tissue layer. Antibody production in calves vaccinated with either the NF or NS systems was measured. The NF and NS systems stimulated immune responses that were similar in both extent and duration for both spring and fall-born calves. “While we found both the needle-free and needle-syringe systems were comparable in generating an immune response, we did observe a higher incidence of reaction site irritation and residual vaccine with the needlefree injections,” notes Rey. “However, the small amount of vaccine left on the skin surface did not diminish its effectiveness and skin reactions are an indication that the vaccine has stimulated an immune response, so these are not necessarily negative findings.” Testing this equipment on-farm across a range of temperatures and conditions provided important insights as to how this equipment functions under different conditions, as well as the amount of technical know-how that is required to properly administer the vaccine using this device. While the immune response was similar across all temperature conditions, extra precautions are necessary when using this equipment in subzero temperatures. “If the unit was left sitting for an extended period of time, we would have to keep it warm so the vaccine did not freeze in the delivery line,” Rey says. “By carrying the unit in a backpack and running the delivery line along the inside of a jacket sleeve, we were able to avoid any freezing.” Use in the winter also meant

KEY POINTS • Safe strategies for delivering vaccinations are an important link in the food safety chain. • Needle-free injections are common in the pork industry, but not yet commonly used by beef producers. • New research shows NFs can be just as effective for building immunity in vaccinated calves as needlesyringe systems. • Equipment was tested on-farm across a range of temperatures and conditions, providing important insights as to how this equipment functions under different conditions. • Team is seeking funding to expand their research.

Mitch Rey (grad student) with the NFs.

Calves being injected with either the NF or NS system.

changing the type of compressed gas being used to power the injection at the correct pressure level. Part of their work includes sharing their findings with Manitoba beef producers. During this past winter, Kim Ominski, along with Jason Morrison, an assistant professor in biosystems engineering at the University of Manitoba, demonstrated the Pulse 250 NFs at producer meetings in Vita, Plumas and Austin. “Based on our experiences, we recognized the need for handson training for proper operation and maintenance under different conditions of use. These meetings are one way of introducing the concept of needle-free injection systems,” said Ominski. “At the end of each meeting, producers

The labelled needle-free system.

had the opportunity to try the NF system. This generated a lot of interest!” Before this system is ready for wide scale use with cattle in Manitoba, there are still some questions to be answered. One area of uncertainty is potential tissue damage

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at the injection site and how this may impact carcass quality. The research team is currently seeking funding to expand their work with this system to include vaccinating finishing cattle and following vaccinated calves and cattle through to

slaughter to determine if the higher percentage of skin irritations translates to potential carcass impacts. They also intend to develop an operation and maintenance training program to ensure the equipment is used to its full capability.

July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

THE BOTTOM LINE

MANITOBA AUCTIONEERS MAKE A BID FOR NATIONAL BRAGGING RIGHTS

RICK WRIGHT In May 2014, the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) held its annual convention in Regina, Sask., along with the Canadian Livestock auctioneering competition, which was held at the historic auction market in Moosejaw. The market is currently owned by Heartland Livestock Services and the Moosejaw market is the oldest operating livestock market in Canada. Manitoba was well represented at the competition. Tyler Slawinski, from the Gladstone Auction Market; Kolton McIntosh, from Winnipeg Livestock Sales; Robin Hill, from Heartland Virden; Brock Taylor, from Reston, Man.; and Scott Campbell and Allan Munroe, from the Killarney Auction Market, took part in the open competition. This year, the annual Manitoba/Saskatchewan competition was held in conjunction with the LMAC event. A one time new feature was also added this year—16 previous national champions were invited back for a Masters competition. Ward Cutler, who sells for both Heartland in Brandon and Virden, was one of the “best of the best” who returned for the Masters event. In the open competition Manitoba auctioneers

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placed very well with both Tyler Slawinski and Robin Hill qualifying for the top ten second round. Slawinski was the winner of the Manitoba/Saskatchewan Champion buckle, which was sponsored by Merial Canada. Slawinski also received a $1,000 prize from the LMAC. The Manitoba / Saskatchewan competition is open to all livestock auctioneers who sell livestock or who are sponsored by a livestock market in either province, and who have not previously won the event. Robin Hill from Virden had his best showing ever at the Moosejaw market, landing a trip to the second round and finishing ninth overall in the competition. This was Hill’s second time to the national competition. He has been a great supporter and has attended the Manitoba/Saskatchewan competitions many times in the past. Each year there is a “Rookie” competition for auctioneers who have been selling livestock for less than five years. The event is sponsored by the Wright family, in memory of Bob Wright, who was a wellknown auctioneer who sold at the Killarney Auction Market for over 30 years. Bob’s son Warren still sells at this market. This year’s winner was Ryan Hurlburt from Yorkton, Sask.

The runner up was Kolton McIntosh from Eriksdale, Man. The 27 auctioneers from the open competition judged the Masters competition. In this event, Ward Cutler placed a close second to former World Champion Danny Skeels, who is from Vold, Jones & Vold Auction Co. (VJV) in Ponoka, Alta. As usual, Cutler’s smooth rhythm and chant, along with his professional approach on the auction stand, earned him high points from the judges. Dean Edge, from Rimby, Alta., was the third place finisher. The open competition was won by Shawn Gist from VJV Auctions in Dawson Creek, B.C. Reserve Champion auctioneer was Kirk Goldsmith, who sells at the Dry Land Cattle Trading Corp. in Veteran, Alta. Goldsmith also sold in Brandon a number of years ago. Third place went to Rob Bergevin, from Foothills Livestock, in Stavely, Alta. The fourth place buckle went to Waterloo, Ontario’s Calvin Kuepfer. Fifth place overall was awarded to Garth Rogers, who sells at Clyde, Alta. Rogers, a familiar name in Manitoba, is the son of the late Buck Rogers and is the father of last year’s champion, Travis Rogers. The other finalist auctioneers included Robin Hill and Tyler Slawinski from

Manitoba; Farron Ward from Chopper K Auctions in Alameda, Sask.; Frederick Bodnarus from Spiritwood Auction Market in Saskatchewan; and Clayton Hawreluik from Heartland Livestorck Services in Yorkton, Sask. Six judges who represented livestock markets, order buyers, auctioneers and industry professionals from across Canada judged the open competition. Myles Masson, from the Ste. Rose Auction Mart, was selected as Ward Cutler, Heartland. one of the six judges for this year’s competition. The convention drew over 125 market operators, order buyers and auctioneers from B.C. to Quebec. There were presentations and discussion on topics ranging from future livestock prices and fundamentals, government regulations on the traceability file, and new technology available to livestock marketers. At the LMAC business meeting, Scott Anderson, Tyler Slawinski, Gladstone Auction Market. from Winnipeg Livestock Sales, was elected as Vice President. Brock Taylor, from Taylor Auctions, was elected to the board of directors for the first time as a directorat-large. I was also re-elected to the board as a director-atlarge and was appointed as the Executive Secretary of LMAC. Next year’s convention will be held in Manitoba, with a location and date to be confirmed in the near future. Until next time, Rick. Robin Hill, Heartland Virden.

RICK WRIGHT SELECTED AS THE 2014 INDUCTEE TO THE LIVESTOCK MARKETER’S HALL OF FAME

Manitoba Beef Producers would like to congratulate long-time Cattle Country columnist, Rick Wright, who was recently selected by the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) as the 2014 inductee to the Livestock Marketer’s Hall of Fame. Wright, whose name is synonymous with the livestock marketing industry in Manitoba, was nominated for this national award by Manitoba Livestock Marketing Association members Brock Taylor from Reston and Scott Anderson of Winnipeg. Wright was recognized for his work on improving the livestock marketing industry on both the provincial and national levels. He has been on the LMAC board of directors for over 25 years, and served as LMAC president from 1996 to 1998. In February of this year he was appointed to the position of Executive Secretary for the LMAC and was re-elected as a director-at-large at this year’s annual meeting. Wright has been the marketing industry’s representative on the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency for the past eight years. He was also the chair of a two-year, $2 million auction mart research project on traceability. He led an industry delegation to Australia to research and to assess the Australian traceability system and its possible use in Canada. He currently chairs the CCIA enforcement and compliance committee that works with CFIA on industry related issues. Wright also sits on a number of committees, including the Cattle Implementation Committee, Cattle Movement Reporting Committee, as well as committees that deal with Humane Livestock Handling, Transportation and Market Development. Provincially, Wright has been the driving force behind the Manitoba Livestock Marketing Association for nearly 30 years. He served as President for over 10 years and is currently the Administrator of the Provincial Association. Mike Fleury, LMAC Hall of Fame chairman from Saskatoon, said, “Wright has dedicated his life to the promotion of the livestock marketing and production industry. He is certainly a deserving inductee.”

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LMAC President Ken Perlich presents Rick Wright with his award.

10 CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

FROM THE DESK OF THE BOVINE TB CO-ORDINATOR KEY POINTS

The 2013-14 Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) Management Plan is essentially complete and the results are very encouraging. The plan included an ambitious list of 25 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and I am pleased to report that 19 have already been achieved. There is indeed light at the end of this “TB tunnel” and collectively we have made considerable progress. Yet while an end point is in sight, hold your applause—it is still a few years off. The program goals continue to focus on the plan’s long term vision of: 1. Maintaining TB free status in domestic livestock; 2. Reducing the prevalence of TB in wildlife to undetectable levels; 3. Reducing surveillance programs in both wild and domestic herds to maintenance levels; 4. Minimizing wildlife-livestock interactions in the Riding Mountain region; and 5. Maintaining a sustainable elk and deer population in the ecosystem. Looking at the surveillance results for the past

• The 2013-14 TB Management Plan included 25 Key Performance Indicators; 19 of which have already been achieved.

season, the domestic livestock component is essentially complete. However, delays due to scheduling, weather and muddy yards did extend the testing well past May 1. No new TB cases were found, thus confirming the TB free status of Manitoba; a status we have had since 2006. The last positive case in a domestic herd was detected in 2008. The overall reaction rate on the caudal fold test (CFT) was consistent at about four per cent. Cattle showing a CFT reaction were subjected to the Bovigam test; five of these showed a suspicious result, were slaughtered and tested further, with negative results. This is very good news that will help support bullet number three—a future reduction in the level of maintenance surveillance required as we move into 2014-15. On the wildlife side, 135 white tailed deer were sampled and all were negative, and 102 elk were tested with one mature cow testing positive. This finding, while perhaps a little disappointing, was

• No new TB cases were found during testing; confirming Manitoba’s current TB free status. • New funds will help develop a sciencebased surveillance program; improve data collection; further ongoing research for a validated blood test for elk; and more.

not a surprise. This elk cow was born in 2003, at a time when TB was circulating more aggressively in the wildlife population. It was anticipated that a few elk in this older age group may still be harbouring TB and may still be alive in the core area of the park. This particular case of TB has little impact on the overall TB management plan because the animal was captured deep in the core area, with very limited potential for interaction

ANNUAL FORUM 2014

with any cattle herds, therefore posing little risk to the domestic herd. In addition to the annual Bovine Tuberculosis Management Plan budget of approximately $2 million, an additional $450,000 is being invested by Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, in support of TB-related initiatives over the next four years. These funds, administered by Manitoba Beef Producers, will focus on new and innovative surveillance, testing and management approaches, including: • A leading edge, science-based approach to ongoing surveillance that is internationally accepted; • Research projects to refine the Scenario Tree Models (STM); • Improving the data collection by tracking livestock born in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area through to slaughter, and incorporating that data into the STM; • Producer support for on farm risk assessments, risk mitigation, premise identification and traceability;

• New mitigation techniques, such as 3D fences, that will significantly reduce fencing costs; • Ongoing habitat improvement within Riding Mountain National Park; • A validated blood test for elk; and • Ongoing research into alternative TB testing regimens for domestic livestock. At the start of this update I mentioned six KPIs that were not achieved. We will be working with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) to encourage engagement of the national association in managing the TB file. In particular, we will ask CCA to discuss the issue with their counterpart in the United States, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The goal is to have both CCA and NCBA lobby the U.S. Department of Agriculture to recognize Canada’s TB free status, and to lobby for the bringing forward of the long-anticipated Proposed Rule on Bovine Brucellosis and Tuberculosis in 2015. We will also be working with our First Nation partners to enhance their

participation in the wild cervid hunter killed surveillance program. Finally, we will continue the necessary work on the domestic livestock STM, the on farm risk assessment program, and the land use model—all with the intent of being more selective and more focused on domestic livestock surveillance, targeted at those herds that are at the highest risk of potential disease exposure. The 2014-15 Bovine Tuberculosis Management Plan is currently being developed. I believe the one positive elk finding will, in all likelihood, result in additional capture/testing/collaring/release of cow elk in the core area, along with the continued hunter killed surveillance program. At the same time, we certainly hope to see continued growth in the elk population in the Riding Mountain National park area, along with resurgence in the white tail deer population. For more information contact Dr. Allan Preston at (204) 764-7015, prestonstockfarms@outlook. com or at akpreston@ mtsm.blackberry.com.

Canada Beef Inc.

A BEEF I AD

Annual Forum 2014

C. N

CA N

DR. ALLAN PRESTON

The Power of the Brand - Building Loyal Partnerships

You’re Invited! September 18 - 19, 2014

Join Canada Beef Inc.’s Board of Directors, staff and industry partners as we discuss the importance of having, building and maintaining loyal partnerships in today’s marketplace. At the Annual Forum you will hear from our board, marketing team, partners and others on many topics including:

• • •

Canadian Beef Brand Mark: what does it represent? Industry panel: the value of engaging in strong partnerships. What is on the horizon for the Canadian beef industry?

We welcome recommendations for individuals to stand as voting delegates for the business meeting.

Thursday, September 18 A full day of presentations and information sessions, followed by a special dinner.

Please submit by August 15, 2014 for

Friday, September 19 The business meeting including a review of the company’s performance and election of the new Board.

committee to: tfraser@canadabeef.ca

The Annual Forum is open to everyone. We hope you will join us. Thursday and Friday, September 18 and 19, 2014 International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON Visit http://bit.ly/cbiforum14 for more information, including registration and accommodations

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consideration by the governance

July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

SUMMER: A GREAT TIME FOR A MID-YEAR REVIEW AN AGENDA TEMPLATE

TERRY BETKER

Another meeting? Producers will protest, fairly, that they already have too much to do. But, another meeting is exactly what I am suggesting. The summer is a great time to step back Farm Family Business from the urgency of producJuly 15, 2014 tion and spend some time 1. Opening comments and agenda approval reviewing where things are 2. Review notes of the last meeting at. Think of it as a state-of3. Operations the-union but presented in o Report on operations related issues and the form of a meeting. Middevelopment July is more or less half way 4. Marketing through the calendar year o Year-to-date market position and adjustments and farmers will have a beto Market influences ter idea of where things are i. Canadian and global supply and demand financially and in terms of ii. Canadian and global developments production. market position, factor- will encourage farm families 5. Finance KEY POINTS Here are some suggesing in revised production to re-focus. A pause from o Year-to-date report tions on how to make such projections. Canadian and working “in the business” • Mid-July is a great o Actual to budget cash flow time to review where an exercise more productive. global supply and de- and shifting attention to o Projected year-end profit things are at...but The meeting should: mand. Market develop- working “on the business.” o Capital budget review go into the meeting 1. Have an agenda (an exSecondly, it will encourage 6. Risk and opportunity ments. with a plan. ample follows) with a 3. Finance: A year-to-date communication, which is o Opportunities date and location set. The i. Review from previous meeting report. Actual to budget so important in owning and • Have an agenda meeting should include ii. New potential comparisons for cash managing family businesses. and distribute it in an operations report o Risks flow (liquidity analysis) Third, it may result in midadvance. i. Review from previous meeting but it is not an operaand expected year-end year adjustments that im• Cover topics such ii. New potential tions meeting. The focus profit. Review and adjust prove year-end outcomes. as operations, 7. Family and business should be on ownership capital acquisition plans marketing, o Family events and information and management related Terry Betker is a farm in view of the year-tofinances, risks and o Business impact on family matters. Agendas should date financial and pro- management consultant with opportunities, and o Farm succession Backswath Management Inc. be circulated in advance. duction picture. family business like 8. Other items 2. Include shareholders 4. Risk and opportunity: He can be reached at 204succession planning. 9. Adjourn and/or stakeholders— What opportunities have 782-8200 or at terry.betker@ people with a vested inarisen and/or could be backswath.com. terest in the family busipursued? What risks— ness. Family who cannot both internal and exterphysically be present can nal—have arisen or may join in via conference call develop? What can be or Skype. They should done to capitalize on ophave the relevant materiportunities and mitigate als as well. risks? 3. Be held off-site where in- 5. Family and business: terruptions can be mana. The opportunity to SUBMITTED aged. I do not think cell discuss key family phones should be turned events and related imoff. Workers will need acportant information. cess to management. b. The opportunity to 4. Be held annually. Notes discuss business relatshould be kept and dised matters in the context of their potential tributed to participants impact on family. after the meeting. Agenc. Farm succession. Havdas and notes should be ing this topic on the kept in a binder in the ofagenda each year, fice for review and refereven if the farm famence. ily members are 35 5. Be chaired and follow a years old, will help to general business meetentrench succession ing function. There can into ongoing farm be movers and seconders, planning and manbut generally consensusagement discussions. based decisions are good The 2013 participants. There will be more enough. Get set for the 7th Annual 2014 goal of meeting new friends and • New Round-Up Agri Chalfocus here if succesAgenda items and Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up learning about the livestock inlenge; sion is imminent (in description (MYBR). Join in the fun from Au- dustry. • Chance to be on the MYBR the next five to seven 1. Operations: An update gust 1 to 3, in Neepawa, Man. Any young cattle producers Agribition Judging Team; years). on related activities. 6. The Round-Up is an all breeds under the age of 25 years of age • MYBR Scholarship; and Other: Agenda items What has worked well junior event offering the oppor- (shorthorn participants must be • NEW for 2014 - Grand Aggrespecific to the farm famand what has not. Be sure tunity to participate in the cattle under the age of 21) as of January gate Awards! ily. Ideally, any additional to record suggestions for show, marketing, showmanship, 1, 2014 are invited to participate. For more information, visit items should be included changes for next year. grooming, sales talk, quiz bowl Whether you are a commercial ju- www.facebook.com/ManitobaYon the circulated agenda Yield prospects. Comand other competitions. nior, purebred junior, 4-H junior outhBeefRoundUp or contact so there are no surprises parisons to original proThis educational and fun or new junior, you are welcome to Chairperson Lois McRae at 204and so people can conjections. Five-year averweekend is a unique opportu- attend! 728-3058. sider the item in advance ages. nity to participate with juniors Features include: Manitoba Beef Producers is a of the meeting. 2. Marketing: An update on from other breeds and parts of • Hosting the 2014 Canadian Ju- proud sponsor of the Manitoba There are three real benrelated activities. Chang- efits to a mid-year review. Manitoba and Canada—with the nior Shorthorn National Show; Youth Beef Round-Up. es in and adjustments to First, a structured meeting

MANITOBA YOUTH BEEF ROUND-UP

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12 CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES UPDATE MAUREEN COUSINS Changes to provincial pesticide laws, amendments to Manitoba’s Animal Diseases Act, consultations on proposed outlets on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, and the rollout of a National Conservation Plan are just a few government-related issues Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has been examining in recent weeks.

Pesticide ban legislation

Bill 55, The Environment Amendment Act (Reducing Pesticide Exposure), is working its way through the Manitoba Legislature. It was introduced April 22, 2014 by Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister, Gord Mackintosh. If passed, the bill will prohibit the use of prescribed classes or types of pesticides on lawns and on the grounds of schools, hospitals and child care centres, with some exceptions. Use of prescribed pesticides will be allowed in agriculture. The province has said synthetic products will also be allowed to manage high-risk noxious weeds and poisonous or invasive species. On May 26, MBP made a submission on Bill 55 when it was before the Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs for public input. MBP cited the serious economic consequences the beef industry could sustain if noxious weeds and invasive species are allowed to spread. For example, leafy spurge has exacted a heavy toll on agricultural production. A 2010 study by the

Leafy Spurge Stakeholders Group found there were 1.2 million acres of the weed in Manitoba with a total financial impact of $40.2 million. Moreover, MBP pointed out the health risks that certain weeds like leafy spurge can pose to cattle. MBP also noted biosecurity concerns if noxious weeds and invasive species flourish. MBP reiterated the need for a science-based approach when making legislation, as well as the risks of unintended consequences arising from legislation and regulations like Bill 55. The legislation will come into effect at a date to be fixed by government proclamation. Bill 55 can be seen at http://web2.gov.mb.ca/ bills/40-3/b055e.php.

Animal Diseases Amendment Act

On May 13, Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn introduced Bill 71, The Animal Diseases Amendment Act. Bill 71 proposes a number of changes, including clarifying the meaning of “disease”; allowing for the creation of a system for reporting hazards that could threaten animal health or public health; and modifying the reportable diseases system. Another amendment deals with animal health surveillance and would allow the province to conduct ongoing surveillance to gain an overall understanding of the health of animal populations; to anticipate and plan for animal health needs and threats to animal health or

threats to public health from KEY POINTS disease in animals; and to produce animal health ad- • If Bill 55 is passed, visories, reports and other the use of prescribed notices. classes of pesticides MBP is seeking clarion lawns, and on fication about how the school/hospital proposed animal health grounds will be surveillance system would prohibited. They will work and how any potential still be allowed for impacts on producers would use in agriculture. be mitigated. • MBP is seeking Further, the legislation clarification on Bill would give the Minister 71, particularly on power to set out regulations the proposed animal designating areas of the health surveillance province as disease prevensystem. tion, management or control areas. MBP is seeking more • The environmental assessment for details on this and other elethe proposed St. ments of the bill. Vital Transmission At press time, it was exComplex has been pected that Bill 71 would submitted. A map not pass before the Legisof the location is lature rises for the summer, available online. but rather will continue to work through the legislative process in the months and downstream water level ahead. management. As a result, Outlet consultations accumulated water takes a On June 18, MBP at- significant amount of time tended an open house in to recede, unnecessarily creAshern to discuss the Lake ating and preserving flood Manitoba and Lake St. Mar- conditions. Our industry tin outlet channels concep- simply cannot afford a repeat of the 2011 flood. tual design study. This work is being undertaken as part of studies the National Manitoba government is Conservation Plan doing on the Assiniboine The federal government River and Lake Manitoba announced its National watersheds to try to provide Conservation Plan on May greater flood protection. 15. Key elements focus on MBP continues to seek conserving lands and watimprovements to the way ers, restoring ecosystems water is being managed and connecting Canadians on Lake Manitoba, Lake to nature. It includes $252 St. Martin and other areas. million in funding to be MBP has long maintained rolled out largely over five that lake outflows need to years. match inflows. Existing For example, $100 milinfrastructure and control lion is being allocated to structures do not allow for the Nature Conservancy of the appropriate upstream Canada to secure ecologic-

SUBMITTED In co-operation with the Manitoba Livestock Predation Protection Working Group, Melanie Dubois of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has developed a tool to assess risk of livestock predation. Dubois is looking to work with livestock producers who have ongoing issues with predator losses to test the tool. The intent of the project is to identify risk factors that may expose an operation to predation, then try to mitigate for those specific risks pro-actively.

The tool itself assesses multiple factors such as aspects of the livestock operation, local predator populations, wildlife habitat availability of the surrounding area, historic predation, landscape features, among others. The assessment would be done using air photos or satellite images, interviews, on the ground vegetation assessments, trail cams where predator movements are hard to identify, and possibly direct observations done by Dubois in the field using a blind and a predator caller.

SHAWN MCCREADY

WESTMAN BEEF PRODUCERS NEEDED FOR LIVESTOCK PREDATION INITIATIVE

ally sensitive lands, $50 million is to restore wetlands, and $50 million is to support voluntary actions to restore and conserve species and their habitats. The cattle industry provides substantial environmental benefits, especially in terms of protecting grasslands and wetlands, and preserving habitat for a broad array of plants and species. MBP is awaiting full program details to learn how cattle producers may benefit from the plan. MBP would like to see producers recognized for the value of ecological goods and services they provide to society and will continue to reinforce this message with governments.

St. Vital Transmission Complex update

The Environmental Assessment Report for Manitoba Hydro’s proposed St. Vital Transmission Complex has been submitted to Manitoba Conservation

and Water Stewardship for review. This project involves the construction of two 230-kilovolt transmission lines originating at the St. Vital Station in southeastern Winnipeg. One line will run south to the Letellier Station and the other will run to the La Verendrye Station. During the initial project consultations MBP raised concerns in areas such as the potential effects on agricultural production, biosecurity issues and the need for compensation for farms affected by line placement. Manitoba Hydro’s environmental assessment report and a map of the location of the final preferred route are available at www. hydro.mb.ca/stvital. Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship will be holding a future public review where the public can provide additional feedback. For more information, visit the aforementioned website or call 1-877-343-1631.

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS IS YOUR VOICE AS A BEEF PRODUCER We are beef producers working to help ensure a sustainable future for the beef industry in Manitoba for the benefit of all beef producers.

WHAT DOES MBP DO FOR PRODUCERS? 3 We ADVOCATE for beef producers on provincial and federal issues. 3 We PROVIDE a forum for discussion and the development of policies to benefit producers. 3 We FUND numerous research projects and work with research partners to meet our needs in the cattle industry. 3 We SUPPORT members with information on government policy and developments in research

All information collected is 100 per cent confidential and will be provided only to the co-operating producer. When it is used in the research project, all identifying markers will be obscured. If you are a beef producer who has ongoing

predation problems with coyotes in the Westman area, who is interested in participating in a three-year pilot project, please contact Melanie Dubois at 204-578-6646 or melanie.dubois@agr. gc.ca.

www.mbbeef.ca

and production to maximize profitability. 3 We COMMUNICATE with the media and public to highlight issues and promote beef.

Join now! Learn more at www.mbbeef.ca or call toll free: 800-772-0458.

July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A FARMER

KEY POINTS • In 2013, FCC reported that the national increase in farmland value in Canada was 22.1 per cent; with Saskatchewan at 28.5 per cent and Manitoba at 25.6 per cent. • Manitoba agriculture second only to manufacturing in terms of GDP. • The average farms size in Manitoba has increased to 1,135 acres. • However, Canadians continue to source 30 per cent of their diet from imported foods. These small farms also use modern technology and innovation for further value adding, and are often social media savvy. Big farms are family farms too. Ninety eight per cent of Canadian farms are family farms so there is great intergenerational interest in science and technology, innovation and marketing power for the larger farm. The size of an average farm in Manitoba has increased to 1,135 acres. Manitoba and all Canadian farmers are savvy and open minded about using the benefits of research to enhance their production. These farms often contribute to commodity export, but that is changing now too with farmers investing in further processing and owning part of the food production pie. This is good news for Canada as we need to fill in the food trade deficit as the last outstanding line in an otherwise page turner of a story. We know that our marketing infrastructure is broken but that can be fixed. We know that we have a processed food deficit but many farms and firms are engaged in closing that gap now. More importantly, we know we have great land and lots of it, tremendous talent in our people, great consumers, access to science and technology, a license to export and an unlimited global client base. Life is good. The enthusiasm for agriculture that I have seen

Farmers wisely look at the low interest rates and determine that with a growing global population, the need for agricultural products will increase. worldwide, even in the poorest of countries, is just starting to germinate in Canada. What I have heard is farmers repeatedly expressing their importance to society. They have a direct thought line from the crop in the field to the food on the table. Farmers create wealth for a nation. You and I are

farmers, we are important and we are working towards the greater good of Canadian society. This is our story and it is worth telling! Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively, exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe

and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor, she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted through her website, www. brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

JULY 2014

Foreign Worker Program Changes Page 3

THE VALUE OF VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION

Connecting Youth to Your Farms Page 7

or water, Quebec and At- medicated feed She called it significant Ontario, vaccines, antibiotics or other KEY POINTS that a major restaurant chain lantic Canada. Producers must Producers may sign up medication. is starting to demand promedications • Stating in 2016, voluntary program keep records of duction standards for beef, for the McDonald’s will only a workshop and the way they were given A promise by one of the much as other food busi- after attending subcupurchase verified protocols. Betty (e.g. intramuscular, world’s largest fast food nesses have already done for on VBP water). or feed taneous, sustainable beef. proVBP sustainonly buy Green, Manitoba’s chains to pork and poultry. Green says this is genersaid able beef could accelerate • The company plans on “I think programs like vincial co-ordinator additional of mid-May, 2,513 ally not a lot of Canada’s Verified Beef Proconsulting with the verified beef are going to be that, as medicahad been trained work because duction program. industry on how to critical because, as consum- producers tions are often given to all Promising Vaccination The McDonald’s Corpodefine sustainable beef. ers and the public become and were working toward at one time (e.g. Technology Could animals 400 Another certification. ration recently announced further detached from farm one Eliminate Needles • Canada’s Verified Beef on-farm audits vaccination), so only that, starting in 2016, it will life, they need to have some have passed Treating Page 8 Production program now fully registered record is needed. begin purchasing “verified sort of verification for what and are already educates animals individually (foot sustainable beef ” for its our practices are and how VBP producers. requires producers about Green, who raises cattle rot, for example) iconic hamburgers. practices that influence we produce our product.” near Fisher separate records. However, McDonald’s says it will This is where the Verified with her family food safety. not difficult says much of VBP recording it is consult with the industry Beef Production (VBP) pro- Branch, now wear cattle all because producers sustainable Becoming certified most • what on defining gram, Canada’s national on- covers now will ensure doing on their some form of identification beef and establishing critefarm food safety program for are already a unique number. producers are ahead farms. Only now they are of- tag with ria for producing it. Then it beef cattle, comes in. VBP also requires profor it. of the game when will develop targets for purLike similar food safety ficially recognized record chemicals McDonald’s and other “This has not added an ducers to chasing verified sustainable programs for dairy, pork, and hermajor food chains, amount of work (such as fertilizer beef for its restaurants. chicken and other com- enormous require sustainable ” says Green. bicides) applied on pastures On its website, McDonmodities, VBP provides for producers, land. Green says grazing or satthe beef. they have ald’s promises to “listen, standard operating pro- “And now already of knowing they many producers learn and collaborate with cedures (SOPs) for man- isfaction keep records of chemicals stakeholders from farm to that are are registered verified beef said McDonald’s is agement practices sprayed on cropland, which ” producers. the front counter to develop manager, elimior if an animal gets the right approach by aimed at reducing VBP requires producers means that sustainable beef solutions.” taking risks on a grazes in a wheat with the industry nating food safety The company admits consulting to keep records of practices out and notwhat verifiable sus- beef cattle operation. food safety field, this can easily be there is not a universal about are verified through that influence SOPs going before is beef well. as farms. There are ed definition of sustainable tainable a third-party audit, thus cer- on their it. chemical, beef. Even so, it has al- ahead with operation under three areas of risk: “Will buyers demand it tifying the Physical physical and biological. ready started to draft prinI do not think the VBP program. Producers must record ciples and practices for right away? VBP is a trademarked before we put some physical objects that enproducing sustainable beef they can program that is owned by Chemical susanimal an what of around body the ter framework Any chemical substance through its Global Roundtruly means. That the Canadian Cattlemen’s remain there. Broken table for Sustainable Beef, tainability with given to an animal that and a lot of anxiety Association (CCA), affect food needles and wire fraga multi-stakeholder group word causes co-ordinators in could potentially are prime examples. in the industry because it is regional quality is considered a food ments launched in 2011. we need to de- Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Continued on page 2 risk. This includes Melinda German, Mani- so broad and Alberta, British Columbia, safety German said. toba Beef Producers general fine it,”

The next issue of Cattle Country will be out in September. Don’t miss your chance to showcase your products and services in this issue! Contact the MBP office for more information.

RON FRIESEN

www.mbbeef.ca

COPIES TO: POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE MAIL PRODUCT SALES MB R2X 2W3 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MBP, 154 PARAMOUNT ROAD, WINNIPEG, PAID IN WINNIPEG. AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE

There is a lot of excitement in Canadian agriculture today. From the tremendous increase in farmland values to food processing, Canada is a country that has it all! It is true that in all my travels, I have never met a person who did not want to live, farm, visit or be educated in Canada. The ultimate destination, we are considered one of the five bread baskets of the world. What makes up the fantastic business we call agriculture and what drives it? Our vast landscape may be seen as a bit of a handicap to us but it looks like a world of opportunity to foreign investors. As crop and livestock receipts strengthen, domestic interest in land is also fueled and that creates a competitive situation. Farmers wisely look at the low interest rates and determine that with a growing global population, the need for agricultural products will increase. This is also true for grasslands as the value of the carbon sequestration is part of the price. In 2013, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) reported that the national increase in farmland value in Canada was 22.1 per cent and the drivers in that increase was the Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan at 28.5 per cent and Manitoba at 25.6 per cent. I am not surprised as both domestic and foreign backed investors love the opportunity presented with a perceived virtually untapped resource. As a resident of Manitoba or Saskatchewan you may feel a little crowded but the truth is that you have more opportunity than any space left on earth. In Manitoba, agriculture is at the top of its game. Agriculture is second only to manufacturing in terms of GDP. Agriculture presents its share to the nine per cent of GDP and processed foods contribute to 35 per cent of all export shipments. Food and commodity products are primarily shipped to Japan, the United States, China, Mexico, Hong Kong, Russia, South Korea,

Germany, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, but a staggering 115 countries buy agri-food products from Manitoba. Although primary farming nationally is 1.7 per cent of GDP, Canadian farmers are backed by a food processing industry that uses 40 per cent of primary product and is the leading sector in terms of employment and GDP—greater than auto manufacturing! Food companies come to Canada, often settling in Quebec, to take advantage of our corporate system of taxation and they contribute to our trade. Canada is the sixth largest importer and exporter of food in the world, sending more than $40 billion of food product out the door each year. Yet, Canadians continue to source 30 per cent of their diet from imported foods. Our domestic wealth allows for Canadians to consume what they want and that is usually more than 3,300 calories per day each, or $181 billion per year collectively on food, drink and cigarettes. This is still less than 10 per cent of disposable income so the domestic market, although rich with calories, has room to grow. This growth is hampered by age and single resident households. On the flip side, the diversity within the country presents a great opportunity for stretching outside of traditional crops. This is particularly evident in Ontario, where ethnic diversity drives crop decisions. Ethnic demand and investment also contributed to Ontario farmland values, which increased by 15.9 per cent in 2013. Consumer demand comes from several camps. Farmers in Canada have responded and should be respectfully treated equally. A good part of farming is going back to the small farm model and basic production practises to capture the niche markets that exist. These farms are strong on relationships and are in the face of the consumer. They are often owned by young farmers or those in their fifties who are coming to the farm as a second career.

JEANNETTE GREAVES

BRENDA SCHOEPP

204-772-4542 ereimer@mbbeef.ca

14 CATTLE COUNTRY July 2014

DIRECTOR PROFILE CHERYL MCPHERSON, DISTRICT 3 MBP STAFF MBP Director Cheryl McPherson is a fourthgeneration producer who is passionate about producing healthy food in a sustainable way. McPherson grew up on a cattle farm near Osborne, Man., and now owns Cherway Limousin, located just outside of Sanford on the homestead where her husband, Wayne, was raised. The farm is a family owned and run purebred Limousin cow-calf operation and includes a custom freezer beef program. One of McPherson’s reasons for becoming MBP’s district 3 director was to broaden her knowledge about the beef industry and contribute to other producers’ success. “I just want to be able to help wherever I can. I want young farmers to have a chance to be a part of the industry because it is not always easy to become a beef producer,” said McPherson. A piece of advice she would offer a young or beginning producer is to be true to themselves. McPherson says that means if beef production is their career choice, do it with passion. Make the decision to commit to growing your operation and embrace your strengths, learn from and build on your weaknesses, and enjoy the lifestyle and successes along the way. If you can’t raise cattle with the objective of being true to yourself, find something else you are passionate about. McPherson attended her first MBP annual meeting

“I’m focused on the environment and producing safe beef for people to consume. I work to leave the land in the same, or better condition than before I took it over.” back in 2002. Her first impression of MBP was that she felt good to know beef producers can speak with one voice and be represented on important issues. She encourages her fellow producers to get involved, in order to get their messages across to governments and the public, to contribute to policy decisions and promote consumer awareness. “I hope producers will attend their district and annual meetings to connect with their director, to raise issues that affect their operations and to hear about what MBP is doing on their behalf,” said McPherson. “I also hope producers do not confuse MBP with other organizations. MBP is actually out there working for the producers’ benefit; we are a grassroots beef producer board, not a government entity.” Some of the policy and activity areas McPherson is interested in are environment and consumer awareness. “I’m focused on the environment and producing safe beef for people to consume. I work to leave the

land in the same, or better condition than before I took it over.” A major sustainability project she has worked on for her operation involves using farm yard run-off to irrigate the corn field their cattle graze. As a result, they are not releasing any pollutants into the municipal water system, but instead using the run-off to benefit crop production. From a consumer awareness standpoint, McPherson would like people to know where their beef is coming from, how it is produced and the safe handling practices that are used to get it from farm gate to their plate, both for the well-being of the producer and animals. “When they go to the grocery store I would like them to be aware that some of the beef that they may believe is low-cost may not have been produced to the same standards as our Manitoba beef has been produced,” said McPherson. She also wants consumers to know that Manitoba producers provide safe, high quality beef and she

encourages them to buy local. When asked what she likes best about her work lifestyle, McPherson says that she likes that she can choose her own destiny, because as a cow-calf producer, you can select and breed the genetics. She raises breeding stock, which allows her to meet the buyers, and view their herds and management practices. “With our purebred operation, the buyers can see themselves advancing their herds each year,” she said. “When they come back, they tell us how our genetics are changing their herds and making them more productive. That is rewarding.” She says, for the freezer beef operation, it is also rewarding to sell beef to people who want it from her farm, not a grocery store, year after year. In the future, McPherson would like to work on expanding the freezer beef program. “Our thoughts when we buy genetics are that we are concerned with the ribeye area, dressing percentages, and animals that will yield

the most meat on a person’s plate. We have all of that in mind right through until the beef is harvested.” McPherson has a passion and talent for editing and designing and she is the editor for the Manitoba Limousin Association and Manitoba Charolais Association newsletters. In her free time she likes to spend time with family and friends, and she stays involved in the community, serving as a volunteer on the Dufferin Agricultural Society fair

CATTLE TALES AT THE EX Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) connected with thousands of consumers at the Red River Exhibition at our Cattle Tales Exhibit in Touch the Farm. Karen Emilson, MBP Tradeshow Spokesperson, along with MBP directors and staff, made meaningful connections with the public—from children to seniors. MBP was proud to have Canadian Angus Association intern, Katie Olynyk, as one of our Cattle Tales hosts. Thank you to Katie and the association for partnering with us. Thank you to Dianne Riding, District 9 Director, for also being a Cattle Tales host. Special thanks to Karen Emilson and Harold Unrau (Grunthal Auction Mart) for providing and caring for their two cow-calf pairs for the exhibit again this year.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR GENEROUS CATTLE TALES PARTNERS: Red River Exhibition www.redriverex.com Steve’s Livestock Transport Provider of the cattle liner www.slt.ca Superior Technologies Provider of the cattle scale www.superiortech.com

Weiller & Williams Livestock Products Provider of the cattle waterer www.wwlivestockproducts.com Masterfeeds Provider of the cattle feed www.masterfeeds.com

Lakeland Group Provider of the squeeze chute and cattle feeder www.lakelandgroup.net

www.mbbeef.ca

board. She enjoys helping get the program together and promoting the fair, cattle shows, stock dogs and more. If you live in district 3, you can meet Cheryl McPherson at your upcoming district meeting this fall. Check out her website at www.cherwaylimousin.ca. Food Fact: Cheryl’s favourite way to eat beef is to barbeque one of her own ribeye steaks while enjoying a nice glass of wine with friends and family.

July 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

THE QUALITY OF CANADIAN BEEF CARCASSES IS CHANGING TRACY SAKATCH, BEEF CATTLE RESEARCH COUNCIL We know that not every animal coming through the packers’ doors is ideal. Some cattle will have horns that need to be cut off, or extra mud on the hide that slows down the processing line. Some carcasses will have too much fat cover, will be bruised, or will have lesions where injections were given—all of which require manual trimming. The more work needed to prepare a carcass for the cooler, the less valuable it is. Imagine if we knew how often each of the various carcass defects occurred and how costly each of them is. With that information, we, as an industry, could work to reduce these defects, starting with the highest priority. We could also check, over time, to see if those efforts were working. That is what the National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) does. The NBQA is a study led by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), and is funded primarily by the National Check-off and Canada’s Beef Science Cluster. It periodically measures the quality of Canadian beef by looking at random carcasses from all classes of cattle in eastern and western Canadian packing plant coolers to measure

the incidence and severity of defects. The economic impact or the cost to the industry of each is estimated. The NBQA also asks consumers about their eating satisfaction of various beef cuts. The results allow us to see where the Canadian beef industry is making improvements on carcass quality and where we need to focus our efforts next. The NBQA was first undertaken in 1995 and provided a benchmark against which future audits were measured. Subsequent audits were conducted in 1999 and 2011. Another is currently underway, with results expected in 2018. The results of the latest audit show that significant improvements have been made in a number of areas. The 1999 audit found that 50 per cent of fed cattle carcasses had one or more bruise. That dropped to 34 per cent by 2011. The severity of bruising in fed cattle remained consistent: 72 per cent of bruises were minor, which means about 0.66 pounds of trim was required; 24 per cent of bruises were major and required approximately 1.5 pounds of trim; and 3.8 per cent were critical, resulting in over 3.2 pounds of trim. The industry lost $2.10/head, or $6.7 million

total (fed and non-fed combined), due to bruises on carcasses in 2011. Bruises can be prevented or minimized by using non-slip flooring in all cattle handling areas and transport trailers, by ensuring smooth surfaces on all handling equipment, and by working cattle calmly and quietly. Remember that temperament is heritable, so it is best to cull wild cows and their daughters, and to dehorn animals early. The incidence of horns has also decreased. In 1999, 70 per cent of fed cattle had no horns; that improved to 88 per cent in 2011. Horns cause economic losses from bruising, head condemnations and extra labor in the packing plant, which can be prevented through the use of polled bulls in breeding programs or by properly dehorning cattle at an early age. Fed cattle with one or more brands decreased from 25 to nine per cent, and multiple brands were observed on less than 0.1 per cent of fed cattle in the latest audit, which is down from more than eight per cent in 1999. Hide damage from brands accounted for a loss $2.8 million total (fed and non-fed combined) to the industry in 2011. Among other carcass quality improvements is consumer satisfaction. Measures

The Countdown Begins

22.08.14

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS DAY

of juiciness, tenderness and flavour each improved eight to 12 per cent. One area the industry is losing ground on is liver defects. The 1999 audit found that 76 per cent of livers in fed cattle were suitable for human consumption. That dropped to 69 per cent in 2011, and is estimated to have cost the industry $30 million that year. Research is currently underway to better understand and prevent liver defects. Feedlot operators are encouraged to work with a generalized nutritionalist to develop good feed management and ration change practices that prevent grain overload. The BCRC recently released an engaging six minute video about the NBQA. In it you will hear the perspectives of a few of the leaders in our industry, including one of the major packers. Find the video and much more information on Canadian beef carcass quality, including tips to prevent defects, at www. beefresearch.ca/NBQA. Tracy Sakatch is the Beef Extension Co-ordinator with the Beef Cattle Research Council.

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to watch the video now.

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THE SECRET TO VITALITY IS IN MANITOBA’S TRANS CANADA TRAILS ADRIANA BARROS, PHEC. They say the recipe to longevity is eating nutritious whole foods, paired with exercise and laughter. Personally, I am confident about the foods I eat and the great company I keep ensures my spirits are lifted; however, I could use a push with exercising regularly. And I fear I am not the only one playing hooky. Going to the gym during the summer months is a struggle for many. During the few warm months we have in the year, I enjoy getting outside for my regular exercise. Hiking trails can be found all over Manitoba and can be enjoyed at any age. You are in control of your pace and you can determine how challenging you make your walk, run or bicycle ride. In this article I will talk about the different Trans Canada Trail locations available in our province, along with great trail side snacks you can pack and bring along with you for the hike.

of the few features on our province’s landscape that predates the lost glacier. In a south eastern direction, the Assiniboine Delta & Pembina Hills Trail ends with shale cliffs, wildflowers and dramatic views of the Red River Valley. This is a wonderful backdrop to enjoy a trail picnic lunch—mini meatloaves are a great handheld option.

Tall Grass Prairie

There are a number of hiking trails available in southern Manitoba. The Altona/Rhineland/Gretna Trail is 76 kilometres and

travels as far south as the Emerson border. The Crow Wing Trail is 191 kilometres long and, initially established in the 1800s, offers varied multicultural areas of this region. There is also the historic St. Norbert Heritage Trail that spans just over 30 kilometres and is designed for walking, cross-country skiing, cycling or canoeing. Enjoy an active afternoon exploring the trails and try fishing leisurely off the riverbank.

an excuse for not moving! The trail is 81 kilometres and it spans all areas of the city following the Red, Assiniboine and Seine Rivers. The Winnipeg trails were designed for walkers, runners, cyclists and rollerbladers; any activity you choose is nearby, even cooling off on the surface of the rivers with an afternoon canoe ride.

Border to Beaches Trail

Border to Beaches is comprised of six trails Winnipeg & Red throughout northeastern River North Trail Manitoba covering the The Winnipeg trail, beautiful Whiteshell area. which has a difficulty level Trails span from 15 to 110 of easy, ensures no one has kilometres, and include

Western Uplands & Mixed Grass Prairie

Found north of Brandon, along the western side, you can find the Crocus Trail and the Rossburn Subdivision Trail. These two trails span from 136 kilometres and 172 kilometres, respectively, in distance, and they are the most westernly part of the Trans Canada Trail in Manitoba. Part of the trail has over 25 bird species that use tree cavities for homes, and there are stunning view points along the way. These are great trails to take a break on while enjoying a high protein snack, like tasty beef jerky, all the while bird watching.

MINI MEATLOAF CUPCAKES 1 lb (0.5 kg)

Extra-lean ground beef

2 to 3 garlic cloves

Finely minced

1/4 cup (50 mL)

Roasted red peppers, drained and finely chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL)

Packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped

1/2 cup (125 mL)

Feta cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp (25 mL)

Fresh Italian herbs, tube variety

1 tsp (5 mL)

Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp (2 mL)

Black pepper

1/2 cup (125 mL)

Bread crumbs

Egg

1 cup (250 mL)

Marinara sauce Prepared mashed potatoes, stiff enough to use in a piping bag

Go on, get moving

while hiking. Also be sure to tell someone your plans for the day, including which trail you will be exploring and when you plan on returning. If you are looking for an easy summer picnic meal, try Mini Meatloaf Cupcakes, which can be enjoyed hot or cold. In the hot sun food can spoil quickly but using solid ice packs and thermo cooler backpacks can help keep your lunch at a safe temperature. Enjoy a high energy summer by staying active!

The outdoor trail adventures you and your family could be having are just one benefit of living in Manitoba and they are truly unique. Be sure to pack a lot of water or juices to stay hydrated, and snacks, such as high Learn more about all of protein beef jerky, nuts Manitoba’s trails at www. and dried fruit, for energy trailsmanitoba.ca.

Love cooking with beef?

Watch Great Tastes of Manitoba! MBP’s beef expert Adriana Barros and host Ace Burpee will share brand new beef recipes in celebration of 25 years of Manitoba’s premier cooking show! The first show airs on September 6 on CTV Winnipeg at 6:30 p.m.

Crumbled bacon and chives, garnish 30 mini tin foil cupcake liners

Assiniboine Delta & Pembina Hills Trail

The central south area of the trail map is comprised of seven trails that range from 14 to 76 kilometres in length, with difficulty levels varying from easy to difficult. The numerous walking trails in this area are a feast for the eyes, covering terrain of potato fields, to rolling pastures, landscapes of rock-strewn hills, to giant windmills stretched across the prairie sky. The Miami Thompson trail highlights Manitoba’s escarpment, one

breathtaking lake to lake scenery that should be enough to get you moving. There are trails that follow high granite ridges and low areas of boggy boreal forest, and others surrounded by coniferous trees with the opportunity to see wildlife.

1 large piping bag with a large star frosting tip 1.

In a large bowl combine ground beef with all ingredients, excluding tomato sauce, potatoes and garnish.

Incorporate meatloaf with hands or stand mixer (be sure to incorporate all ingredients well).

Scoop a tablespoon of the beef mixture into the mini cupcake pan.

Top each individual meatloaf cupcake with 1 to 2 tsp of marinara sauce.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 160°F/71°C.

Allow to cool slightly before icing with mashed potatoes.

Spoon mashed potatoes in a pastry piping bag with a star icing tip overtop of meatloaves.

Place mini meatloaf cupcakes into mini foil liner, ice with mashed potato and sprinkle crumbled bacon and chives for garnish.

Watch the episodes online at

www.GreatTastesMB.ca.

CALL 1-800-772-0458 FOR REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST OR ADDRESS CHANGE.

PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

MAUREEN COUSINS

SEPTEMBER 2014

Peters’ family sees benefits of Verified Beef Production Program Page 7

L-R: MBP District 1 Director Ted Artz, MBP General Manager Melinda German and MBP President Heinz Reimer toured southwestern Manitoba on July 17th to see the flood-related damage and to meet with affected producers.

RON FRIESEN Ever since Tim McMechan’s grandfather homesteaded on a farm near Lyleton in the early 1900s, the family has raised cattle for a living. Now, more than a century later, Mother Nature may force them to change that. Heavy overland flooding caused by record rains this spring and summer caused severe damage to crops, pastures and livelihoods for the McMechans and other cattle producers in this extreme southwest corner of Manitoba. Normally, McMechan takes in other producers’ beef cows for the winter, along with his own 300-cow herd. Now, however, after two major floods in the last three years, his sons are telling him enough is enough. “My son says, Dad, when you’re done, we’re maybe going to keep our own cattle but not somebody else’s,” says McMechan, 60. Up around Lake Manitoba, Art Jonasson is having similar thoughts. Flooding on his farm near Vogar in the R.M. of Siglunes this year may not be quite as bad as it was in 2011. But some

KEY POINTS • Excess moisture and flooding have again hammered many regions of Manitoba, affecting pasture and hay conditions, raising concerns about feed shortages. • MBP is concerned that recent disasters could lead to further industry contraction. • MBP is lobbying the provincial and federal governments to consider programming and feed transportation. • MBP is also seeking an income tax deferral on breeding stock that have to be sold early for lack of feed. of Jonasson’s pastures still haven’t recovered from that flood and this year’s native hay crop along the lakeshore is literally a washout. Jonasson would normally harvest 600 to 700 bales of native hay in an average year. This year he managed to put up only 74 bales. Feed supplies for his 300 cows will be short by at least 500 bales this winter. For Jonasson, the stress of fighting floods and

“If we get hit with more excess moisture and an early frost, this area’s going to be quite short.” — Tim McMechan, Lyletonarea producer, discussing the feed situation in his region. scrounging for feed is becoming too much. “We’re all getting older,” he says. “I know what I’ve had to do the last three years racing around trying to buy feed. You look at it and you go, do I want to do that anymore? With cow prices the way they are, it might be a time to sell.” That kind of talk concerns Melinda German, Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) general manager. This was supposed to be a turnaround year for Manitoba’s beleaguered cattle farmers after 10 years of depressed markets caused by BSE, U.S. country-of-origin labeling, E. coli and other woes. Cattle prices today are at, or near, record levels and the recent promise of new international trade agreements should open fresh markets for Manitoba beef.

But German worries declining herd numbers because of chronic flooding could render trade agreements meaningless. “They’re not going to mean anything for Manitoba cattle producers if we continue to have contraction of the industry. And that’s absolutely what we’re seeing,” she says. “Prices are good, guys are sick of being flooded out and they’re selling. And they’re going to sell.” The figures from Statistics Canada tell a discouraging story. At a time when beef producers should be rebuilding their herds, the opposite is happening. As of January 1, 2014, the number of beef cows in Manitoba totaled 451,600, down from 477,800 in 2013 and 483,900 in 2012. Cattle numbers are falling in other provinces, too, but

the decline is more rapid in Manitoba, Canada’s third largest beef province, partly because of repeated floods, which affect feed supplies. In some ways, the impact of flooding this year is worse than in 2011. That year, producers along Lake Manitoba were hardest hit as diverted floodwater from the Portage Diversion raised lake levels past flood stage and destroyed thousands of acres of hay land. This year the damage along Lake Manitoba may not be quite as bad. But it is much worse in other parts of the province. According to the Manitoba Agriculture Services Corporation (MASC), 950,000 acres of cropland went unseeded this year because of excess moisture. MASC expects its payout for excess moisture Continued on page 2

Evaluating forages for extended grazing on the Prairies Page 11

MBP 2014 bursary winners Pages 14-15

POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: MBP, 154 PARAMOUNT ROAD, WINNIPEG, MB R2X 2W3 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE PAID IN WINNIPEG.

WIDESPREAD FLOODING RAISES FEED SHORTAGE CONCERNS

CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

Continued from page 1 insurance this year will be around $60 million. The southwest region was particularly hard hit. McMechan, who normally crops 1,500 acres, was unable to seed two-thirds of that because of wet conditions. He hopes the green feed he planted in July will help see him through the winter. But more rain and an early frost could spell trouble for cattle producers anxious about winter feed supplies. “If we get hit with more excess moisture and an early frost, this area’s going to be quite short,” McMechan says. Elsewhere in the province, producers express similar concerns. Up at Lake Winnipegosis, Brent Benson expects to get less than half as much hay as he needs for his 150-cow herd. He’s renting some hay land further south of Red Deer Point, where he farms, and hopes it’ll produce enough to see his animals through the winter. Benson, who recently took over the family farm from his dad, has no immediate plans to downsize his herd. But others in the area are already doing so. “There’s a few neighbours that are down cows now and they probably won’t expand again after that,” Benson says. Wray Whitmore, the manager of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural

Development’s forage and livestock team, feels it’s too early to push the panic button on winter feed supplies. He says if this year’s fall is warm and dry, as it was last year, producers may still be able to salvage enough forage and green feed to see them through. “I think it’s too early to predict where we’re going to be in the fall,” says Whitmore, who’s stationed in Teulon. “As long as we can have a long, warm fall, we might be okay.” But MBP isn’t waiting to find out. German says MBP is asking government for a feed assistance program similar to one in 2011, which paid $11.2 million to restore pastures and compensate for a forage shortfall. MBP is also asking Ottawa for an income tax deferral on breeding stock that have to be sold early for lack of feed. Finally, MBP is requesting assistance from AgriRecovery, which paid out $111.6 million to floodaffected Manitoba producers in 2011. But anyone looking for additional assistance from the federal government is likely to be disappointed. “At the conclusion of the recent federal-provincial-territorial agriculture ministers’ meeting, Minister (Gerry) Ritz indicated that the government would stand by existing programming, which includes the AgriRecovery initiative,” a federal spokesperson said in an August 1st e-mail

message to Cattle Country. Dave Solverson, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association president, said his organization is frustrated by a lack of clarity about what AgriRecovery covers and what it doesn’t. “We would like to get a better framework around that program,” says Solverson, who ranches near Camrose, Alberta. “There’s not a clear definition of disaster and what qualifies.”

SAVE THE DATES

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February 5-6, 2015 MBP’s 36th annual general meeting takes place February 5-6, 2015 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon, Manitoba. Plan to attend! Email info@mbbeef.ca for details.

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UNIT 220, 530 CENTURY STREET WINNIPEG, MB R3H 0Y4

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin, LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

DAVE KOSLOWSKY

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

LARRY WEGNER

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

DIANNE RIDING

DISTRICT 10

THERESA ZUK - TREASURER

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

CHERYL MCPHERSON

DISTRICT 4

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

LARRY GERELUS

DISTRICT 8

TOM TEICHROEB

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Lansdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

CARON CLARKE

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

BILL MURRAY - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

Unit 220, 530 Century Street Winnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

STAN FOSTER

POLICY ANALYST Maureen Cousins

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR --

FINANCE

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer

Maureen Cousins

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

LAKE MANITOBA AREA PRODUCERS HAMMERED AGAIN BY FLOODING PAUL ADAIR

• Pasture and hay lands damaged in the 2011 flood were only just beginning to recover when the 2014 flooding hit. • There was no multiyear programming to help producers recover from the effects of the 2011 flood. • The most pressing concern facing affected producers will be securing enough feed. • MBP is seeking feed and transportation assistance programs. • MBP also wants a second outlet built to help draw down Lake Manitoba.

Questions remain as to whether programming such as forage restoration and transportation assistance, both of which helped tremendously in 2011, will be made available to help producers affected by this year’s flooding and excess moisture conditions. “We’ve been pushing hard for programs like those offered in 2011 but it is unclear whether there will be AgriRecovery programming,” said Manitoba Beef Producers President Heinz Reimer. “Governments are telling us that we producers need to take care of ourselves through the use of those business risk management programs that are already available. However, some gaps are being revealed in those programs.” Unfortunately the programming currently in place does not do much for the approximately 300 cattle producers along Lake Manitoba, where many assistance initiatives do not necessarily apply, through no fault whatsoever of the affected producers. “There are places where they are still waiting for the water to go down enough to rehabilitate the land,” said Tom Teichroeb, Chair of the Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee. “Therefore, they cannot participate in the forage insurance program that is available to them right now because you can’t insure reeds and cattails. These are the people

“We’ve been pushing hard for

that fall into the cracks and these are the people that need some kind of immediate assistance and compensation in order to function.” Some beef producers around Lake Manitoba are asking that there be some kind of template established for financial assistance that will trigger without delay in the case of a flood, especially in the case of the intentional flooding that happens with heavy use of the Portage Diversion. These orchestrated flood conditions particularly rankle ranchers in the flood zone who often feel as though the government is, ironically, hanging them out to dry to protect more urban areas. “There needs to be an automatic trigger that recognizes that we are being sacrificed on the behalf of others,” says Teichroeb. “In 2011, the government told us that there weren’t going to Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee meeting near Portage la Prairie in July. be any buy-outs because they wanted us to be here. If they have made that Attention Hunters decision, then the obvious choice is that they can’t keep coming back and compromising us.” Cattle producers leave the industry for a number of reasons, with the repeated flood occurThe Manitoba government has enacted measures to protect wild elk rences being just one of and deer from disease. them. The average age of By law, all hunters must submit biological samples (head, upper a beef producer is getting neck and lungs) of elk and deer taken in certain Game Hunting older and it is becoming Areas (GHAs) to Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship. more difficult to attract a Samples are examined for any signs of disease. younger generation into it. Samples are required from elk and deer taken in GHAs 5, 6, 6A, 11, Many look at cattle pro12, 13, 13A, 18 and 18B (west of PR 366), 18A, 18C, part of 22 (west duction and see that the of PTH 83), 23, and 23A. Please submit fresh, not frozen, samples profits do not make up for within 48 hours of the kill. Note that antlers of male elk or deer are the tremendous workload, not needed and should be removed before submitting the sample. worry, and risks involved. These factors are all conA number of local businesses are participating by accepting samples tributing to a contraction from hunters. Please check the website listed below, or the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide for a location nearest you. of Manitoba’s beef industry as opposed to the exBan on Feeding pansion that was expected prior to this year’s floodThe feeding of deer, elk and moose in the above noted GHAs is prohibited. ing. However, it can also be Bringing Game into Manitoba said that farming tends to be difficult even under the It is illegal to bring a deer, elk or moose killed in another province or best of circumstances, and state into Manitoba unless the head, hide, hooves, mammary glands, entrails, internal organs and spinal column are first removed it will take the perseverand left in the province or state of origin. Please refer to the 2014 ance of Manitoba’s beef Manitoba Hunting Guide for instructions on properly removing and producers’ character to treating the antlers and bone plate. guide them through this latest crisis. “Farmers are people For more information: that always have some opTo learn more about wildlife disease and the timism on hand,” says Resubmission of biological samples please refer to imer. “We have to be optia copy of the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide, visit mistic because, otherwise, www.manitoba.ca/conservation/wildlife/disease we would all have nervous or call 204-622-2474. breakdowns. I just tell people to try to be ready because anything can happen here.”

programs like those offered in 2011 but it is unclear whether there will be AgriRecovery programming.” – Heinz Reimer, MBP President

Help protect Manitoba’s big game populations

www.mbbeef.ca Chronic Waste Disease Ad Publication: Cattle Country Ad size: 4.75’’ wide x 7.75’’ deep

MAUREEN COUSINS

For some Manitoba beef producers, 2014 has so far proven to be discouraging as late season flooding has submerged many of the very same forages and pastures which were devastated by the “flood-of-thecentury” back in 2011. And, while it is true that some producers have been able to take full advantage of rebounding commodity prices and expand their operations, others have been struggling to simply stay afloat and tread water. Many farmers from around Lake Manitoba who have lost forage and pasture land this year have been forced to move their cattle into hayfields, thereby risking a shortage of feed to last the winter. This may result in requiring producers to fend for themselves in scrambling to locate feed wherever they may, or face the very real prospect of losing their herds and livelihoods. “The most pressing concern for beef producers in the area will be not having enough feed for this year,” said Caron Clarke, Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) District 11 director. “The overland flooding at the end of June has drowned out or partially drowned out many crops, so there will be less feed available overall in the region. Hay will be at a premium and some producers will choose to sell cows instead of choosing to buy feed.” Three years ago, the majority of producers were compensated for flood damage sustained in the devastating flood. These programs, however, only covered losses sustained in 2011. Many producers have been facing similar challenges every year since, incurring costs such as pasture rental, herd transportation, and feed haulage in order to make up for their lost capacity. “There was no financial assistance for any additional years but, the losses from the 2011 flood are still occurring now in 2014 and, now, the lake waters are wiping out any headway that had been made in reestablishing pastures and forages,” said Clarke. “Cattle producers have borne a significant financial burden in the years since 2011, simply for the flood protection of others.”

KEY POINTS

CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN CATTLE COUNTRY DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS. WE BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO VOICE THEIR OPINION.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

MOOVIN’ ALONG

FLOODING, FPT MEETINGS AND MOVING OUR INDUSTRY FORWARD

HEINZ REIMER In my last President’s Column, I wrote about optimism being back in the beef industry. Then, while that edition of Cattle Country was in the process of being printed and mailed out, we got record rainfall and major flooding in many areas of Manitoba. Unfortunately, this unwelcome development has washed away some of that optimism. Over the summer, MBP was focused on securing both short and long-term strategies to help beef producers deal with the impact of the flooding and excess moisture conditions. MBP representatives were in constant contact with MAFRD staff, ensuring that all steps were being taken to help producers

facing immediate challenges, such as loss of access, and to identify long-term needs, like feed issues. I had a number of phone calls with Manitoba’s Agriculture Minister, Ron Kostyshyn, about this very serious situation. As well, I, along with our General Manager Melinda German and Policy Analyst Maureen Cousins, met with the Minister to explore programs and initiatives to help affected producers. We have also outlined our concerns to the federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, the Hon. Gerry Ritz. Some of our key discussions have focused on forage and pasture shortfalls. Like previous flood events, some producers were forced to relocate cattle to ensure they had

access to pastures, a costly expense. Others had to turn them out onto their hay lands. Concerns about green feed shortfalls and potential straw shortages have also been raised with government officials. MBP has requested that the provincial and federal governments consider providing a needs-based forage shortfall program and an accompanying transportation program. Another strategy being considered is whether written-off crops could be used as a feed source. In our discussions with affected producers, it is clear some may need to downsize their herds due to feed shortages. MBP has asked that the Livestock Tax Deferral provision be made available for producers forced sell off breeding

stock due to flood-related feed shortages. Crown land rental rates are another area of concern brought forward by flooded producers. There has been no reduction in rental rates despite the fact that some leased Crown lands have been left unusable due to flooding. MBP is also pursuing this issue. MBP has again asked for a second outlet to be built out of Lake Manitoba, and will continue to lobby for this until it is built. Beef producers across our whole province need to be able to do their daily business of raising cattle, not wondering what problems flood waters will bring next. There must be better ways in managing water throughout Manitoba, so let’s find some permanent solutions so this scenario

ATTEND YOUR MBP DISTRICT MEETING Meet with MBP representatives and fellow beef producers to discuss the timely beef issues affecting your district and industry. Elections will be held in odd numbered districts. All Meetings will begin at 6 p.m. with beef on a bun being served. DIRECTOR

DATE

LOCATION

ADDRESS

District 14

Stan Foster

Oct-27

Durban Community Hall

612 1st St. N, Durban

District 13

Ben Fox

Oct-28

Credit Union Place Arena

200 1st St. SE, Dauphin

District 7

Larry Gerelus

Oct-29

Rossburn Community Hall

10 Main St. N, Rossburn

District 6

Larry Wegner

Oct-30

Heartland Virden Auction Mart

1 mile south of Hwy #1 on Hwy #83

District 11

Caron Clarke

Nov-03

Ashern Royal Canadian Legion

3 Main St. E, Ashern

District 12

Bill Murray

Nov-04

Ste. Rose Jolly Club

638 1st Ave., SW, Ste. Rose

District 10

Theresa Zuk

Nov-05

Bifrost Community Centre

337 River Rd., Arborg

District 4

Heinz Reimer

Nov-06

Grunthal Auction Mart

Provincial Road 205

District 3

Cheryl McPherson

Nov-10

Elm Creek Community Hall

70 Arena Rd., Elm Creek

District 2

Dave Koslowsky

Nov-12

Crystal City Community Hall

Conklin St. S, Crystal City

District 1

Ted Artz*

Nov-13

Deloraine Legion Club

115 Cavers St. N, Deloraine

District 5

Ramona Blyth

Nov-14

Carberry Memorial Hall

224 2nd Ave., Carberry

District 8

Tom Teichroeb

Nov-17

Royal Canadian Legion

425 Brown Ave., Neepawa

District 9

Dianne Riding

Nov-18

Teulon Hall

14 Main St., Teulon

*Director retiring

CALL 1-800-772-0458 OR EMAIL INFO@MBBEEF.CA FOR FULL DETAILS www.mbbeef.ca

isn’t repeated over and over again. Issues have arisen about gaps in existing business risk management programs, such as forage insurance. MBP will continue to work with both governments to review and improve them. Flooding and excess moisture conditions have had a big impact on producers. We’ve had two long, cold winters that left feed supplies short. And, many producers’ operations have yet to return to normal operational and environmental conditions since the 2011 flood. MBP is very concerned this latest disaster may lead to a further contraction of the Manitoba beef industry, instead of the expansion that should be happening. MBP and other commodity groups were invited to a consultation with Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn in advance of the Federal/Provincial/ Territorial Ministers of Agriculture meetings held in Winnipeg mid-July. Topics raised by MBP included: • That the federal and provincial governments continue to take a firm stance against the United States regarding mCOOL. This issue has cost Canada’s beef industry millions; • Ensuring the CanadaKorea Free Trade Agreement helps makes us more competitive, and maximizes the value of

each beef cut, returning dollars to producers; • Improvements to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. There is a shortage of skilled and unskilled workers on our farms, ranches, feedlots and packing plants that must be addressed; • The need for continued support for the Verified Beef Production Program through Growing Forward 2; • The importance of reducing red tape on the regulatory side, and harmonizing policies with our trading partners. This includes areas such as product licensing and market access for products already approved for use in other countries; • Enhancements to forage insurance programming to ensure its effectiveness; • The need for forage and transportation assistance for producers short because of flooding; and • The need for a second permanent outlet out of Lake Manitoba, which was echoed by all commodity groups. These were just some of the issues MBP brought forward and on which it will continue to lobby. I’d like to leave you with a thought. By working together and with some nice fall weather, beef production is still a good life. Let’s grow the beef industry.

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September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COLUMN

THE ROAD TO TOMORROW ‘With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.’ – Eleanor Roosevelt

I find it challenging to pen a column that hits your mailbox weeks after I write it. In preparing our columns for Cattle Country, we write them several weeks in advance. As a result, what we think is relevant and current at the time of writing may not be the case when the paper goes to print. It’s also tough to produce a column when you are feeling anything other than optimistic. Recently I was struggling with that, with so much happening in our industry and what seemed like so little in terms of positive things on which to report. Since our last paper, our industry has faced so many challenges again: flood, feed shortages, frustration − the three ‘f’s’. Frankly, sometimes it just makes you want to hunker down. But then something happens that gives you a fresh perspective. I had the privilege of attending the 2014 Manitoba Youth Beef RoundUp in Neepawa at the start of August. Talk about chicken soup for the soul. I’ll tell you more about this in a bit. With all of our recent challenges, one of my standard lines to those in power, and who will listen, is the need to ensure we are putting programs and policies in place that lead to the expansion of our industry, instead of the continued contraction. In a past column, I spoke of the opportunities before us to take

advantage of emerging international markets. We are preparing to play in a new game and we want to be assured we are positioned to take full advantage of these opportunities. I still believe this. However I worry that in our current situation we will no longer have the numbers to ensure Manitoba is a leader and is in the position to drive the bus on these opportunities. That is why it’s so important to have the right programs and policies that address both our short and long-term challenges, and to provide us with the infrastructure to deliver on these new trade opportunities. Thankfully, my experiences at the Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up quickly renewed my sense of enthusiasm. It has been a long time since I attended an event where the energy and

passion for our industry was so contagious. I must commend the organizing committee that has worked so diligently to host this event, year after year, and to make sure the attendance from youth and sponsors has grown. It is a dangerous game to name names, as one will always leave someone out, but I feel I must congratulate Blair and Lois McRae for their hard work, dedication and support of our industry and our youth. At this event, I had the extreme pleasure of judging the team marketing competition and the cook-off. I am not sure which one I enjoyed the most, but I do know the future beef producers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario could outshine any master chef in Canada, cooking solely off a BBQ. The fun events were also combined with a great show of beef

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cattle genetics. The youth and cattle at this event truly are our future, and I feel we are in good hands. As you can see, this issue’s column has more of a human interest angle and is less focused on what we are doing or what needs to

be done. But it is one that reflects on the potential of where we will go in the industry and on the power of our youth. But do not get me wrong. MBP continues to push for smart programs and policies that will help ensure we have an industry

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CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

VET CORNER

DEALING WITH HEALTH CHALLENGES DURING WET WEATHER

DR. TANYA ANDERSON, DVM More than ever, again this year, mud has been the enemy for cattle producers. The long, wet spring forced many to move cattle to pasture before the grass was ready and the water dried up as feed had become scarce and the home yards became muck yards. May and June calving herds dealt with health problems that were supposed to be eliminated by calving during the “nice weather” months. Wet chilled calves developed scours, navel infection and pneumonia. Coccidiosis, usually uncommon in pasture calving herds,

was diagnosed regularly in my area as calves drank dirty surface water and rooted through trampled forage. Fly strike, with resulting maggot infestations, became a frequent complication, as have broken legs from trampling as herds crowd together for reprieve from the flies. Nutrition and herd health are the production areas most impacted by excessive rainfall. High moisture levels in pasture plants result in lowered dry matter intakes. Cattle standing in mud, coupled with constant tail switching and moving to avoid insects, will decrease

“Unfortunately we can’t control the weather, but we can anticipate and prepare for potential health problems that can develop as a result of adverse conditions.” their intakes by four to eight per cent and slow gains by 14 per cent. This negative energy balance and stress will further tax the immune system. Prolonged wet, warm weather brings different disease challenges. Everyone is (or should be) familiar with the usual – foot rot, pinkeye, scours, blackleg. Since management of these problems has been covered extensively in previous articles, I’d like to talk about some

of the lesser-known health issues that I have fielded enquiries about this year in my practice. “My calves are losing hair,” is a common question. Ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a fungal infection that initially goes unnoticed since the affected areas are small and slightly raised with roughened hair. After several weeks the fungus affects the hair follicles and the hair falls out, leaving distinct circular grayish scaly skin lesions.

The face and neck areas of younger cattle are commonly affected. Carrier cows and contaminated old wood (buildings, fences, etcetera) are common sources. The infection usually clears up on its own as the animal develops immunity and weather conditions improve. Hot, dry weather is “ringworm unfriendly.” Cattle with copper and/or Vitamin A deficiency are more prone to infections, as are those that have skin injuries (such as with fly bites),

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allowing the fungus to establish an infection. Warts will also be more common this year, as this contagious viral infection also thrives on damaged skin. Like ringworm, carrier animals are the source of infection. These fibrous tumours of the skin and mucous membranes develop primarily on the head, neck and shoulders, in the mouth and vagina, and on the teats, vulva and penis (a cause of temporary or sometimes permanent bull infertility). Affected animals develop immunity, causing the warts to dry up and slough. Cutting the warts off will speed up this process. Expect itchy cows this winter, even when you have effectively treated against lice. During the horn fly season, cattle often develop a skin allergy to the saliva of the biting horn flies. After several weeks, an inflammatory reaction occurs in the skin and many hair follicles are destroyed. The retained hair causes an itch sensation resulting in cattle rubbing their faces, necks and shoulders in the late winter and early spring. Bald patches and skin irritations develop. Treat against horn flies with cattle oilers and topical insecticides. Internal parasites love warm moist weather. Infestations will be much worse this year than in the past, unless the recent hot dry weather persists. Often parasite losses are not clinically detectable but severe infestations result in disease and even death. Moderate infections result in reduced milk production, weaning weights, delayed puberty and decreased fertility. Affected cattle have decreased feed intake, feed efficiency and weakened immune systems. Recent trial data by Merck, the makers of SafeGuard, suggests that many Manitoba herds would benefit economically from a pasture and fall deworming program. Talk to your veterinarian about doing fecal examinations on your pastured cattle. If the infection rates are moderate to high, your herd will benefit from a deworming program. Unfortunately we can’t control the weather, but we can anticipate and prepare for potential health problems that can develop as a result of adverse conditions.

September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

PETERS’ FAMILY SEES BENEFITS OF VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION PROGRAM FOR THE INDUSTRY Maintaining consumer confidence in beef products is paramount to Canada’s beef industry and producers use many tools to help achieve this. One of them is the Verified Beef Production (VBP) Program, an initiative being pursued by a growing number of Manitoba beef producers. This is Canada’s voluntary verified on-farm food safety program for beef, a dynamic tool that is used to better foster that trust, helping to ensure that the good standing of Manitoba beef products and that industry practices are upheld. The VBP Program is part of a total effort by Canadian food providers to ensure on-farm food safety, further reinforcing the reputation of beef producers both throughout Canada and beyond. The program builds on global food safety standard trends in food production and is based on the principles of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), an international quality control program used within many industries. After first hearing about the VBP Program from her mother, Manitoba beef producer Amy Peters and her family have been part of it for almost five years. Peters − alongside her husband Trevor, her parents, and her brother and sister-in-law – raises registered Simmental and commercial beef cattle in southwestern Manitoba. All combined, they have an approximately 280 head cow-calf operation in the Treherne area, pasturing 50 cow/calf pairs all summer and feeding the bull calves all winter at Rivers. Peters also has three children, Austyn (7), Kinley (4), and Maverick (1), who are all very involved in the family farm and love the cattle. For Peters, being part of the VBP Program was an easy decision to make as it helps to ensure the success of her business and the industry as a whole. “We strive to produce the best beef possible,” said Peters. “Being part of the Verified Beef Production

Program helps us keep it safe and more marketable. If someone from the public was to get sick from someone not following protocol of a medication, it would affect the entire beef industry and we simply can’t afford for something like that to happen.” As with many industries, the VBP Program utilizes Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which are designed to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate the potential for food safety concerns on a beef cattle operation. These SOPs include a list of “must do” requirements alongside a series of recommended procedures that will help reduce the opportunity for an incident to occur. Beef cattle operations that choose to take the further step, in being part of the VBP Program, have access to a third-party auditor and certification process and are also expected to maintain a record of what was done and when. “In the end, the audit wasn’t difficult at all,” explained Peters. “It was

actually quite simple. The auditor went over our entire operation, asked lots of questions, helped us improve some of our practices and encouraged some of the new things we have to do to be verified. We are expected to keep up with proper storage and use of all medications, quarantine sick cattle or new cattle for disease control, and keep detailed records of treated animals, what they were treated with, and the withdrawal time.” There are many tangible benefits for Manitoba beef producers in adopting the VBP Program in their day-to-day routines, both long-term and immediate. For producers the VBP Program brings better awareness of food safety risks through workshops, improved use of animal health products, and is a basis for staff training and family procedural communication. There is also the opportunity for immediate financial benefits in being part of the VBP Program. “Being part of the

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The Peters family: Amy and Trevor, and their children Austyn, Kinley and Maverick.

program has definitely benefited us and going through with the audit and the entire process has been encouraged through cash incentives to improve our practices,” says Peters. “We received help with purchasing a neck extender to help needle properly, a tag reader for better record keeping, and we are currently hoping to get funding to help build a sick pen. The funding isn’t everything but it definitely helps encourage proper practices. There are times

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Program is not as difficult as it may first seem. It is a very worthwhile program and it doesn’t take much time to make it part of your everyday procedures. Plus, the more we get involved, the better the beef industry will become.” Efforts are currently underway to add new modules to the VBP Program with a focus on practices related to animal care, biosecurity and the environment. For more information about the VBP Program visit www.verifiedbeef.org

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that the funds aren’t there, so something has to give at that point.” For the Peters family, the VBP Program has been a sound business decision, based on the desire to improve both their operations and the national beef industry. The VBP Program helps to better define the standards for safety, quality, and consistency for the betterment of Canadian beef and beef products. “I encourage other producers to get involved in the program,” says Peters. “Being part of the VBP

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10 CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

LAKE MANITOBA: PREPARED TO FLOOD... SANDI KNIGHT bringing Lake Manitoba to 813.3 feet (operating range is 810.5 – 812.5 feet). This spring authorities limited the flow to 10,500 cfs and for two months up to 8,000 cfs was needlessly pushed into the lake. Fast-forward to June 26th – Lake Manitoba was at 813.5 feet, just below the flood level of 814 feet. High water and wind-tides were already inundating areas around the lake. But with the wall of water coming down the rivers from the west, the Portage Diversion had to be re-opened on June 30th. A provincial state of emergency was declared on July 4th. Dikes along the lower Assiniboine were immediately built up; by July 9th they could carry 18,000 cfs. The excess, up to 34,100 cfs (9,100 cfs over design capacity), was thrust down the diversion, bringing the lake to 814.3 feet by July 17th. As of that date the province steadily reduced flows on the lower Assiniboine

SANDI KNIGHT

“We are much more prepared year over year…Our flood mitigation right now is better than it’s ever been ...we’re prepared no matter what.” – Steve Ashton, Manitoba’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, quoted in a March 31, 2014 Winnipeg Sun article. But we weren’t. While torrential rainfalls in the west couldn’t be foreseen, the flooding of Lake Manitoba, for the second time in four years, was preventable. The province could have kept the lake level lower, constructed an outlet for Lake Manitoba and built up dikes along the Assiniboine River. The capacity of the lower Assiniboine east of Portage is particularly perplexing. In the 1970s it could carry 24,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). In 2011, it could only handle 19,000 cfs. Then in 2013, the provincial government restricted the natural flow to a mere 8,000 cfs and unnecessarily forced water down the Portage Diversion

LINKS OF NOTE • Lake Manitoba Observed Levels and Outflows: http://www.gov. mb.ca/mit/floodinfo/ floodoutlook/ forecast_centre/lakes/ lake_levels/2010/ lake_manitoba_ levels_2011-14. pdf#page=1 • Provincial Daily Flood Reports: http://www.gov. mb.ca/mit/floodinfo/ floodoutlook/ forecasts_reports. html#daily_flood_ reports from the 18,000 to 12,002 cfs by August 4th. This despite stating on July 24th, “Flows on the Assiniboine…will be maintained at 15,000 cfs until August 5…” Water flowing into the lake still exceeded the water flowing out on August 4th, making it 814.5 feet. A few days later it peaked at

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814.6 feet − eerily close to the level it was on May 31, 2011 when gale force winds gusting from 90-100 kilometres per hour caused water to surge up to four miles inland. The unimaginable and disastrous effects of that day are forever ingrained in our memories. We have dealt with the long-lasting consequences, financially and emotionally. This year some areas finally felt they were getting back on their feet, back to some semblance of “normal.” Now we are once again on wind watch, powerless to this man-made, government-controlled flood. Dike construction, sandbagging and Geotube installations are ongoing summer events. The lake’s tentacles continue to creep inland up to one to two miles (without windtides), submerging and rotting crops, hayfields and pastures. Homes, cottages and communities are threatened. Our greatest ally is evaporation. We pray for calm winds every day. Our state of emergency is far from over – the flood waters will remain for many months; strong winds are inevitable. When questioned about the lengthy wait for construction of an outlet for

Lake Manitoba in a July 25, 2014 CBC Radio interview Minister Ashton declared, “We’re moving…we are well into the seven year time frame.” Exactly what they’re moving and how far into that time frame weren’t answered. He spoke of studies, reports, federal/provincial processes and environmental reviews (ironic considering what is happening to our lake). As far as federal environmental processes go, on July 15, 2014 Robert Sopuck, MP for Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette clarified, “I would note that these Acts were no impediment to the construction of the Lake St. Martin Channel in 2011 and would not be an impediment to any new channel.” Further, back in early August 2012 the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Prime Minister Harper was supportive of flood mitigation measures. The newspaper stated, “The federal government has indicated to Manitoba…that given the scale of the problem, Ottawa is willing to cost-share permanent mitigation efforts…” So it appears the ball is in the province’s court. An outlet for Lake Manitoba was part of

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the diversion design and should have been constructed 45 years ago. It was also one of five recommendations made by the Lake Manitoba/Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee appointed in February 2012. Other proposals included: a Holland Dam, a Long Lake Drain, a La Salle River Diversion and Assiniboine River Channel Expansion. The creation of a water commission involving Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota is also underway. This Assiniboine River Basin Initiative will hopefully work cooperatively to create solutions upstream. While recommendations and committees do not solve our immediate crisis, they might prevent our lake from being used as a dumping ground/reservoir in the future. In the meantime the environmental and human impact is devastating. This July Lake Manitoba may have been the only option for excess Assiniboine water but flood mitigation was definitely not “better than it’s ever been.” Minister Ashton was prepared though – to flood us again, steal our incomes and jeopardize our futures. As in 2011, we are forced to pay for flood protection for those downstream on the Assiniboine. And that state of emergency that allows the province “to take action to prevent harm or damage to the safety, health or welfare of Manitobans, and to the property and the environment”? It may have protected Winnipeg but ironically it has done the exact opposite to those around Lake Manitoba. What will it take to get equal treatment for those of us outside the Perimeter?

September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

EVALUATING FORAGES FOR EXTENDED GRAZING ON THE PRAIRIES CHRISTINE RAWLUK, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LIVESTOCK AND THE ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

bromegrass, tall fescue, and alfalfa and cicer milkvetch legumes with improved characteristics for extended grazing on the prairies. In terms of management, they are evaluating both a one-cut and twocut system for the perennials − early stockpiling of regrowth after a single cut in early summer or Western Beef Develop- late stockpiling following ment Centre in Saskatch- a second cut. ewan. Collaborating with Bruce Coulman at the Step 2: Testing University of Saskatch- select forage ewan and Manitoba Ag- stockpile grazing riculture, Food and Ru- systems ral Development, forage Grazing trials, led by evaluations are underway Ominski, will use the two near Lanigan and Saska- most promising late-fall/ toon in Saskatchewan and early-winter stockpile grazin the Interlake and Park- ing systems identified in land regions of Manitoba. the evaluation phase of the study. These two systems Step 1: Identifying will be selected following promising forages the second year of forfor stockpile age trials, based on pergrazing formance, economics and Their goal is to identify likelihood of adoption. annual and perennial forag“We are interested in es that stand up well under the performance of the the climate and soils typical entire system,” says Ominof cow-calf producing re- ski. “Therefore, we will gions of the prairies, and to monitor stand physical and identify extended grazing nutritional quality, cow options that offer improved performance in terms of labour and cost savings energetics, nutrition and while meeting the nutrition- reproductive performance in the subsequent year, as al needs of the herd. The scientific team well as an economic evaluconsulted with members ation of each system.” Derek Brewin, ecoof the forage seed industry in determining what nomics professor at the crops and varieties to University of Manitoba grow. “We chose to focus and Kathy Larson, beef our evaluation on annual economist with Western and perennial forage spe- Beef Development Cencies and varieties that have tre, will estimate the net good potential for stock- return to investment for pile grazing, and that are each of the overwintering accessible and affordable,” systems. says McGeough. “Beyond a comparison Annual crops include of net returns, we will oats, barley, corn, soy- consider variation in the beans, fall and annual rye, returns to see if differas well as foxtail millet. ent management stratePerennials include va- gies significantly reduce rieties of orchardgrass, or change the loss risk,”

“Their goal is to identify annual and perennial

forages that stand up well under the climate and soils typical of cow-calf producing regions of the

prairies, and to identify extended grazing options that offer improved labour and cost savings while meeting the nutritional needs of the herd.” Favoured for lower cost and labour requirements, pasturing cows year-round in extended grazing systems is now the most common practice for overwintering cattle on the Prairies. A national survey of cattle producers in 2012 showed the practice of year-round grazing has doubled in Western Canada, compared to practices reported in a 2005 survey. “However, what yearround grazing looks like varies from farm to farm,” says Kim Ominski, beef-forage systems professor at the University of Manitoba, who worked on the survey. “Bale grazing is still one of the most common practices, although grazing swathed cereals or stockpiled forages are also used.” The economic advantages of extensive overwintering systems are well known. Researchers are working to optimize these systems under the range of soil and weather conditions where extended grazing is most commonly practiced. While there is growing interest in stockpiling forages, there are knowledge gaps, particularly for new and emerging varieties. “Information is needed on persistence of quality, regrowth potential

and capacity to remain upright with snow accumulation for tame forages used to extend grazing through fall into early winter,” says Emma McGeough, assistant professor in sustainable grasslands systems at the University of Manitoba. As the objective is low-cost pasture-based feeding, forage species that can maintain forage production and quality during frost and snow in the fall and early winter are highly desirable. “Few publications have examined forage quality retention, animal nutrient status, and subsequent impacts on animal health and productivity in stockpile grazing systems,” says McGeough, 2014 recipient of the Canadian Society of Animal Science Young Scientist award. A new forage quality evaluation study started this spring will include an examination of cow health and reproductive performance, as well as an economic analysis of net returns for extended grazing systems. This four-year study, funded by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) and Manitoba Beef Producers, is a joint Manitoba-Saskatchewan initiative led by McGeough in Manitoba and Paul Jefferson at the

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12 CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

THE BOTTOM LINE

FUNDAMENTALS SUPPORT A STRONG CATTLE MARKET THIS FALL

RICK WRIGHT Cattle producers finally have a reason to smile and it looks like those smiles will last for the next year, at least. Cattle prices have surpassed levels even the most optimistic producer could have hoped for. All of the fundamentals support a strong cattle market this fall. The cattle futures market is very aggressive, driven by short supplies and strong world demand for beef. Corn and soybean crops look very good in the USA with production estimates and predictions keeping the feed grain prices under pressure. Cattle inventory in the USA is low. Despite reports of herd rebuilding, there is more pen space available than cattle placements. The exchange rate on the Canadian dollar is favourable for exports of both cattle and meat products. Other proteins have increased in price, which has helped sustain the increase in the beef prices at the retail level.

As of the first week of August, cash cattle prices reached record levels. Cash cattle sales in Manitoba for 900 pound steers off the grass for August and September delivery have traded from $203 to $207 per hundredweight picked up on the farm. This cash price is 30 to 40 cents per pound more than the contract prices paid in the spring. Despite the fact that there is a lot of seller’s remorse by producers that signed the spring contracts those contracted cattle will still show a profit and it allowed those same producers the confidence to purchase more cattle and contract them at a profit. One producer explained that, after he contracted the first group of cattle, he purchased an additional pen of feeders. After contracting them, he purchased two more pens and contracted them at a profit as well. After doing the math, the projected total profit on the four pens was as good as,

or higher, than if he had left the first pen open on today’s cash market. The reward was acceptable while the risk was covered by the contracts. He explained to me that, without those contracts, he would have only purchased the first pen. He, like many producers that feed larger numbers of cattle, could not afford to take a huge loss on his inventory. There was profit to be had with contracts and most people were convinced that the fall cash prices would not exceed the contract prices. The spring contract prices looked just too good to last. With the introduction of the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program in Western Canada, cattle sellers may not be as quick to forward contract their cattle as they have been in the past. If the program can continue to offer competitive pricing with the reasonable premiums producers may decide not to use long term forward delivery contracts

as the risk management tool they have used in the past. For instance, if the program would have been available this spring, they would have been able to purchase the price protection and have their risk management covered but still had the cattle to sell on the cash market. Producers will still forward contract but they may only price the cattle 30 to 60 days prior to delivery, instead of six months in advance as they have done in the past. The outlook for the calf prices looks very promising for the fall. In Brussels, Ontario 400 pound steers have been selling for $330 per hundredweight, while the market at Ponoka, Alberta reported 380 pound steers selling at $300. There is a shortage of yearlings for cash sales and this could force cattle feeders to look at purchasing heavier calves to top up their inventory. The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program could offer spring coverage that

could support the highest calf prices on record this fall, provided that the grain prices remain the same as they were on August 1. This would make cattle feeders willing buyers at the higher prices. If the Canadian dollar remains at 90 cents or less, the American feeders will be tough competitors on the feeder cattle. Cattle feeders are nervous that this year’s profits could be at risk when they go to purchase their replacement inventory. Market operators are expecting the fall run to be delayed this fall. This compressed fall run is the result of cattle going to pasture later that usual due to flooding and wet weather conditions in the spring. Secondly, a large number of cow-calf producers purchased the price insurance on their calf crop. This will give them the opportunity to put on as many pounds of gain possible on their calves before they sell them, without the fear of a major

price collapse. This could certainly delay the delivery of the calves until later in the season. This scenario could result in a replay of last fall, with sales being booked well in advance. Producers should keep that in mind and book their calves into the sales early. There will be a larger than expected number of cow herds dispersed this fall. Despite the projected high prices for the calves, there are many producers that have been waiting for the right opportunity to exit the business. High calf prices combined with record cull cow prices will encourage producers to replace poor producing cows and build up inventory, creating strong demand for good quality bred cows. This fall promises to be very interesting. And, for the first time since 2003, the cattle producers may be able to finally put the BSE crisis behind us. Here is hoping, Rick.

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES UPDATE: THE WATER FILES - FLOODING, DRAINAGE, ARBI FUNDING AND MORE

MAUREEN COUSINS Although Parliament and the Manitoba Legislature weren’t sitting over the summer, that doesn’t mean the activities of government ceased. Much public attention in recent weeks has focused on the damage caused by flooding and excess moisture conditions, and whether there will be any government programming to help producers move through, and beyond, this disaster. As noted elsewhere in this edition, initiatives MBP is pursuing include: a needs-based forage shortfall program and a related transportation program; the triggering of the Livestock Tax Deferral provision for producers forced to sell breeding stock; efforts to address gaps in the forage insurance programs; a revisiting of Crown land rental rates on unusable acres; and, the construction of a second outlet out of Lake Manitoba, among others. In mid-June, a planned open house in Ashern on the Lake Manitoba/Lake

St. Martin outlet channels conceptual design was postponed as government resources were tied up with the emerging flood threat. The consultation is supposed to be rescheduled this fall and MBP representatives will attend. Some flood-related assistance has been announced by the Manitoba government, but none immediately directed at livestock producers. On July 25th, the province announced compensation for fishers who incurred losses related to the operation of the Lake St. Martin Emergency Channel, such as net and dock damage. In making the announcement, Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton stated, “Our priority is helping families, businesses and communities deal with the flood and come out of this stronger.” Also in July, the provincial government announced the purchase of 60 automated weather stations it says will help improve their

ability to forecast floods and droughts. The stations will include all-season precipitation gauges to collect snow and rainfall precipitation, and will also transmit hourly data on air temperature, humidity, rainfall and soil temperature. Forty of these will be located in agricultural areas. The 2011 Flood Review Task Force had recommended an expanded weather station network. The Manitoba government has announced investments in flood-related projects in several communities, including: permanent dike protection for the Village of Winnipegosis and community of Crane River; community dike work in Riverton; Patricia Beach community dike work; Albert Beach flood protection; and, Pebble Beach flood protection. MBP is involved with the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI), a collaborative effort seeking to draw together a diverse range of stakeholders from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota to address water management issues in this shared basin. In early

August, the Manitoba government committed $50,000 toward the start-up activities of a new Assiniboine River Basin Commission. For more information, visit http://prairienetwork.ca/assiniboine-river-basin/ . The ARBI will be hosting a conference in Regina November 12-14 to help move the initiative forward. While governments spent much of the summer dealing with the immediate threats caused by flooding, work is also underway on longer-term strategies. For example, the Manitoba government is consulting on its surface water management strategy, released in mid-June. Key elements of the strategy include: no net loss of wetland benefits; use of a run-off pond network; terminal basin management; more protected areas for wetland benefits; greater use of green infrastructure; the creation of a new Water Management Directorate; and a new Interagency Surface Water Advisory Team, among others. At the same time, the province is seeking feedback on its Towards Sustainable

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Drainage –A Proposed New Regulatory Approach consultation document. The government maintains the strategy will: allow certain types of routine works to occur through registration with the department; reduce the wait times by 50 per cent or more and also reduce associated costs; provide clear and consistent policies for all; and, will focus on enforcement of illegal works and penalties in line with other environmental legislation. For more information, and to provide feedback on these two strategies go to: www.gov.mb.ca/conservation. In late June, the federal and provincial governments announced that $750,000 will be made available under Growing Forward 2 to con-

servation districts. This will help fund their work with producers on projects aimed at maintaining or improving wetlands, natural tree or grassland areas and riparian areas along waterways, and new water retention projects. The on-farm projects are funded under Growing Forward 2’s Growing Assurance – Ecological Goods and Services program. For a full list of eligible projects, visit www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture under Growing Forward 2 – Strategic Initiatives. Governments were revising the Growing Assurance Adoption Catalogue and the 2014/15 application form. For details, see: http:// www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/ food-safety/at-the-farm/ growing-assurance-foodsafety-on-farm.html.

September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

STRAIGHT FROM THE HIP JACK—THE BEANSTALK AND THE GIANT

BRENDA SCHOEPP When Jack’s mother threw the bean seeds out the window, little did she know of their powers. Overnight, a large stalk had grown and Jack promptly climbed up the beanstalk to withdraw their future fortune. That fairy tale now mirrors reality as we look at the massive growth in GM seeds and their place in gardens and fields. The seed market had grown to USD$47 billion last year with GM seed leading the growth. The big six companies that control 70 per cent of the seed, led by Monsanto, expect that GM seed will account for 50 per cent of all seed and an increase in revenue to USD$53 billion by 2018. Monsanto has taken the global lead, largely by acquisition as they scooped up 50+ seed and related companies since 1996. Between themselves, Dupont and Land O’ Lakes, they control half of the seed market globally and have cross-licensing agreements with all of the big five. Monsanto GM seed alone now accounts for over 80 per cent of American corn acres and over 90 per cent of US soybean acres. Although over one billion farmers must rely on farmer owned seeds, the right to patent seed and own the IP is changing the field and the garden globally. A quarter of the vegetable seed industry is now controlled by Monsanto. It takes more than seed to grow a plant however, and the story of the giants would not be complete without considering the other inputs. Again, Monsanto is the monster in the room when it comes to chemical sales. Some analysts are starting to wonder if seed development is now targeted at seeds dependent on chemicals rather than created for the environment of the plant, the betterment of the farmer and the improvement of yield. I cannot say – but the tight relationship between seed and chemical dominance is a reality. The convergence of the two industries was ignited by the USA BayhDole Act in 1980 which

allowed for the patent of seed. Agrium, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta leads the world in fertilizer sales by revenue and Yara leads the world in fertilizer sales by volume. As Agrium has a hold on all three macro ingredients, they may be unshakable with 1500 facilities worldwide and a 26 per cent ownership share in MOPCO in Egypt. They also control the potash exports out of Saskatchewan through Canpotex. What is interesting about fertilizer is that these companies are somehow exempt for antitrust legislation. That has led to the ownership of over half the global fertilizer market by only ten companies. Closer to Manitoba, two thirds of global potash production is shared between Canada and Russia. Saskatchewan is home to half of the world reserves and 35 per cent of global capacity. Potash can only be found in 12 countries but the large players such as PotashCorp are deeply interlinked. PotashCorp has interests and significant ownership in companies in Israel, Spain, Chile, China, Arab States and the UK. The nucleus of power is also evident in the trade of agricultural commodities. For the grain trade there is a well-known acronym - ABCD - which stands for ADM, Bunge, Cargill and (Louis) Dreyfus who collectively control between 75 per cent and 90 per cent of all global trade in grain. Cargill has the engine when it comes to grain trade. The familyowned company based in the USA was started in 1865 and now employees 142,000 people. The 185 million tons of agricultural commodities that is traded each year travels on 450 ships from 28 export points and results in revenue of US$136.7 billion (2013). ADM has 270 processing facilities and is big in transportation with 27,400 rail cars, 52 ships and 2500 barges on the go at all times. Bunge is 195 years old and operates in 40 countries while Louis Dreyfus, the 163 year old French company, had sales last year of USD$

63 billion, but is so tightly run that they have the highest profits. Trading companies are also finance companies and are heavily involved in risk mitigation. That is why futures markets are heavily influenced by financials as well as commodities. Their threats come from the growth in retail giants who want more control right from the source and the emerging state-owned agribusinesses. Ten retailers dominate the world. In North America, Walmart has a workforce of 1.2 million and gobbles up 47 per cent of global market share with an approximate CN$1100 billion dollars of action. They are untouchable, controlling 69 supermarket chains in 27 different countries and are the 16th largest company in the entire world. Lagging behind are the next two, Carrefour (French) and Tesco (UK). Both buyer and seller, the retailer of today can set a price that trickles down to the trader, processor and producer. At this time in history, no more than five retailers control 80 per cent of all food sales within most nations on earth. (China is the exception where 62 per cent of all retail food is sold in small shops.) The interest in supply chains by retail forces brings them both the hen and the golden egg. They command an egg and usually get one in a way that leaves the farmer as the last to know. It is no different in beef. Certainly, at this moment, retailers are struggling to fill shelves without asking for a sack of gold from the customer, but they also know what they want and they are willing to ask for − or influence − the supply chain to get it. As a beef industry, we need to know who the giants are if we are to live in their company. Brenda Schoepp is a Nuffield Scholar who travels extensively, exploring agriculture and meeting the people who feed, clothe and educate our world. A motivating speaker and mentor, she works with young entrepreneurs across Canada and is the founder of Women in Search of Excellence. She can be contacted through her website, www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014.

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14 CATTLE COUNTRY September 2014

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS 2014 BURSARY WINNERS Manitoba Beef Producers is pleased to announce that four outstanding Manitoba students who plan to pursue post-secondary studies related to agriculture and the rural economy have been selected for 2014 MBP bursaries. Each bursary winner receives $500 toward his or her studies. The selected students are all children of active Manitoba beef producers or beef producers themselves. MBP is proud to invest in these students and the future of agriculture in Manitoba. We congratulate all of the winners and wish them a

successful year ahead as they pursue their studies. This year, applicants were asked to submit an essay discussing “What the beef industry means to my family, my community and Manitoba.” MBP thanks all bursary applicants and wishes them success in their studies. Each year MBP awards four bursaries to MBP members or their children attending a university, college or other post-secondary institution or pursuing trades training. For more information, please visit www.mbbeef.ca.

STEPHANIE DOUSSELAERE’S BRADLEY WRIGHT’S WINNING BURSARY ESSAY WINNING BURSARY ESSAY

Entering the University of Manitoba

I realize the importance of the beef industry, as I have been raised on our family operated beef cattle and grain farm near MacGregor. For my family, the beef industry means a stable income and a lifestyle that we all enjoy together. For my community and province, the beef industry is very important as it exposes people to it in the form of 4-H. The beef industry is an important economic commodity that is also good for the environment. The beef industry is very important to my family in a variety of ways. We operate a beef cattle and grain farm, allowing for a diversified income and the beef cattle industry compensates for poor grain crops that we may experience. This allows us to maintain financial stability and continue the operation, and expansion, of our farm. On a more personal level, nothing brings our family together more than working with the cattle. From vaccinating to tagging, our whole family is involved, working together as a team until the task at hand is completed. We live in a rural community in which the beef industry is very important. Our local 4-H Achievements, including our beef projects, take place in MacGregor, giving many of those who do not live on a working farm a firsthand look at a small part of what the beef industry is, and means to those who are involved. It has also been said that those who participate in the 4-H

beef project have a head start, in terms of their business abilities, as many already own the beginnings of their own herd at a young age. This results in younger members of our community, who may or may not come from an agricultural background, developing a sincere interest in the beef industry at a young age. The beef industry is also important within our community because there are several feedlots in close proximity that employ local residents. The beef industry is also very important to Manitoba for a variety of reasons. From a business perspective, beef cattle have always been an important commodity in Manitoba, which is the third highest exporter of beef in Canada, with 12 per cent of the national herd. Due to the rapidly growing population, the demand for beef is likely to rise, meaning that the beef industry will become increasingly important and profitable for our province. From an environmental standpoint, the beef industry is vital for maintaining the welfare of our land quality as well as the natural habitats of our diverse wildlife populations. Since the majority of raising cattle is done on grass, it eliminates the need for deforestation, protecting local ecosystems. I enjoy being involved in agriculture because it is very hands on, and it gives me the opportunity to spend most of my time outdoors. I also like being involved in agriculture because of all the new innovations that are constantly being developed. Being raised and working on our family farm has made agriculture a part of my life, and left me with a desire to pursue a career that is agriculture related. Whether or not people realize it, the beef industry is very important to producer families, communities and our province. The beef industry provides jobs and exposes people to agriculture in a variety of ways. It is an important and integral part of our local and provincial economies, and it allows people to maintain and preserve the quality of our land and also protects the abundant wildlife of our province.

Entering University of Manitoba

As a result of my upbringing in a farming family in rural Manitoba, it is quite evident that the beef industry has become extremely important to me. For instance, to my family, the beef industry means not only a source of income but also a lifestyle and an education. Keeping an 80-head herd, three of which are mine, we have learned to adjust our lifestyle around that of the farm. As an example, each year we spend my birthday needling cows for foot rot or pinkeye, instead of with a formal birthday party celebration. However, I have never regretted this lack of childhood celebration, as the cattle were more important to me. Also, the beef industry has helped advance my education. In other words, while the public school system is great in a lot of ways, it fails to teach you the same quick reflexes and problem-solving abilities which caring for beef cattle does. Despite having many scars to prove our “lessons”, our cattle have shown to be of great importance to my family. Furthermore, since I live in a small Manitoba town, it is evident that the beef industry is important here as well. Again, not only does each person’s cattle herd provide a source of income and boost the local economy, they also make the community whole. As an illustration, when faced with a large calf, farmers in my community do not hesitate to call a neighbour for assistance. This means

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that the pull is both easier on the cow as well as on the producer. Also, the beef industry is a common topic in the local coffee shops, which in turn brings our community together. All in all, I see the beef industry within Cartwright as a way of bringing everyone together as caring, responsible community members. Within the province of Manitoba, the beef industry is important for a variety of reasons. First of all, it provides consumers with the opportunity to have provincially-raised beef. This way they know where their beef is coming from, and are far more secure in the genuine product they are buying. Also, it is evident through the hours of tiring labour, which must be put in to have a successful beef operation, that it takes a great deal of self-discipline. In other words, as a result of the countless beef operations in Manitoba, it makes it more likely that we would be disciplined in other ideals, such as not drinking and driving. In addition to this, the beef industry boosts the province’s economy, making it possible to have increased services within our community. On the whole, it is evident that the beef industry is vital to Manitoba. There are countless reasons why I love agriculture. First of all, the lifestyle which it formulates creates a unique identity unlike nothing else in the world. For example, I have formed my life around the fact that I am a “farm-girl” to the end, setting me apart from the rest of the crowd. Also, I am ecstatic that agriculture is an industry in which you can pursue a healthy lifestyle since you are constantly walking to check cows in the corral, or using all your strength to unplug the haybine. This also means that you generally have more strength to grow fruits and vegetables to use throughout the year. In addition, I enjoy the camaraderie felt between those involved in agriculture. In essence, it feels like a community, all in itself. When you ask a question to another producer, you will receive an exceptional answer in return. These are just a few of the countless reasons I enjoy being involved in agriculture.

September 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

SAMANTHA RIMKE’S KENDRA ELLIOT’S WINNING BURSARY ESSAY WINNING BURSARY ESSAY

Studying at Brandon University

SEPTEMBER

A commonly asked interview question is to tell the interviewers a little about your background. I always start my answer with, “I was raised on a farm” − a phrase that is inherently understood among many. For those who need clarification: the agriculture and beef industries help to shape people into valuable members of society. Manitoba is a thriving area for beef farming, allowing many families to be involved with this job, and furthermore, with this way of life. Thus, many upcoming community members will be positive contributors. Personally, the influence these industries have had on my family, and the communities we are involved with, have in turn impacted almost all aspects of my life. Our family year is scheduled around the cattle; for example, processing cows is the perfect birthday celebration! In addition to selflessness, most of my life lessons were taught or

OCTOBER

Since I was in a stroller, I have been a participant in the beef industry. My family lives off of the beef industry and has developed our farm over the years. Farming has changed my life and has made me who I am today. My community is well represented, with many farms in the area, and Manitoba is well known for the great genetics and quality beef that we produce. My family has been raised on the beef industry. Being raised in the industry has taught me the value of hard work, and the importance of persevering in difficult times. I have learned through my parents’ examples to face challenges head on, and to develop creative solutions to problems that may arise. Farming is not always easy, but it is a lifestyle that I would not trade for anything. Raising cattle has allowed my family to develop lasting relationships with fellow farmers and organizations. The people in the beef industry are extremely friendly and are always willing to lend a hand when needed. Our family learned this first hand when we experienced an accident in our family a few years ago, and we watched our friends in the industry rally around us. There really is no one quite like a farmer. I love being involved in the beef industry because it has taught me some valuable lessons. I have learned to be a good steward of the land and about how our choices affect our

2014 Fall Sale Schedule

Entering University of Saskatchewan

environment. Showing cattle is a family priority, which has taught me patience and dedication. Growing my own herd has given me an inside look at what is needed for success. My family lives for the beef industry, and it has given me so much. My community relies on the beef industry to stay viable. Approximately 75 per cent of our area is tied to the beef industry in a direct way. In a small town, like ours, everyone’s livelihood is somehow related to how the farmers are doing. Without the beef industry being present, our community would not be able to support the services that it does and would eventually shrink to almost nothing. Besides providing an economic boost, the beef industry in our area also allows non-farmers to still rely on locally sourced food. I truly believe the beef industry is important to everyone in my community. As a province, we need the beef industry. It is a reliable food source that contributes to the health of our families. The beef industry makes use of land not suitable for crop production, allowing it to be productive while helping prevent erosion. Many jobs, either directly or indirectly, rely on the beef industry in our province. There are great genetics that are developed throughout Manitoba. We strive to improve the beef industry and it plays an important role in our society today. Agriculture has always been a part of my life, and always will be. Farming is in my blood. I want to run a cattle and crop farm in the future, raising a family in the agricultural lifestyle. I grew up on a family farm and loved every moment. I dream of giving my children the same experiences that my parents gave me. I truly love being involved with agriculture because it gives me a sense of belonging and purpose. I love being outside, in the fresh air, and there is no better feeling then walking through a pen of newborn calves. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for our industry and to continue to contribute to it in the future.

reinforced via the farm and cows. Patience is learned while waiting for cows to calve. Work ethic is instilled, knowing that jobs might happen at any time and that you keep working until the job is done. A realistic point of view is developed, understanding that things will not always go as planned, but optimism and perseverance are required to keep going each year. Tradition is passed on, but the opportunities for learning and applying new knowledge are endless. Most importantly, an empathetic, caring heart is nurtured − seeing the calves play or nursing one back to health, and making connections with the animals you are raising. Growing up on a beef farm has also allowed me to be involved in beef 4-H. I have learned about feeding and finishing steers, about picking females with longevity, about judging and showing, and about the joys of raising livestock. These skills benefit me immensely as a beef producer. All in all, the beef and agriculture industries have encouraged my career goal of becoming a veterinarian, so that I will be able to serve the rural communities and farmers who have helped me get to where I am now. I am excited to be a part of keeping the beef industry going in Manitoba, in an additional role to the producers. Unfortunately, we have lost the cattle from the Brandon Research Centre, but we have quality genetics and herd health programs to be proud of. With a prominence of cow/calf operations, we also have a highly sustainable economic impact for our province well into the future. Most importantly, we will continue to contribute to the global market, helping ensure food security for all.

Tuesday, Sept 2

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Sept 9

Presort Yearling Sale

9:30 A.M.

Tuesday, Sept 16

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Sept 23

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Sept 30

Presort Calf Sale Simmental Influence 9:30 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 2

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Oct 7

Presort Calf Sale

9:30 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 9

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Oct 14

Presort Calf Sale Angus Influence

9:30 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 16

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Oct 21

Presort Calf Sale

9:30 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 23

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Tuesday, Oct 28

Presort Calf Sale Hereford Influence

9:30 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 30

Regular Sale

9:00 A.M.

Thursday, Oct 30

Bred Cow Sale

1:00 P.M.

Presorts MUST be booked in advance. Bred cow sales must be pre-booked and in by NOON on Wednesday prior. Age verification papers must be dropped off with cattle.

Heartland Livestock Services

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WEEKNIGHT MEAL MAKEOVER: A 7-DAY RECIPE PLAN ADRIANA BARROS, PHEC. It’s past the September long weekend and life is still as busy as ever. During the upcoming weeks before winter, let us not give up on healthy, fresh and homemade dinner time recipes. To make meal time even easier, I am going to list quick recipe ideas on recreating big batch meals using ground beef. These are creative ways to give recipes using ground beef a tasty and fresh makeover the whole family will enjoy. Cooking a large pot of lean ground beef and freezing it in dinner-sized portions can leave you with endless meal makeover possibilities. The basic steps to recreating a meal is to add colour through the addition of vegetables and pulses, add flavour by using low-sodium seasoning and spices, and finally, make something trendy that the whole family will be excited to eat at the end of the day. When cooking dinner, it doesn’t need to be an exact science. It’s best to taste as you go and see what flavours your family enjoys eating best. What follows is a whole week of meal ideas using cooked ground beef, offering creative ways of using this beef cut in methods other than traditional hamburgers, which, although delicious are sometimes a bore.

Monday: Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Combine onion, sweet pepper, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning blend of your choice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and a touch of brown sugar (optional) in a pan on the stove. Sauté all ingredients with prepared ground beef until vegetables soften. Spoon the beef mixture onto toasted buns.

Tuesday: Ground Beef Stuffed Peppers

Add any fresh vegetables on hand such as onion, zucchini, carrots and peppers. Season with Italian spices and add tomato sauce. Bring vegetable mixture together with prepared ground beef, sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and mix in your choice of cooked rice or quinoa. Core sweet bell peppers and stuff with meat, vegetable and rice mixture, top with a cheese of your choice, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350˚F.

Wednesday: Meatloaf Burgers

Take your meatloaf leftovers and turn them into the ultimate burger. Slice leftover

meatloaf into 1-1 ½-inch slices, baste with a barbecue sauce of your choice and grill or pan sear to reheat the meatloaf. Serve on toasted buns with classic burger fixings. Try adding grilled pineapple for something sweet and different.

Thursday:EasyTacoBake

Sauté ground beef with taco seasoning, salsa, corn and other small vegetables of your choice. Using a greased casserole dish, layer whole wheat tortillas to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle beef mixture over top of tortillas, add rinsed kidney beans for added fibre and protein, and top with grated cheddar cheese. Continue layering the dish and finish with a layer of grated cheese. Bake at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are golden. Garnish with green onion, sour cream and salsa.

with ½ cup of pizza sauce or barbecue sauce. Sprinkle prepared ground beef and top with red and yellow peppers, broccoli florets, kale, sweet onion and a mixture of mozzarella and feta cheese. Bake at 400˚F for 12-15 minutes until dough is crispy and cheeses are melted.

Saturday: Five Ingredient Lasagna

In a sauté pan over medium heat reheat prepared ground beef with one jar of tomato basil pasta sauce and 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning. Transfer 1/3 of the beef mixture to a prepared oven safe casserole dish, top with 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles, top with ½ a container of ricotta cheese (115 oz container) and grated mozzarella cheese. Continue layering beef mixture, noodles and cheese. Top with grated mozzarella cheese, cover with tin foil and bake Friday: Stoplight Pizza at 400˚F for 45 minutes. Let Top a 12-inch ready-made stand for 10 minutes before or rolled dough pizza crust serving.

Sunday: Hamburger Minestrone Soup

In a stock pot, add 2 (900 mL) containers of low-sodium beef broth, 1 diced onion, mixed frozen vegetables, 1 can each of kidney beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add 3 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Allow to simmer with prepared ground beef for 20 minutes. Add pasta pieces or barley cooked to package directions, as desired. Weeknight dinner time does not need to be overwhelming or resolved with freezer pizza. There are easy ways of taking control of weeknight meals in a healthy and nourishing way. The aforementioned meal ideas can easily be adjusted for quantity and flavour. Hopefully weeknight meals become more homemade and exciting with these simple family recipes. Get started right away with meal prepping the Canada Beef Inc. recipe for Big Batch Beef. Enjoy a wonderful autumn season and get into the kitchen tonight! Thanks for reading.

The Manitoba Simmental Association hosted a successful weekend of events at Elkhorn Resort July 2527th, including the Canadian Simmental Association Annual General Meeting, and YCSA National Classic Junior Show. Manitoba can be proud of the attendance records that were set and the $89,500 raised at the Friends of Canadian Simmental Foundation Charity Auction.

Thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors and supporters who made this weekend a tremendous success!

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Pembina Triangle Simmental Association & Members

Big Sky Simmentals

Mar Mac Farms – Downhill Simmentals – Perkin Land & Cattle Co. Bull Sale Group

EMF Nutrition Masterfeeds

Twin Brae Simmentals

Westman Steel

Simmental Country Magazine

Silver Lake Farms

Bohrson Marketing

BlackSand Cattle Co.

Bonchuk Farms

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Spread mixture in single layer on several foillined baking trays; cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until meat is firm (about 1 hour).

Loosen frozen beef, breaking into small chunks; scoop meal-sized portions into freezer bags or sealable containers.

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PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

MAUREEN COUSINS

OCTOBER 2014

Continued pursuit of flood-related programming. Page 5

Canada Beef Inc. and the Canadian Football League have inked a three-year partnership agreement to help recognize the Canadian beef industry at CFL games. MBP is part of the initiative, and promoted Manitoba’s beef industry at the August 22 Bombers versus Alouettes game. MBP President Heinz Reimer is pictured with “Dancing Gabe” Langlois.

RON FRIESEN A new scientific study published this summer has rekindled the long-standing debate about whether beef is bad for the environment. The study, in the online scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), finds that beef cattle have a much bigger environmental footprint than other livestock. It suggests the best way to reduce the environmental impact of raising cattle is for people to replace beef with other sources of protein in their diet. The study by U.S. and Israeli researchers has drawn strong objections from Canadian cattle producers who say the findings are just plain wrong and give a false view of beef production. “The science itself is really weak,” said Reynold Bergen, science director of the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC). The PNAS study compared the environmental costs per calorie of beef with dairy, poultry, pork and eggs. It found that beef cattle use 28 times more land than the other animals, as well as 11 times more irrigated water and six times more nitrogen

00471.Cattle_Country_Oct_14.indd 1

KEY POINTS • All livestock together are responsible for only four to five per cent of the total greenhouse gases in Canada. • Beef cattle are often raised on land that is unsuitable for growing crops and which should be left in grass. • Cattle production maintains biodiversity, as well as preserving wildlife habitat and watersheds. • Beef is an important source of protein in the human diet. fertilizer, besides releasing five times more greenhouse gases linked to global warming. The authors’ key conclusion is that “beef production demands about one order of magnitude more resources than alternative livestock categories.” Their solution? Eat less beef. “We show that minimizing beef consumption mitigates the environmental

“Consumers really want to know where their food comes from. They want to know that it’s produced in a manner they agree with.” Fawn Jackson, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. costs of diet most effectively,” the study says. The PNAS study looked at life cycle assessments (LCA) for livestock to estimate environmental impacts by examining inputs (energy, feed, water, etc.) and outputs (greenhouse gases, manure, etc.). It used the results of an LCA conducted in Iowa and extrapolated them to the rest of the United States. This is a serious flaw because a LCA in one state cannot represent an entire country, according to Bergen. Fawn Jackson, manager of environment and sustainability for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said LCAs are a poor measuring stick because they only add up environmental costs, not environmental benefits. As a result, they are extremely limited in their ability to assess overall sustainability. “It really misses the big

picture,” said Jackson. “LCAs don’t capture ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration, impact on storing water, biodiversity preservation or maintaining rural communities.” Allegations that beef is environmentally unfriendly are nothing new for cattle producers, who have heard those claims from environmental and animal welfare groups for years. But producers feel the issue has taken on new urgency now that some scientific studies are starting to repeat the same arguments, such as: i. Cattle are major emitters of methane, a greenhouse gas. ii. Grazing cattle takes up land that could otherwise be used for growing food crops. iii. There would be more natural biodiversity without cattle on pasture.

iv. Eating beef contributes to obesity. Bergen explained the industry has to fight misconceptions with scientific facts, which show that: i. All livestock together are responsible for only four to five per cent of the total greenhouse gases in Canada. ii. Beef cattle are often raised on fragile land that is unsuitable for growing crops and should be left in grass. iii. Far from destroying plant biodiversity, cattle actually maintain it, as well as preserving wildlife habitats and watersheds. iv. Beef protein is a basic part of the human diet. The Beef Cattle Research Council has taken particular offence to the PNAS study. In a July 28 article titled “Hot Air Doesn’t Just Come From Continued on page 2

A look at Residual Feed Intake. Page 11

25 years of Great Tastes of Manitoba. Pages 16

POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: MBP, UNIT 220, 530 CENTURY STREET, WINNIPEG, MB R3H 0Y4 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE PAID IN WINNIPEG.

PRODUCERS FIGHT BACK OVER “BEEF IS BAD” ALLEGATIONS

2014-09-25 6:23 PM

CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

Continued from page 1 Cattle,” the BCRC says the finding that beef has a bigger environmental footprint than chickens and pigs is hardly news because cattle are bigger and live longer, so it takes more feed and water to grow them. But the paper ignores other scientific studies which find the environmental effect of cattle isn’t nearly as great as critics claim, Bergen said. In fact, some studies show the impact of beef production on the environment is actually shrinking, not growing, as critics allege. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Animal Science, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, found the resource inputs and waste outputs, including greenhouse gases, associated with producing beef in the U.S. have decreased significantly over the last 30 years. Kim Ominski, a University of Manitoba animal scientist, said the study demonstrated an overall 16.3 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint per billion kg of beef between 1997 and 2007. The study concludes that in 2007, a billion kg of beef could be produced with 69.9 per cent of the animals, 81.4 per cent of feedstuffs, 87.9 per cent of water and 67 per cent of land compared to 1997. Outputs were reduced: modern systems produce 81.9 per cent

of manure, 82.3 per cent of methane and 88 per cent of nitrous oxide per billion kg of beef. “These reductions may be attributed to a reduced time from birth to slaughter and an increase in body weight at slaughter,” Ominski said. “Fewer animals required to produce one billion kg of beef has reduced resource use per unit of beef, reduced nutrition resources, decreased waste output and decreased GHG emissions.” Bergen said the smaller environmental footprint is due to greater efficiencies in beef production, including genetic improvements, growth promotants, higher quality feed and veterinary care. “If you can keep more animals healthy, more of them make it to slaughter and they go to slaughter sooner. You’re going to require fewer inputs to do that. So the environmental costs are spread out over more animals.” Canada’s beef industry is doing its own research into sustainability. Bergen said a project funded by the BCRC is developing a model, based on actual data, to measure the environmental impact of the industry in Canada. The study, which has been underway for about a year, is seen as a Canadian version of the one described in the Journal of Animal Science. Meanwhile, the Canadian Roundtable on

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Sustainable Beef, formed earlier this year, will hold its first annual meeting in Kelowna, B.C. on September 24 to 25. The organization is doing a project to establish environmental benchmarks for the industry in order to set out a long-term path for sustainability. Jackson said the project will help the industry communicate with the public about what it does and why. “Consumers really want to know where their food comes from,”

she noted. “They want to know that it’s produced in a manner they agree with. It’s important for us to have that information to increase transparency and tell our sustainability story with numbers that strengthen our position.” However, the industry may have its work cut out for it in trying to communicate a positive image to consumers.

A recent public opinion report conducted for Agriculture and AgriFood Canada found the general public has a generally low level of awareness about agriculture in Canada. The report done by Strategic Counsel, a market research firm, found the Canadian public has “a number of

misperceptions about the agricultural sector and a relatively pessimistic public view with respect to its future outlook.” The report, based on results from focus groups, also found consumer perceptions are often “heavily influenced by alarmist documentaries and media reports.”

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MANITOBA 1-888-622-6487

CALGARY 1-888-571-3580

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin, LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

DAVE KOSLOWSKY

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

LARRY WEGNER

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

DIANNE RIDING

DISTRICT 10

THERESA ZUK - TREASURER

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 4

TOM TEICHROEB

CHERYL MCPHERSON

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

LARRY GERELUS

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Lansdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

CARON CLARKE

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

BILL MURRAY - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

Unit 220, 530 Century Street Winnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

STAN FOSTER

POLICY ANALYST Maureen Cousins

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Chad Saxon

FINANCE

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer

Maureen Cousins

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

00471.Cattle_Country_Oct_14.indd 2

2014-09-25 6:23 PM

October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

WINTER FEEDING 2014: SOME FACTORS TO CONSIDER DR. JUANITA KOPP, MAFRD FARM PRODUCTION EXTENSION SPECIALIST - BEEF With excessive amounts of rain in some areas of the province and late forage harvesting, the feed supply may be limited. However, no matter what the weather brings, proper nutrition is essential to maintain the productivity of your beef herd. It’s important to match the quality of your harvested or purchased feed to what the cattle require. That’s why feed testing is so important; with feed test results, rations can be formulated and balanced to save money by preventing the over or underfeeding of the herd. The performance of your cattle during the winter depends on: frame size, body condition, feed quality, types of feed, dry matter intake and fluctuations in temperature. Cattle require energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water (Table 1). Body condition at the start of the winter has a major affect on the amount and quality of feed required. It’s very difficult to put weight on a thin cow during the winter as she will need the best quality forage with supplemental grain or pellets. Not feeding enough energy or protein can cause low birth weights, weak calves, poor milk production and re-breeding problems. A cow in good condition only needs to gain the weight of the calf that is growing inside her, which is generally about 150 to 180 lb for an average sized cow. When feeding low quality hay, supplementing with higher quality hay, grain or pellets will be required. If your hay is very mature and close to straw quality, you’ll have to limit or eliminate it from late gestating or lactating cow rations. Since straw is high in fibre, low in protein and energy, it takes longer to digest. This limits how much straw a cow can eat. When feeding a straw based ration, a good guideline is to only include 1.25 per cent of body weight as straw on a dry matter basis. In other words, a 1300 lb cow in early gestation can consume no more than 16.5 lb of straw on a dry matter basis or 18.5 lb on an ‘as-fed’ basis; if the straw is 12 per cent moisture (88 per cent dry matter) (1300 x .0125 = 16.25 ÷ 0.88 = 18.5 lb). Abomasal impaction may occur if a properly balanced straw ration is not prepared; feeding supplemental digestible protein and energy is needed to prevent this potential problem.

If you’ve decided to use alternative feeds that you’ve never used before, feed testing is money well spent. In the past, I’ve been asked about feeding canola hay or silage, using field pea hay, mint silage, sunflower silage, cull potatoes, forage straw from seed production, cull beans, distillers grains, and many other novel feeds. My advice to all producers is to get as much information about the feed from the supplier as you can. You don’t want to pay for an alternative feedstuff that can’t be used due to moulds, toxins or other anti-nutritional factors. For example, using tall fescue straw that is infected with endophytes may cause some problems. The main toxin that is produced is ergovaline; its threshold levels are 400 to 700 parts per billion when feeding cattle. The toxin may reduce feed intake and decrease milk production; at higher levels it can cause the loss of ears and other extremities during cold weather. As a precaution, if you intend to purchase grain screenings or screening pellets, ask your feed supplier if they test for ergot toxins. Grain screenings can have high levels of these toxins and are concentrated when pelleted. These toxins can cause reproductive problems and reduce milk production. Mouldy feed will have reduced nutritional value, can be very dusty and can cause fungal pneumonia, which is difficult to treat. Some spores may pass through the rumen wall, be carried into the blood stream and settle in the uterus, causing uterine infections and mycotic abortions. As well, estrogenic compounds produced by some moulds may affect lactation and cycling. Do not give mouldy feeds to pregnant or lactating cows. Test for mould type, level and potential toxins before feeding non-pregnant, dry, older cattle. Dilute mouldy feeds with good quality feed to reduce potential problems. It’s also very important to provide adequate levels of vitamin A and E as they are lost when mould grows in the feed. The supplement of vitamins A and E is also important because grains contain little or no vitamins, and harvested forages have variable levels that are significantly reduced with

storage. It’s best to assume that harvested forages contain no vitamin A or E. You can either feed vitamins in a concentrate supplement or inject them. Vitamin A is essential for vision, reproductive performance and immune function; it also helps prevent scours in calves. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that interacts with the mineral selenium to provide protection for cells and tissues involved in immune function. It can reduce the incidence of retained placentas; help prevent stillbirths and white muscle disease in calves. Both these vitamins are required to provide protection from diseases. Feed minerals all year round – it’s cheaper in the long-run than treating downer cows or lameness due to mineral imbalances. For instance, winter tetany is caused by lower than average blood magnesium levels. It occurs when cattle are fed low quality hay or straw that has low magnesium levels or if they’re fed feeds high in potassium like cereal greenfeed or silage. A high level of potassium in the diet reduces the animal’s ability to absorb magnesium and calcium resulting in a deficiency of these minerals. Supplementing with limestone (calcium) will help prevent winter tentany, but if the potassium level is very high you may also need to feed magnesium oxide. Winter tetany occurs often in cows in late pregnancy and after calving. Affected cows or “downer cows” will behave similar to those with milk fever: they are unable to get up. Cows that have not gone down often appear uncoordinated, trembling or stagger. Active treatment for winter tetany includes intravenous or subcutaneous administration of solutions containing magnesium and/or calcium salts. If your cattle show any sign of the above symptoms, producers should contact their veterinarian immediately. For more information on feed testing, feeding cattle during the winter, and ration formulation services contact your local MAFRD office.

Table 1. Nutritional requirements of the breeding herd1 Beef Cattle

Total Digestible Nutrients %

Crude Protein %

Calcium %

Phosphorous %

Mid-gestation Mature Cow

50-53

0.20

Late Gestation Mature Cow

0.28

0.23

Lactating Mature Cow

60-65

11-12

0.30

0.26

Replacement Heifers

60-65

8-10

0.30

0.22

Breeding Bulls

48-50

7-8

0.26

0.20

Yearling Bulls

55-60

7-8

0.23

This should only be used as a guide since nutritional requirements vary with body weight, frame size, predicted ADG and stage of production; based on Alberta Agriculture, and Rural Development Cowbytes version 5.31, 2011. All rations must be balanced for protein, energy, vitamins and minerals.

Attention Hunters

Help protect Manitoba’s big game populations The Manitoba government has enacted measures to protect wild elk and deer from disease. By law, all hunters must submit biological samples (head, upper neck and lungs) of elk and deer taken in certain Game Hunting Areas (GHAs) to Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship. Samples are examined for any signs of disease. Samples are required from elk and deer taken in GHAs 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 18 and 18B (west of PR 366), 18A, 18C, part of 22 (west of PTH 83), 23, and 23A. Please submit fresh, not frozen, samples within 48 hours of the kill. Note that antlers of male elk or deer are not needed and should be removed before submitting the sample. A number of local businesses are participating by accepting samples from hunters. Please check the website listed below, or the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide for a location nearest you.

Ban on Feeding The feeding of deer, elk and moose in the above noted GHAs is prohibited.

Bringing Game into Manitoba It is illegal to bring a deer, elk or moose killed in another province or state into Manitoba unless the head, hide, hooves, mammary glands, entrails, internal organs and spinal column are first removed and left in the province or state of origin. Please refer to the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide for instructions on properly removing and treating the antlers and bone plate.

Dr. Juanita Kopp is the Farm Production Extension Specialist – Beef, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Livestock Knowledge Centre.

For more information: To learn more about wildlife disease and the submission of biological samples please refer to a copy of the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide, visit www.manitoba.ca/conservation/wildlife/disease or call 204-622-2474.

www.mbbeef.ca Chronic Waste Disease Ad Publication: Cattle Country Ad size: 4.75’’ wide x 7.75’’ deep 00471.Cattle_Country_Oct_14.indd 3

2014-09-25 6:23 PM

CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN CATTLE COUNTRY DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS. WE BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO VOICE THEIR OPINION.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

MOOVIN’ ALONG

CCA’S SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING: FLOODING, FLUKES AND MORE

HEINZ REIMER In this month’s column, I would like to update you on a number of issues that we discussed at the Canadian Cattlemen Association’s (CCA) Semi-Annual Meeting, which was held in Charlottetown, PEI from August 13 to 16. On the animal health and care front, there was a discussion of the importance of maintaining our BSE surveillance levels. At present in Canada, we are behind last year’s pace in terms of the rate of samples being submitted for surveillance and could fall short of the 30,000 target number. We need to get to this level to help maintain our status as a “controlled BSE risk” country as recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

This surveillance program provides information that tells us how effective our control measures are, which is fundamentally important in order to maintain and to enhance Canada’s market access, and also to maintain consumer confidence in our beef. I would like to urge all cattle producers to help Canada meet its surveillance target. If you have any cattle over 30 months of age that are dead, down, diseased or dying, call your local veterinarian or nearest CFIA office. They will assess the animal and, if appropriate, collect the brain tissue sample for testing, and also discuss the reimbursement process with you. The CFIA will reimburse producers $75 for eligible samples to assist with carcass disposal costs (either on farm or

through a commercial option), and up to $100 for veterinary services. The CFIA has a toll free BSE Surveillance hotline: 1-866-400-4244. For more information about the BSE Surveillance Program visit http://www.inspection. gc.ca/animals/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/ bse/enhanced-surveillance/ maintaining-confidence/en g/1356646924535/13566470 39774 Also on the animal health front, MBP brought forward a couple of issues of local concern at the CCA meetings. One is the need to have ready access to treatment products to combat liver flukes. The other dealt with maintaining the position of TB coordinator, which is important to ensuring that efforts to eradicate the disease in Manitoba’s

Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA) are moving smoothly. As a result of these discussions, two resolutions were passed as follows: • That the CCA investigate avenues to improve Canadian access to liver fluke treatment products. • That the CCA advocate for the continued support, and renewed appointment, of the RMEA TB coordinator by the federal and provincial governments. At the CCA’s Environment Committee, there was considerable discussion about the work of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. This involves topics such as: • The sustainability assessment being undertaken of Canada’s beef industry.

DATE

LOCATION

ADDRESS

District 14

Stan Foster

Oct-27

Durban Community Hall

612 1st St. N, Durban

District 13

Ben Fox

Oct-28

Credit Union Place Arena

200 1st St. SE, Dauphin

District 7

Larry Gerelus

Oct-29

Rossburn Community Hall

10 Main St. N, Rossburn

District 6

Larry Wegner

Oct-30

Heartland Virden Auction Mart

1 mile south of Hwy #1 on Hwy #83

District 11

Caron Clarke

Nov-03

Ashern Royal Canadian Legion

3 Main St. E, Ashern

District 12

Bill Murray

Nov-04

Ste. Rose Jolly Club

638 1st Ave., SW, Ste. Rose

District 10

Theresa Zuk

Nov-05

Bifrost Community Centre

337 River Rd., Arborg

District 4

Heinz Reimer

Nov-06

Grunthal Auction Mart

Provincial Road 205

District 3

Cheryl McPherson

Nov-10

Elm Creek Community Hall

70 Arena Rd., Elm Creek

District 2

Dave Koslowsky

Nov-12

Crystal City Community Hall

Conklin St. S, Crystal City

District 1

Ted Artz*

Nov-13

Deloraine Legion Club

115 Cavers St. N, Deloraine

District 5

Ramona Blyth

Nov-14

Carberry Memorial Hall

224 2nd Ave., Carberry

District 8

Tom Teichroeb

Nov-17

Royal Canadian Legion

425 Brown Ave., Neepawa

District 9

Dianne Riding

Nov-18

Teulon Hall

14 Main St., Teulon

*Director retiring

CALL 1-800-772-0458 OR EMAIL INFO@MBBEEF.CA FOR FULL DETAILS

• Adding modules to the Verified Beef Production Program to address biosecurity, animal care and environmental stewardship. • McDonald’s commitment to purchase verified sustainable beef by 2016, including its Canadian pilot supply project. The CCA’s Environment Committee also had a discussion about developing and executing a pilot project for recycling of bale and silage wrapped twine. At the CCA’s Domestic Ag Committee meeting, MBP gave an overview of Manitoba’s water-related challenges, and outlined the need for advocacy from the CCA on this front. Also discussed was the need for meaningful responses from federal and provincial governments in this area. MBP is pleased that three resolutions were carried in this regard as follows: • That the CCA advocate with federal and provincial officials for the timely implementation of AgriRecovery programming, and the triggering of the livestock tax deferral provision for livestock producers affected by disasters such as flooding and excess moisture in 2014. • That the CCA advocate with federal and provincial officials for the enhancement of effective templates that can be used to help ensure the swift rollout of programming during natural disasters affecting the livestock sector.

• That the CCA lobby federal and provincial governments to work together to implement a long term solution for the Assiniboine River Valley and provide a permanent drainage solution or drainage channel for Lake Manitoba. These are just a few of the many issues discussed at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association’s semi-annual meetings. In closing, please make sure you attend your MBP District Meeting. They start the last week of October and run until November 18th. See the meeting schedule on this page. Come out, enjoy some beef on a bun, and give us feedback on issues of importance to you. Resolutions passed at district meetings will be taken forward for debate at the 36th MBP AGM in Brandon this coming February. Also, this fall the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association will be holding a Town Hall meeting in Manitoba. It will be held on October 28 in Dauphin, in advance of MBP’s District 13 meeting. See more details on page 2. This is a good opportunity to learn more about the activities on which CCA lobbies at the national level. P.S. We also got to enjoy some steak and lobster while in PEI at the CCA SemiAnnual Meeting. Manitoba will be hosting the event next year. and MBP looks forward to working with the CCA on this.

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00471.Cattle_Country_Oct_14.indd 4

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October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

GENERAL MANAGERS’ COLUMN

THE CONTINUED PURSUIT OF FLOOD-RELATED PROGRAMMING MELINDA GERMAN It’s difficult to believe it’s already fall. The week I wrote this column, snow was already falling in Alberta and it was only the beginning of September. My hope is that we will have a little more time for harvest-related duties and fall work before winter arrives. An early winter will only compound the challenges our industry is facing this year. The last several months have seen record rainfall in many areas of Manitoba, creating many issues for producers. And, these conditions have only compounded the challenging production environment for those who have faced high lake levels and excess moisture for the past several years. It has been a very challenging and extremely busy time for the association

since production conditions began deteriorating around the start of June. MBP directors and staff have been working on many key issues, but the one that continues to top our priority list is flooding. From the outset, we have been meeting with provincial and federal Ministers and senior staff to relay to them the devastating impact of the disaster, and to convey the urgency of the situation. First and foremost, MBP has been calling for the swift delivery of programs to address the feed shortages that will be experienced this winter. As well, we have asked for a transportation program to help offset the costs needed to bring feed in this winter. At this stage in the cattle cycle, we should have started to see the retention of

breeding animals and expansion of our provincial cow herd, instead of the continued contraction. Producers affected by these latest challenges are making carefully thought out management decisions, assessing whether they will have enough feed to get through the winter. This is not surprising, as they have not yet seen signals from governments that assistance is forthcoming. Because of this, MBP also continues to lobby for the triggering of the federal tax deferral provision for producers deciding to sell part of their breeding stock due to the adverse conditions. Lastly, MBP’s other main priority over the last four months has been our renewed call to permanently resolve the Lake Manitoba water level challenges. Repeatedly, residents of agro-Manitoba have been required to sacrifice their

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water-related issues, and others, to the National Cattle Feeders Association’s table for discussion and to seek support. We look to all our partners nationally for support in advocating for timely programs in times of disaster, and for the development of meaningful policies and programs to help advance our industry. Manitoba is blessed with so many natural attributes integral to the sustainable production of beef. Further, market forces and

international opportunities are aligning to contribute to our industry’s future success. But first we must ensure we have a viable industry to take advantage of these opportunities. We need and continue to call for smart programs and policies that work with the industry to ensure its success. We are striving to strengthen the industry so that it attracts new entrants, and ushers in a new generation of beef production. Our province will be stronger for it.

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CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

LIVER FLUKES ARE TURNING UP IN PARTS OF SOUTHERN MANITOBA DR. WAYNE TOMLINSON, DVM, MAFRD Historically, Western Canada has had only sporadic incidences of liver fluke infections. Recently, however, in areas in the southeast part of Manitoba, liver fluke infections have become a regular occurrence. We have also seen sporadic infections in other parts of the province. Liver flukes are parasites that, during their life cycle, spend time in the liver where they can damage the organ. The two most frequent liver flukes in North America are the flat, leaf- shaped Fasciola hepatica (common liver fluke) and Fasciola magna (giant liver fluke). To date only the giant liver fluke has been reported in Manitoba. Adult flukes live in the liver of herbivores, excrete eggs, which pass down bile ducts into the intestine and pass in the feces. The eggs develop, hatch and release free living larva (miracidia) that invade suitable snails. The larvae develop and multiply

in the snail and then emerge, a second free living larva (cercaria). The cercaria encyst on moist or submerged vegetation until eaten. Animals become infected by eating the cysts on plants or drinking water containing the larva. Once ingested, the cysts hatch and migrate through the intestinal wall into the liver. The young flukes migrate around the liver until they pair up, complete their development, and live in the bile ducts as adults. Deer and elk are the only definitive hosts for the giant liver fluke, whereas cattle, bison and sheep are dead end hosts, and the fluke cannot complete the life cycle. In these species, the fluke does not reproduce. In cattle and bison, the fluke will lay in cysts within the liver, while in sheep the larva continuously migrate, constantly causing damage to the liver. The spread of flukes depends on the presence of a

suitable snail (intermediate host), and a herbivore host capable of scattering eggs in their feces. Just as not all herbivores are capable of producing eggs, not all snails are suitable for the development of the immature fluke. Snails capable of producing cercaria may be washed into areas with flood waters, thus accounting for the sudden emergence of liver flukes in a previously uninfected region. Snails live in marshy areas, dugouts, ditches, and in mudflats along slow moving streams and rivers. Another method of movement for flukes is the migration of infected mammalian hosts. In the case of the giant liver fluke, it is migration of deer and elk. The severity of a liver fluke infection depends on the number of flukes ingested. In Manitoba, with the giant liver fluke as the primary fluke, symptoms are often mild. Liver damage caused

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by migrating or encysted flukes results in economic loss, as livers are condemned at slaughter. When cattle develop a secondary bacterial infection of the liver, they can become “poor doers,” unthrifty cattle with loss of condition. On more rare occasions, cattle can be infected with a clostridial (black leg like) bacteria. This bacteria can cause “red water disease” and sudden death. In order for the giant liver fluke to build up to high enough numbers to affect herd health and productivity, there must not only be cohabitation of cattle with deer and elk, but also high stocking densities on limited pastures. With the common liver fluke, diagnosis is simple. Manure samples can be examined for presence of eggs. However, since the giant liver fluke becomes encysted in capsules and does not pass eggs into the bile ducts, there are no eggs in the feces. Diagnosis is therefore difficult. Currently, the best method available is to monitor the livers of cattle, that are either slaughtered or die, for signs of infection. Treating infected cattle is challenging. Albendazole (Valbazen), an oral product, is only effective against adult flukes and the adult liver flukes that lay encapsulated in the liver. This capsule makes the penetration of the flukacide difficult and reduces its efficacy.

drug release from the United Kingdom (UK). Usage in the UK has risen due to recent wet weather and an increase in flukes. This has caused some availability problems for Fasinex®. The bottom line: all of the products for treating the giant liver fluke are off-label or extra-label. If you think you are having a liver fluke problem in your herd, discusses treatment options with your veterinarian. Control of liver flukes is best done by limiting movement of susceptible animals into areas where suitable snails exist. Restrict access to contaminated water bodies and pastures where snails abound. Where permitted, controlled burning of grasses and rushes in the spring may reduce the number of larva available to infect livestock. Liver flukes are like most other parasitic diseases. Low level infections are the most common and often result in few clinical signs; animals simply do not achieve their full production potential. For greater livestock production potential, ensure that your cattle have adequate nutrition, good management, and make control of parasitism part of your preventative herd health program. Dr. Tomlinson is an Extension Veterinarian who works for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

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Other products that are available elsewhere in the world are only available in Canada on an emergency drug release. IVOMEC® Plus (an injectable product) is available in the U.S. The plus in IVOMEC® Plus is a product called clorsulon. Clorsulon can be effective against giant flukes, but the dose needs to higher than is present in IVOMEC® Plus. Treating with the correct dose of clorsulon would mean overdosing with the ivermectin. The gold standard for treatment is triclabendazole (Fasinex®). Triclabendazole, an oral product, is effective against immature as well as mature flukes. Timing of treatment with the triclabendazole is important. Ideally, it should be done when the flukes are around eight weeks of age − before they have done major damage to the liver − and before they become encapsulated. The seasonal timing of treatment depends on the frequency and intensity of exposure, as well as environmental temperature. Maximum transmission, in our climate, likely occurs in summer and fall, making the best time for treatment late fall or early winter. In heavily contaminated areas, and when conditions are ideal for the fluke, two treatments− one in fall and a second in winter − may be required for maximum control. Fasinex® is currently only available to veterinarians in Canada as an emergency

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October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

TB COORDINATOR’S UPDATE ON FUTURE SURVEILLANCE PLANS DR. ALLAN PRESTON Present Status

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) continues to be an issue for Manitoba cattle producers. However, the provincial cattle herd remains TB free, and the disease incidence in the wild cervid population is at its lowest point since we began this journey many years ago. As reported in the July Cattle Country update, the 2013-14 season is behind us with continued negative TB test results in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA) cattle herd. These results demonstrate how effective the risk mitigation efforts, put into place by producers, have been in reducing and minimizing the potential for TB-infected wild elk to interact with, and spread the disease to, domestic livestock. The one TB-positive elk cow detected in the Core Area of the Riding Mountain National Park will have an impact on the go-forward plans, but that impact is certainly manageable. I know at times it is difficult to see that progress has been made but, indeed the progress has been quite remarkable and the end points, while still a piece off, are now quite clearly defined.

2014-15 Plans

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), with input and guidance from the Scientific Review Committee and the TB Policy Steering Committee, has finalized its testing program for this fall and winter. Approximately 4,700 head in 52 herds have been selected for surveillance testing. This includes the remaining 11 herds in the Core Area not tested this past winter, and, approximately 10 per cent of the RMEA herds outside of the Core Area, which were selected by a combination of factors, including distance from the location of the positive elk cow, herd size, interval since the last herd test, and individual herd risk factors. Some of the costs to producers for herd testing will be offset this year through a $6/head contribution from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, as well as an additional $1/head from Manitoba Beef Producers. Future herd testing outside of the Core Area

will be phased out as more complete and accurate slaughter surveillance information on RMEA-born cattle is collected. Increasing success at tracking these cattle to slaughter (upwards of 80 per cent of cattle born and tagged in the RMEA can now be identified at slaughter or export) will allow the cessation of herd testing outside of the Core Area, beginning in 2015-16. To identify and eliminate any additional infected elk, all mature cow elk in the Core Area will be captured, blood tested, collared and released over the next 24 months. Any blood test positive elk will be removed. This process will be repeated again in five years’ time to confirm the very low prevalence of TB in this herd. White-tailed deer (WtD) surveillance will be conducted through hunter-killed submissions from GHAs 23 and 23A.

Timelines and Goal Posts

The end is indeed in sight. Active and passive surveillance as described above will allow us to

The role RMEA producers have played in the successes achieved in the eradication of TB must continue to be recognized and applauded. demonstrate that TB has indeed been relegated to the sidelines. That said, the finding of the positive elk cow this past year does indicate quite clearly that some degree of surveillance will be required for upwards of six to 10 years. Here’s a rough timeline, always coming with the caveat that we do not detect any additional positive TB cases in cattle or wild cervids, and the added caveat that any positive elk cases in animals born after 2004 would prove more problematic: • 2014-15: Last year for significant herd testing outside of the Core Area. • 2015-16: Begin reduction in Core Area herd testing, dependant upon On-Farm Risk Assessments, and ongoing risk mitigation activities on individual farms. • 2014-16: Complete first cycle of mature elk cow testing in the Core Area;

• 2019-20: Complete the second cycle (with negative results from these two cycles, the wild herd disease prevalence will be below detectable limits, and further live animal surveillance will be unnecessary). • 2019-20: Five years out from last positive elk case, hunter killed surveillance of elk and WtD in the RMEA will also become unnecessary. • 2020: Cattle TB surveillance relies completely on slaughter surveillance – no additional herd testing in the RMEA.

The Tasks and Challenges for RMEA Producers

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10 CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

VET CORNER

THE NEVER-ENDING BATTLE AGAINST BOVINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE

DR. TANYA ANDERSON, DVM Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) still costs the beef industry hundreds of millions of dollars annually despite improvements in vaccines, herd management and the development of novel, longer-acting antibiotics. BRD accounts for 70 to 80 per cent of all feedlot sickness and 40 to 50 per cent of all mortality. In fact, the incidence is higher today than 20 years ago. New changes in legislation, consumer preference demands, the emergence of

drug resistance, the costs of treatment, and reduced animal performance are forcing feedlots to decrease their reliance on drugs for disease control. Technologies like on-farm respiratory scoring, the Whisper stethoscope and electronic behaviour monitoring deal with management of the disease after the fact. The focus needs to return to the root cause of BRD and its prevention. Unfortunately the solution is neither single nor simple. Reducing the losses from BRD requires the

No one has a herd that is “free” of the pathogens that cause pneumonia…Respiratory disease will always be a risk, and vaccination and nutrition are essential, starting with the cow. efforts of everyone within the production chain, starting at the cow-calf stage. No one has a herd that is “free” of the pathogens that cause pneumonia. Of the three bacteria — Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocia and Histophilus somnus — most often involved with BRD, Mannheimia haemolytica and Histophilus cause the most economic loss. What

many cow-calf producers do not realize is that these bacteria are found in the nasal passages of healthy calves on pasture. The bacteria wait for an opportunity — weather (dust, heat, fluctuating temperatures), and weaning stress or a viral infection –to start growing. Lungs compromised by the stressors cannot fight off the invading bacteria, and disease results.

It is for this reason that it is critical that cow-calf producers focus on the management of their herds to promote optimal respiratory health in their calves. Focus on what you can control: genetics, nutrition, deworming, castration/dehorning and vaccination. Plan for adverse weather; it will happen. Ensure that the calves you are selling in the fall are ready to go on feed and have strong immune systems.

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Respiratory disease will always be a risk, and vaccination and nutrition are essential, starting with the cow. Many producers do not realize the impact of the 4-way vaccination program in their cows. This vaccine provides protection against bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and parainfluenza (PI3). All cause viral pneumonia and two (BVD and IBR) can cause abortion. It is bad for business to never vaccinate or to only do so on alternating years. Every calf crop needs protection, and your reputation amongst feedlot owners is at stake. Good nutrition for the pregnant cow and plenty of high quality colostrum for the newborn calf ensure long-term immunity. Cows on a poor plane of nutrition during pregnancy will “program” the calf for reduced genetic potential. In addition, these cows have higher rates of calving difficulty and reduced milk production, with consequent reduced calf weaning weights. Receiving adequate colostrum on the first day of life helps protect the calf for the next three to five weeks. Calves denied adequate colostrum are 9.5 times more likely to get sick post-weaning (Perino 1996). Similarly, calves vaccinated, implanted and dewormed while on the cow have the potential for increased economic returns through efficient weight gain and heavier market weights. These calves are ready to go on feed and will be lower risk for feedlots. However, the benefits of a good preconditioning program are only seen in feedlots that purchase calves of a similar health background. Even fully vaccinated and immunocompetent calves will have high rates of sickness if mixed with unweaned, unvaccinated high risk calves, due to the exposure to massive amounts of pathogens. The whole industry must get on board to address this problem. The costs per pound of beef produced must be decreased to ensure the industry remains viable, and consumers remain willing to pay for our product.

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October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

BUILDING A MORE FEED-EFFICIENT HERD WITHOUT COMPROMISING OVERALL PRODUCTIVITY CHRISTINE RAWLUK, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LIVESTOCK AND THE ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA Increasingly cow-calf producers are selecting replacement heifers on the basis of Residual Feed Intake (RFI). Low RFI cattle require less feed to achieve the same level of growth and maintenance, which means lower feed costs. In addition, recent research work shows that herd productivity is not affected when replacement heifers are selected for low RFI.

What is RFI?

Residual Feed Intake is a measure of how efficient an animal is at using feed for growth and maintenance. RFI is the difference between an animal’s actual feed intake and its expected feed requirements for maintenance and growth. An “average” animal would have a RFI value of “0”, while a more efficient animal would have a negative RFI value. Looking at the two heifers shown here, Heifer W1030 (RFI = -0.60) will eat 0.60 kg (dry matter basis) less per day than a heifer with an RFI of 0. Alternatively, Heifer W1077 (RFI = 0.48) will eat 0.48 kg (dry matter basis) more per day than a heifer with an RFI of 0. Heifer W1030 uses feed more efficiently than average, while Heifer W1077 is ranked as less efficient than average. Building a more efficient herd can generate both economic and environmental benefits as more efficient animals require less feed, generate less manure, and emit less greenhouse gases. Plus, selecting for more efficient animals using RFI does not compromise average daily gain (ADG) or body weight. Recently summarized research by John Basarab of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD), shows that selecting for low RFI cattle “will reduce feed intake at equal weight and ADG by 10-12 per cent and improve feed to gain ratio by 10-15 per cent.”

RFI and reproductive efficiency

For cow-calf producers, reproductive efficiency of the herd is also a key profitability consideration. With that in mind, researchers Kim Ominski and Gary Crow at the University of Manitoba and John Basarab at ARD, along with U of M graduate

student Carson Callum, set out to answer the question: “does selecting for low RFI replacement heifers impact their lifetime productivity as cows?” Carson Callum hails from a mixed grain and beef cattle farm in Miami, Manitoba, and is a past recipient of a Manitoba Beef Producers’ bursary. This past August, Carson presented his research results at the World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, held in Vancouver, British Columbia. “We looked at a number of different indicators of cow productivity, including Most Probable Producing Ability (MPPA) for calf birth weight and weaning weight, as well as herd lifetime productivity,” said Callum. MPPA is a prediction of the performance of future calves from a given cow that includes cow maternal, environmental and genetic effects. Lifetime productivity was measured as the total weight of calves produced by a cow over her lifetime, and thus includes not only growth capacity of the calf, but also reproductive capability of the cow. Herd lifetime productivity was calculated for 450 beef replacement heifers, either British breed cross (Angus and Hereford) or Continental-British cross (CharolaisMaine Anjou x Red Angus) over an 8-year period. “Our results show that selecting for feed efficient, low RFI replacement heifers appears to have no negative impact on the different measures of cow and herd productivity,” stated Callum. RFI did not impact cow lifetime productivity traits or cow fertility. Heifers ranked as low, medium or high RFI were not different in their pregnancy rate as cows, or in cow lifetime MPPA for birth weight and weaning. “Based on this work, RFI is a suitable tool for selecting replacement heifers without compromising the selection of cows that are highly productive over their lives,” said Callum. “With new knowledge of feed efficiency and its relationships to other traits, we can be more confident in using multi-trait selection in beef cattle, which incorporates feed efficiency,” said

RFI Ranking: Heifer W1030 is efficient while Heifer W1077 is inefficient. Heifer data and photos courtesy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Station, Lacombe, Alberta.

Crow, senior scholar in genetics and breeding at the University of Manitoba. This allows a producer to place emphasis on traits both on the input side of beef production, such as feed costs, as well as on the output side, such as growth and carcass characteristics. “The best animal to select for the herd will be one which exhibits the best combination of traits to

achieve higher profit,” con- four University of Manitoba cluded Crow. students will earn graduate degrees working in this area. RFI research a The overall study examwestern Canada ines how RFI is influenced partnership by climate and manageThis project is part of a ment practices typical to larger RFI study involving the prairies, where cattle researchers with the Uni- are commonly fed forageversity of Manitoba, Alberta based diets and are exposed Agriculture and Rural De- to extreme weather condivelopment, the University of tions. Alberta, and Agriculture and This RFI research is supAgri-Food Canada. In total, ported by the Manitoba Beef

Producers, Alberta Beef Producers and the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, as well as through Growing Forward, Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council and the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. More information on RFI, including economic and FAQ fact sheets, is available on the ARD website at http://www1. agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/ deptdocs.nsf/all/beef14856.

CCA ACTION NEWS COOL UPDATE GINA TEEL, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CANADIAN CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION Recent media reports speculating about the World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance panel process regarding Canada and Mexico’s challenge to U.S. mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) have resulted in more than a few media calls to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). The CCA does not comment on speculation, noting that the official compliance panel decision remains confidential until the WTO publishes it, but offers the following general comment about Canada’s COOL challenge at the WTO: The CCA believes in the strength of Canada’s arguments that were put forth to the panel and we continue to hold the view that COOL discriminates against live imports of cattle and hogs into the U.S. marketplace. The CCA believes that the only way to bring COOL into compliance is through legislative change, either by

repeal or amendment of the COOL statute. Such action must result in elimination of the segregation of imported livestock in the U.S. Until the U.S. comes into compliance with its WTO obligations, the CCA will continue to advocate that the Government of Canada prepare to impose prohibitively high tariffs on key U.S. exports to Canada, including beef. The CCA has been working hard with its U.S. allies to get COOL fixed. In late July, CCA leadership discussed COOL at length at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) summer conference in Denver. Agriculture and AgriFood Canada Minister Gerry Ritz also attended the conference. In reference to the ongoing WTO dispute, Ritz told delegates that if successful in its challenge, Canada will seek to retaliate as quickly as possible and will target everything from California

wine to Minnesota mattresses. He continued the straight talk on COOL during a special guest appearance at the CCA Semi-Annual in Charlottetown, PEI. The potential for retaliatory tariffs continues to command the attention of the U.S. Congress. In the August 5 edition of the CCA’s Action News, we told you about the letter 110 Members of Congress sent to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative requesting that, should the WTO rule against the U.S., the Secretary of Agriculture ‘rescind the final rule while Congress works to permanently resolve the issue.’ The negative impact of Canadian and Mexican retaliation to the state of Iowa – a leading supporter of COOL – was discussed in an op-ed published in the Des Moines Register. The Corn Refiners Association in Washington, D.C. said $300 million worth of annual exports could be

impacted, including commodities such as pork, corn, some prepared foods while the corn wet milling industry could lose $500 million in annual sales to Mexico if corn sweeteners are targeted. They suggest a solution put forth by a broad coalition of U.S. industries that have no stake in the beef industry: should the WTO find that COOL is in violation of the U.S.’s international trade obligations, the Secretary of Agriculture should immediately suspend COOL until Congress can take legislative action to resolve the dispute. Reprinted with permission from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. The CCA’s Action News is available online at: http://www.cattle.ca/ news-events/action-news/

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12 CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

THE BOTTOM LINE

CATTLE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE TIGHT

RICK WRIGHT As I sit down to pen this month’s article, it is mid-September, and the fall run is ready to kick off. Livestock offerings at the auctions in September have been lower than normal due to the good pasture conditions and the lack of cash yearlings available for sale. As mentioned in previous columns, a large percentage of the yearlings were forward contracted in the spring for fall delivery. Prices for the calves look very strong, with record prices maintaining unpredicted levels. These cattle prices will remain for the fall and spring! The value of the Canadian dollar for exports is favourable. Feed prices, other than hay, are lower than last year. The USDA is forecasting a record corn harvest of 14.395 billion bushels, with a season average price of $3.50 per bushel. Traders are predicting that corn could drop below $3 once harvest is complete. They are predicting a record soybean harvest of 3.913 billion bushels with an average price of $10/bu. In Canada, grain traders are reporting large volumes

of feed grain being harvested. Wet conditions have made some of the wheat and barley fields unsuitable, even for cattle feed. Early reports are that some feedlots are estimating the cost of gain at 10 to 15 cents per pound lower than last year, depending on the weight, sex and quality of animals purchased. Earlier in the year the industry was worried about consumer resistance to the higher cost of beef in the stores. The consumer push back has not been as strong as first suspected. Supplies from competing meats have been tight, keeping the prices on the shelf tighter than predicted. Although both hogs and poultry have shorter production cycles, neither has increased production at the predicted rates. In the hog sector, the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) has reduced hog numbers, while production issues have limited broiler expansion. Butcher cattle prices will have to increase to support the current feeder cattle prices, resulting in higher beef prices at the retail levels in the future. Cattle numbers will continue to be tight, and I will

predict that the rebuilding cycle in Canada will not start in earnest for at least another year. With record high prices for the feeder cattle, it will be hard for producers to justify retaining heifers for the breeding herd, especially when there will be an abundant supply of quality bred cows to purchase this fall. There are a number of cow-calf operators who have been waiting for a good time to exit the business, and this will be the year they get out. I expect that bred cow prices for the dispersal cows will trade between $1800 and $2300 this fall, with the odd exceptional young cow from a reputation herd selling to $2500. Why not more you ask? The answer is financing; until the lenders are convinced that these feeder cattle and cull cow prices will last, they will be reluctant to lend more. As well, the producers should also be wary if they are topping up the difference at this time. The advantage of buying a good young bred cow is that you should have a calf to sell next fall, and you can start to reduce the debt load on that cow while the market is strong, instead

I will predict that the rebuilding cycle in Canada will not start in earnest for at least another year. of carrying the debt load on the heifer calf an additional 18 months. With the cull cow market still strong, now is a great time to cull the herd of the poor performing cows, and replace them with ones that will maximize your returns when you sell the calves. The cow-calf producers are not the only ones with tough decisions to make this year. Cattle feeders with cash inventories on hand are experiencing record profits per head. However, under current market conditions, it will require at least 40 per cent more operating capital to purchase the same number of pounds that were purchased last year. Neither the forward contracts nor the futures market support the current feeder cattle prices enough to ensure a

reasonable profit at this time. This leaves cattle feeders with the dilemma of having to put this year’s profits back at risk to fill the pens and to take advantage of the cheaper feed options. One thing for sure is that this fall’s cattle market will be both exciting and scary for the entire industry. On another note, many producers will be purchasing CCIA-approved ear tags prior to selling or weaning their calves. While approved ear tags are still available at many of your local retailers, CCIA has introduced the opportunity for cattle producers to order their tags on line via the CCIA website. The website offers a complete list of the approved tags, giving producers the opportunity to choose whichever brand

of tag they prefer. Prices are competitive with retail sites, with CCIA offering some advertised specials. Tags are delivered right to your location or a location of your choosing. Freight is included on minimum orders. For more information go to the CCIA website, canadaid.com or contact the CCIA call centre tollfree at 1-877-909-2333 for assistance. Remember that all cattle that are being consigned to an auction market, buying station, abattoir, or leaving your farm for the purpose of selling, are required to have a CCIA-approved tag. Failure to comply could results in fines from the CFIA to you the producer, your trucker and the marketing agency. Until next time, Rick

CCIA ANNOUNCES TAG RETENTION PROJECT PRELIMINARY FINDINGS (CCIA News Release) Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) is pleased to announce key preliminary findings resulting from the national Tag Retention Project, which is intended to collect baseline data on cattle tag retention and tag readability, recommend solutions to enhance tag retention and readability as well as

provide the foundation for further study. The broadbased approach and survey of the existing situations will provide the foundation for identifying specific tag retention challenges that may require further data collection. This project involves animals from various geographical areas across Canada to ensure appro-

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

priate representation of farming styles and environments. The study has tagged more than 5,000 animals with equal distribution of approved CCIA radio frequency identification (RFID) tag types/ brands at each test site. Each farm test site was selected based on appropriate handling facilities to optimize tagger safety, tag application and tag retention. In this study, each tag type is applied according to manufacturer’s directions (i.e., in terms of tag location, using the corresponding manufacturer’s tag applicators, etc.). “This project involved the tagging of calves at 17 Canadian herds ranging from 76 to 535 head from British Columbia to Ontario,” CCIA Vice Chair and Tag Retention Project Committee Chair Mark Elford states. “Individual

calves were tagged according to the manufacturer’s directions recommended tag location. Tags were applied with the corresponding manufacturer’s tag applicators. This research followed the cooperating producers throughout their normal herd management activities, which determined the variation in timing of the data collected. Of the project tagged cattle, not all were retained until they were long-yearlings; however, the limited variation in the retention does not suggest a large over-wintering loss in calf tags.” “Across 15 herds, tag retention was 98.9 per cent to the point of sale,” confirms CCIA Tag Retention Project Manager Ross MacDonald. “To identify the significance of lost tags, an analysis of variance test was conducted using the percentage of each of the sev-

en brands of tags retained in each herd. Differences were analyzed for significance amongst herds and amongst tags. No statistical difference was noticed amongst herds. Tag loss was similar across the herds sampled. We were able to scan all applied tags with handheld readers during data collection. Essentially, retention differences by tag brand were insignificant.” “The Tag Retention Project will scan mature cows once in 2014 and once in 2015. Replacement heifers tagged as calves will be scanned and included as part of the mature cow data set in the fall during pregnancy checking. Though not enough scan data has been compiled for a robust comparison, tag retention in cows appears to be more variable than in calves,” CCIA General Manager Brian Caney suggests. As a not-for-profit, in-

dustry-initiated organization led by a board of directors made up of representatives from all sectors of the livestock industry, CCIA fully supports the national Tag Retention Project and its findings, which will educate producers on cattle RFID tag retention and tag reading performance, and recommend solutions to enhance tag retention and reading performance. Details regarding tag retention and reading performance rates as well as recommendations to reduce tag loss and tag readability problems will be included in with the statistical analysis in the final report, which will be posted online within CCIA’s home page at www. canadaid.ca. For more information on the Health of Animals Regulations, please visit http:// laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._296/.

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October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

MANAGING CHANGE ON THE FARM TERRY BETKER Bill Gates is credited with the following statements: “This is a fantastic time to be entering the business world, because business is going to change more in the next 10 years than the last 50.” “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next 2 years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” I think these comments have direct application to primary agriculture. We all know that change in farming is hardly anything new. There is a business axiom that states that a business – including farms – will typically outgrow its management. This includes growth, in the literal sense, of more acres or animals, and also in complexity in terms of how many people are involved in ownership and management, generational transition, and the diversity of the business enterprise mix.

Managerial development, and change, is required. Even if your farm has been relatively stable, the requirement to advance business management applies to maintain the status quo. Failing to do so runs the risk of slippage, in relative terms, as compared to other farms in similar situations. Over the years, I’ve come to respect that there are some things that, from a farm management perspective, are really challenging for farmers to do. I talk to farmers who have identified the need to make changes in how their farms are being managed. They will have come up with ideas on what the changes might look like, and will often express their frustration in the difficulty of their implementation. There are a few reasons why I think this happens. One is procrastination. Generally, there isn’t any real urgency − as in ‘this needs to be done this week’ - to the adjustments. But, pretty soon a month or two slips by with no action and soon a new production season is looming. This is the second reason.

The production season for farmers is critical, justifiably filled with urgency and stress. In these situations, human nature causes people to revert to what has worked in the past. When the production season ends, it’s back to the drawing board in regards to making adjustments to those management plans. We’re nearing the end of the production season. This is generally a good time to start thinking about some of the changes that may be required to get the farm from where it is today to where you want, or need, it to be in the future. A key driver in this is intergenerational transition or succession. There needs to be a plan; this is the third reason. The lack of a plan is a significant stumbling block of change. How simple or complex the plan is becomes a factor. You can apply the SMART principle in determining the appropriateness of a plan that’s designed to effect some changes in how the business is being managed. ‘S’ stands for Specific. For example, we are going to have monthly

management meetings. ‘M’ stands for Measurable. You can measure if the monthly meetings are happening. ‘A’ stands for Attainable. Having monthly management meetings is attainable. ‘R’ is for Realistic. Is it realistic to have monthly management meetings? Perhaps not in May or September, and, if so, adjust the Specific function to monthly meetings except for May and September. ‘T’ relates to Time factor. We are going to start having monthly meetings next month. The last reason I’m going to discuss is related to the ownership and management structure of the farm business. Management and ownership are almost always one and the same. So, if the person responsible for making the changes in management isn’t getting the job done, to whom do they report? Themselves? The lack of accountability can be a major issue, and, at the same time, one of the easiest to remedy. First, a plan is needed. Given that a plan exists, if you can make

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF HAY GOING TO BE THIS WINTER? It is a question that many Manitoba producers are trying to figure out. In certain areas, the supply of hay is likely going to be lower than normal. Supply and demand theory would usually indicate that with reduced hay supply, both the demand and the price should be higher than average. Likely fair enough, but how high of a price is too high? The answer is going to be the price of other feed sources and the comparable value of hay. Four main formulas will do all the calculations for most producers: • Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) $/LB = $ per unit / (lbs. per unit x % dry matter x % TDN) • Equivalent Dry Hay Value (TDN Basis) $/ ton = 2000 x % hay dry matter x % hay TDN x cost of TDN ($/lb) for comparable feed on a dry matter basis. • Crude Protein (CP) $/ LB = $ per unit / (lbs. per unit x % dry matter x % CP)

• Equivalent Dry Hay Value (CP Basis) $/ton = 2000 x hay % dry matter x hay % CP x cost of CP ($/ lb) for comparable feed on a dry matter basis. On a TDN basis, the comparable value of alfalfa grass hay can be calculated by multiplying the pounds of TDN of the hay times the cost of TDN for the alternative feed. For example: $3.25 per bushel barley, which tests 11.5 per cent moisture and 83.1 per cent TDN. The cost of TDN $/lb = $3.25 / (48 lbs x 0.885 DM x 0.831 TDN) = $0.0921. Alfalfa grass hay feed analysis of 12.6 per cent moisture, 13.1 per cent CP and 57.6 per cent TDN. 2000 x 0.874 dry matter x 0.576 hay TDN x $.0921 barley cost of TDN = $92.73 per ton. If you can buy this alfalfa grass hay for less than $92.73 per ton it is a cheaper source of energy than barley, but if they are asking a higher price, you would be better off buying barley as your feed energy source. On a CP basis, the comparable value for the same alfalfa grass hay can be calculated by multi-

plying the pounds of CP of the hay times the cost of CP for the alternative feed. For example: $170 per ton corn Dry Distillers Grain, which tests 10 per cent moisture and 28 per cent CP. The cost of CP $/lb = $170 / (2000 lbs x 0.90 DM x 0.28 CP) = $0.337. Alfalfa grass hay feed analysis same as above. 2000 x 0.874 dry matter x 0.131 hay CP x $0.337 corn DDG cost of CP = $77.17 per ton. If you had to buy this alfalfa grass hay for more than $77.17 per ton, it is a more expensive source of protein than corn DDG. Knowing the analysis of your feed options and understanding comparable prices are key to making good decisions to feed your livestock this winter. MAFRD has FeedPlan – Feed Ingredient Cost Calculator, http://www. gov.mb.ca/agric ulture/ business-and-economics/ financial-management/ pubs/calculator_feedplan. xls that calculates the feed value on a cost per pound basis of TDN and CP for various feeds based on

done, you have to explain to this person why not, and what you’re going to do about it. “Change is unavoidable. How you deal with it is most important.” “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.” − Lao Tzu Terry Betker, Backswath Management Inc., is a farm management consultant with Backswath Management. He can be reached at 204.782.8200 or terry.betker@backswath.com.

ROY ARNOTT, P.AG. MAFRD FARM MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST What is the value of hay going to be this winter?

accountability work internally, within the ownership and management group, that’s likely the preferred scenario. However, this isn’t a realistic option for most farm families. External accountability can be really effective. Engage someone who you trust and feel comfortable talking to, in some detail, about your business. The accountability factor lies in your commitment to do what you said you were going to do, when you said you would do it. And if you haven’t gotten it

their market value. Producers can then use the values to calculate the comparable feed value to determine which feed ingredient has better value. Contact your local Farm Management Specialist for more information.

CATTLEX LTD.

Clive Bond (204) 483-0229 Ken Drake (204) 724-0091

Bonded & Licensed in Manitoba & Saskatchewan

www.mbbeef.ca

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14 CATTLE COUNTRY October 2014

Assiniboine River Basin Initiative Qu’Appelle, Souris & Assiniboine

ARBI AND WATER MANGEMENT ARBI SUBMISSION

The summer of 2014 may well be remembered as the summer of never-ending flooding in the Assiniboine River Basin. This event underscores the need for a multi-stakeholder and crossjurisdictional approach to water issues, which the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) is beginning to achieve. “Upon review of the past flood events, including those of 2011, Prairie Improvement Network (PIN) realized that there was no one cross jurisdictional agency that dealt with water issues across the basin,” said Dr. Allan Preston, PIN board member and ARBI Interim Chair. In the fall of 2013, when PIN recognized that there was no overarching plan in the basin, they stepped forward to facilitate and support a coordinated approach to water management. With the assistance of the Red River Basin Commission (RRBC), PIN assembled the ARBI Planning Committee. “Our goal, through the work we are doing with the ARBI Planning Committee, is to bring together stakeholders across all three jurisdictions to develop an effective organization to work cooperatively in this area,” explained Preston. The ARBI Planning Committee is comprised of members from across all three jurisdictions (Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North

Dakota), representing municipalities and counties, conservation, water, agricultural and science-based organizations as well as government departments. Manitoba Beef Producers is involved with this process. In addition to Dr. Preston, the Interim Executive Committee includes Patrick Fridgen of the North Dakota State Water Commission, Aron Hershmiller of the Saskatchewan Assiniboine Watershed Stewards Association, Dan Mazier of the Keystone Agricultural Producers and Heather Dalgleish of Manitoba Conservation Districts Association. PIN has brought on Lance Yohe, former Executive Director of the RRBC, as a Senior Advisor, and Wanda McFadyen as the ARBI Project Manager/ Champion to assist in the The Assiniboine River Basin encompasses the Assiniboine River as well as the Souris and Qu’Appelle Rivers and process. their tributaries. It crosses over two Canadian provinces – Saskatchewan and Manitoba - and one US state-North On March 26, 2014 a Dakota. At its end point, the Assiniboine River basin joins the Red River in Winnipeg, as well as having waters multi-stakeholder workshop through the Portage Diversion into Lake Manitoba, with the final outflow of both being Lake Winnipeg. The diverted Assiniboine River Basin encompasses the Assiniboine River as well as the Souris and was held in Virden, with Qu’Appelle ivers nd their tributaries. It cWater rosses over totwo Canadian – Swould askatchewan more than 130 reps from citizens areRrising upato meet Conservation and August begin the devel-provinces the events that unfold all three jurisdictions in and at- the challenge, ” said PresStewardship. Meetings are opment of a governance within the basin over the Manitoba -‐ and one US state-‐North Dakota. At its end point, the Assiniboine River last basin tendance. The consensus ton. “We cannot overlook currently planned with model for presentation at few months. The flood event joins the Red River in Winnipeg, as well proas the having waters asdiverted Portage was to develop an agency these individuals who form local governments, fall conference, well has through heightened the awareness that would unify the basin. the backbone of municipal vincial and state governas a membership structure of the need for a basin-wide Diversion into Lake Manitoba, with the final outflow of both being Lake Winnipeg. This task was relayed back to governments, local orga- ment departments, elected which will drive the new agency,” said McFadyen. PIN and the ARBI Planning nizations and other groups officials, as well as other organization forward. This “The goal of the work Committee, with the man- who we hope to engage in agencies and stakeholders conference will be held in currently underway, along date to hold a conference in the process. They live and across the basin. To date, Regina on November 12- with the concepts and the fall of 2014 to present a work in basin, and are the the Manitoba government 14. For details, visit the ARB speakers that will be premodel for a sustainable or- ultimate stakeholders.” has committed $50,000 to- portal at the PIN website: sented at the conference As part of the con- wards the development of www.prairienetwork.ca. ganization to work cooperain Regina in November, is tively on water and related sensus-building process, the organization and the “As PIN and the ARBI to bring together all stakemeetings have been held City of Brandon has also Planning Committee en- holders across all three issues in the basin. “The Assiniboine River with representatives of announced their support. tered in the second phase jurisdictions to form an Basin saw historical summer the State Water CommisThe members of the of the development of sus- organization that can work flood levels this year, and its sion in North Dakota and ARBI Planning Commit- tainable organization for the together in a cooperative Manitoba’s Minister of tee met in Minot in early basin, we could not fathom and coordinated manner on behalf of all citizens that live and work in the basin.” Thursday, Oct 2 Regular Sale 9AM The Assiniboine River Basin encompasses the AsTuesday, Oct 7 Presort Calf Sale 9:30AM siniboine River as well as the Thursday, Oct 9 Regular Sale 9AM Souris and Qu’Appelle RivTuesday, Oct 14 Presort Calf Sale Angus Influence 9:30AM ers and their tributaries. It Thursday, Oct 16 Regular Sale 9AM crosses over two provinces – Saskatchewan and ManiTuesday, Oct 21 Presort Calf Sale 9:30AM toba − and one US state − Thursday, Oct 23 Regular Sale 9AM North Dakota. At its end Tuesday, Oct 28 Presort Calf Sale Hereford Influence 9:30AM point, the Assiniboine River Thursday, Oct 30 Regular Sale 9AM basin joins the Red River in Winnipeg, as well as having Thursday, Oct 30 Bred Cow Sale 1PM waters diverted through the Econo Mills • Low priced for small users Portage Diversion into Lake Tuesday, Nov 4 Presort Calf Sale Angus Influence 9:30AM • Magnet, Stand & Drive pulley Manitoba, with the final • 50 bu./ hr cap (barley) Thursday, Nov 6 Regular Sale 9AM outflow of both being Lake • Requires 1 1/2 hp motor Tuesday, Nov 11 Presort Calf Sale 9:30AM • Optional motor Winnipeg. • 110/220 volt power PIN is a private not-forThursday, Nov 13 Regular Sale 9AM profit corporation that funds Thursday, Nov 13 Bred Cow Sale 1PM innovative agricultural projTuesday, Nov 18 Presort Calf Sale 9:30AM ects and acts as a catalyst to Thursday, Nov 20 Regular Sale 9AM stimulate industry and government activity where gaps Tuesday, Nov 25 Presort Calf Sale 9:30AM are identified. Thursday, Nov 27 Regular Sale 9AM

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For more information, please visit the ARBI portal at the PIN website: http:// prairienetwork.ca/ARB Or contact Wanda McFadyen, ARBI Project Manager/Champion at 204-7956672 or wmcfadyen@prairienetwork.ca

www.mbbeef.ca

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October 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES UPDATE MAUREEN COUSINS A new intake under the GF2 Growing Assurance program, a meeting on the proposed outlet channels from Lake Manitoba, and changes to trapping rules are some of the topics being covered this edition.

Growing Assurance Program Intake

requested that both be added to the list of eligible expenses in the Growing Assurance Adoption Catalogue. Other eligible expenses include: neck extension for chute, single animal scale, quarantine pen, first audit for the VBP Program, and veterinary beef biosecurity herd assessment, among others. Applications are being assessed on a competitive basis, based on a monthly intake, until the program is fully subscribed. Applications will be reviewed on the first Friday of each month, i.e. October 3, November 7 and December 5. For more details, visit: http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-safety/at-thefarm/growing-assurancefood-safety-on-farm.html

Are you participating in the Verified Beef Production (VBP) Program? You may be eligible for funding under the Growing Assurance program under Growing Forward 2, which is again accepting applications. Funding is available in three categories: Food Safety On Farm, Biosecurity GAP Program and the Traceability Program. Newly-eligible expenses include: compost site for Outlet Channels The public open house management of dead stock, as well as carrying case regarding the Lake Manitoand/or docking station for ba and Lake St. Martin OutRFID equipment. MBP had let Channels Conceptual

Design Study that was originally scheduled for June, but postponed due to flooding, will take place September 18th in Ashern. Representatives from MBP will be in attendance. Watch for a follow-up story in the November edition of Cattle Country.

New CVO

Dr. Megan Bergman has been named Manitoba’s new Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO). A trained veterinarian, she had previously worked in a clinical practice in Manitoba. She joined the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2006, working both in veterinary and management positions, most recently as Manitoba’s regional director.

Trapping Changes

Manitoba’s 2014-15 Trapping Guide is out and includes some policy changes. Trappers may not use

dead livestock as bait unless all of the following parts are removed: the hide, hooves, head, mammary glands, or internal organs. Intact dead livestock may be used as bait only if it is used on land where the animal died, and that land is owned or leased by livestock owner (including proposed community pastures). The stated purpose is to reduce the risk of disease transmission, including bovine tuberculosis and chronic wasting disease. There have also been changes to season dates as follows: • beaver: in All Areas is now October 1 to May 31 • coyote: in All Open Areas is now October 14 to February 28 • raccoon: in All Areas is now October 1 to April 30 • wolf: in All Areas, except 2A, is now October 14 to March 31 For complete details see: http://www.gov.mb.ca//

conservation/wildlife/trap- p esticide_red/p df/preping/index.html scribed_pesticide_active_ ingredients.pdf Pesticide Exposure Examples of commonlyReduction Plan sold products using these The Manitoba govern- ingredients can be seen at: ment recently circulated a http://www.gov.mb.ca/ discussion document about c o n s e r v a t i o n / e nv p r o pesticide exposure reduc- grams/initiatives/pestition as part of its strategy to cide_red/pdf/restricted_ reduce the cosmetic use of pesticide_product.pdf pesticides. As of January 1, 2015, There will be implica- restricted pesticides may tions for homeowners, only be used in situations lawn care professionals and such as: retailers, who will no lon- • Agricultural activities ger be able to use restricted (including ornamental, pesticides, except in certain vegetable, and fruit garcircumstances. dens); Agricultural activities • Protection of public will remain exempt from health and safety where these restrictions. no effective alternative The province is proposexists, including: coning to restrict the following trolling high-risk noxchemicals and their subious weeds such as Cangroups: 2,4-D, Dicamba, ada Thistle, invasive speMCPA, Mecoprop, Glyphocies such as Red Bartsia, sate, Glufosinate Ammoniand poisonous plants um. See: such as poison ivy; h t t p : / / w w w . g o v . • Protection of a native mb.ca/conservation/enplant, animal, or a rare vprog rams/init i at ives/ ecosystem.

TIMES ARE CHANGING—SAFETY AND HEALTH ON THE FARM SAFEWORK MANITOBA The majority of Manitoba farms employ anywhere from one to ten workers and family members, including seasonal and temporary hires. As a farm owner, you know that your workers and family members are your number one resource. Workplace injuries have far reaching effects. Not only can an injury on the job be financially and emotionally devastating for your worker and his/her family, it can have a huge impact on your business. Fortunately, work-related injuries and illnesses can be prevented. One of the best methods of prevention is to establish a safety and health

system that fits your particular farm business operation. Developing a safety and health system for your farm can seem daunting, especially for those unfamiliar with workplace safety and health requirements. It is important to remember that a safety culture forms over time. Consider the season ahead, and begin to assess the safety and health needs of your farm. For example: do you, your workers and family members know where first aid kits and fire extinguishers are located? Do you provide safety orientations to new workers? Are chemicals labeled and stored in a safe manner?

As a farm owner, you will probably employ people other than family members from time to time. You will likely also have neighbors and friends helping out with certain tasks around your farm. In both scenarios, your farm becomes a business enterprise involving “employer-worker” relationships. As an employer you are responsible for knowing and applying the principles and laws intended to ensure the safety and health of all people working on your farm. So what does this mean? As a farm owner you have the greatest authority at the workplace and therefore bear the greatest

responsibility. This includes keeping equipment in safe working order, informing workers of any hazards on the farm, ensuring workers have the training and experience needed to perform their jobs safely, ensuring workers use/wear all personal protective equipment/devices, and properly labeling and storing hazardous substances, etc. Workers are responsible for working in a safe and healthy manner in order to protect their own safety and health as well as the safety and health of other persons who may be affected by their actions at work including: reporting unsafe conditions to farm owner, following safe work

procedures, using safety equipment and guards at all times, and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) etc. Farm safety and health is an integral part of your business risk management plan and your human resource plan. Consider the financial harm of having to replace or repair damaged property or equipment, hire and train temporary workers, and make up lost production. As a farm owner, demonstrate your commitment to safety and health. Be a leader and explain your safety and health expectations with workers, family members, and contractors. Talk about safety and

health at tool box talks, in conversations with your workers and family members, and at the dinner table. When workers/family members see their employer’s commitment to safety and health, they will share that commitment. The best example an employer can set for their workers/family members is to “walk the talk.” Resource: Safety and Health Guide for Manitoba Farms For more information please visit www.safemanitoba.com/farms or call 1-855-957-7233. http://safemanitoba. com/times-are-changingsafety-and-health-farm

TESA APPLICATIONS DUE TO MBP BY DECEMBER 1 MBP will be accepting Manitoba applications for The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) until December 1st. Since 1996, the Canadian Cattlemen Association’s (CCA) TESA has recognized producers who go above and beyond standard industry conservation practices, setting positive examples for other cattle producers and the general public. At the provincial level, a producer receives recognition for their outstanding contributions, which in MBP’s case occurs in conjunction with the annual general meeting in February. All provincial award recipients then move forward to compete at the national level. The national TESA recipient is announced during the CCA’s National Convention and Semi-Annual Meeting in August. All provincial recipients are awarded an all-expense paid trip for two to attend this meeting. The national TESA recipient is also awarded a belt buckle, and a monetary award to put towards their operation’s future environmental goals.

Each TESA nominee exemplifies significant innovation and attention to a wide range of environmental stewardship aspects in their farm operation. Such innovations extend beneficially to areas far beyond their land, including water, wildlife and air. All beef cattle operations in Canada may apply. Producers can either be nominated by an individual or organization, or apply themselves. Nominees and applicants compete for one of five provincial awards based on their province of residence. The application is available at: http://www.cattle.ca/assets/TESA/tesaapplication-v7.1.pdf , or contact MBP for a copy. The form, along with all supporting documentation, is to be submitted to Manitoba Beef Producers c/o 220-530 Century Street, Winnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4 by December 1, 2014.

www.mbbeef.ca

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GET READY FOR THE BEST GREAT TASTES OF MANITOBA SEASON YET! ADRIANA BARROS, PHEC. It’s Great Tastes of Manitoba’s silver anniversary! Great Tastes is Manitoba’s longest running television show, where a group of agricultural commodities share locally-developed recipes with viewers. Over its 25-year history, this local television production has changed taping stations, hosts and commodity talents. Yet it remains a popular and lasting TV program, offering viewers real facts from farms, health facts from nutrition experts, and tasty recipes that are welcomed at many family tables. For the past four seasons, I have been honoured to have such an amazing job − being the local beef expert for Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) on Great Tastes of Manitoba. I’m going to go through what I do to come up with recipes, give some behind the scenes production insights, and also offer

a sneak peak at one of this season’s latest beef recipes. When I first heard that I was picked for the job, I’m almost positive I jumped up and down, while screaming in my parents’ faces, “I got the food show job!” I was ecstatic. Right away, I asked if I could develop my own recipes for Manitoba Beef Producers and to my delight they said, yes. The search was on to find the latest food trend and to recreate it into a classic Manitoba beef recipe. I wasn’t making dinner for my family anymore − I was making dinner that hundreds of Manitoba viewers could replicate and enjoy in their homes. The research phase of writing a recipe is my favourite part. There is something fulfilling about becoming inspired by techniques and recipes used by successful and popular chefs. This is a chance for me to learn what is working in the marketplace,

what dishes are popular right now, and what’s being served at the latest restaurants or special events. This gives me an indication of the types of recipes viewers might want to try out at home. Then comes the fun part of taste testing where family, friends and my fiancé get very excited about critiquing the newly-developed recipes. Great Tastes of Manitoba does not share any recipes on television or on their website without being “tested and trusted” three times; that’s our guarantee to viewers that the recipes will turn out every time. Once the recipes have been written and tested, filming is scheduled. Miraculously, this is done in one week. Don Hornby, producer of Great Tastes, has been perfecting this method for 25 years and yes, taping day always runs smoothly. During my time with the show, I have had the pleasure of working

with the now-retired Jim Ingebrigtsen, and Al Bowness. Since starting a short while ago, it has been fantastic getting my feet wet with such professionals. The Great Tastes of Manitoba set is always a lot of fun, especially with new host Ace Burpee, who is well known from Virgin Radio 103.1 FM’s morning show. Ace’s energy and charismatic personality make the ambiance on set very enjoyable. One of the biggest challenges of filming a cooking show is working with ingredients on camera. This allows little room for error as each recipe segment on the show is filmed in one take. This dynamic keeps the content and conversation flowing between the commodity expert and the host fresh and natural. This year’s recipe selections were based on finding casual family meals that are wholesome and satisfying. Airing this month, on October 18 at 6:30 p.m.

on CTV Winnipeg, is the Manitoba Beef Producers’ episode titled, Feeding Manitoba Cowboys. On the first MBP episode of the 25th season there will be Rib Eye with Pistou Sauce, Flank Steak Fajitas, and Lean Beef Burritos, all featuring great

cooking tips to follow in the kitchen, as well as ways of getting families involved at dinner time. For more information and recipes featured on the latest Great Tastes of Manitoba episode visit www.GreatTastesMB.ca. Enjoy this year’s best season yet!

LEAN BEEF BURRITOS Makes 4-6 servings (14 medium size burritos) 1 lb (450 g) extra-lean ground beef 1 cooking onion, chopped (approx. ½ cup) 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 cup (250 mL) salsa, mild, medium or hot ¼ cup (50 mL) corn, canned or frozen ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

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1 tsp (5 mL) EACH chili powder and cumin spice ¼ tsp (1 mL) dried oregano 14 fl Oz (398 mL) refried beans ½ cup (125 mL) guacamole

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00471.Cattle_Country_Oct_14.indd 16

1 ½ cup (375 mL) Cheddar cheese, grated Green onion, sliced (garnish) 1. In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink. Drain fat if necessary. Add onion, garlic, pepper, salsa, corn, salt and spices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are tender. 2. Reheat refried beans. Spread a layer of beans on two-thirds of each tortilla. Spoon ¼ cup of beef mixture and 1-2 tsp. guacamole onto tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up towards the bean side. 3. Place on a lightly greased baking dish (13 X 9-inch), sprinkle with cheese and green onion. Cover with foil and bake at 400˚F (200˚C) oven until heated thoroughly and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.

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2014-09-25 6:23 PM

Published by Manitoba Beef Producers

Chad Saxon

November 2014

McRae attends FNBA. Page 7

On Sept. 19, MBP general manager Melinda German and staff members met with Shoal Lake area producers, including Orval Procter (left) to learn about their ongoing struggles due to flooding and excess moisture conditions.

Flood tour highlights issues facing producers

Overview of outlet proposals. Page 3

Chad Saxon, MBP Communications Coordinator The day provided MBP with insight into the challenges producers in the Shoal Lakes Complex have been facing for years. Since issues began in 2005, it’s estimated that 90,000 acres of productive farmland has been lost to flooding and excess moisture. Throughout the tour, MBP was shown areas that were once replete with cattle but are now either underwater or a mass of weeds and cat tails. A number of roads also remain flooded, cutting off important access points for producers. It was noted that one area farmer was forced to drive over 100 miles just to get his mail because of flooded out roads. Procter said in his case, he sold 170 acres of land to the provincial government through a buyout program that began in 2012. He also shared the lease on 1,900 acres of Crown land that, thanks to flooding, is down to just 120 usable acres. “The Crown land was more important to me than my deeded land and I

Gerelus carrying on tradtion. Pages 13

haven’t been able to secure any other Crown land,” said Procter who added that losing his Crown land has led to extra expenses. “Most of my cattle now go to community pasture. I used to put 70 cows with calves and 25 yearlings on my Crown land and it used to cost me about $4,000. Last year, I put 50 cows with calves and 25 yearlings in the community pasture and it cost me $10,000.” Unfortunately, Procter’s story is far from unique. He said other producers in the Shoal Lakes area are facing all manner of flood-related

losses, while many accepted buyouts from the government and have left the region. That of course has had a detrimental impact on the tax base of the rural municipalities in the area. The day also included a meeting with producers at the Lake Francis Community Hall which was organized by MBP District 9 Director Dianne Riding. The producers in attendance spoke about their current predicaments and expected feed shortages, which ranged anywhere from 20 to 60 per cent short. Almost unanimously,

the producers in Lake Francis said a forage shortfall and transportation assistance program is the biggest item on their wish list. A similar program was put in place in 2011 and proved helpful to producers, although some noted having to wait until November for a decision – as they did three years ago – places undue pressure on producers. Another common theme throughout the day was the growing frustration and distrust of government among producers. Many spoke of getting mixed Continued on page 2

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He’ll always be much more farmer than philosopher, but Orval Procter has taken a decidedly philosophical approach to the flooding that has caused turmoil in his world for more than a decade. “Most of us have lost as much as land as we’re going to” said Procter, “but we are still fighting because if it spreads beyond where it is, there is a whole other group of people that are going to be affected. We want to get back what we can but also protect other people that are in danger.” Procter, president of the Shoal Lakes Flooded Landowners Association (SLFLA), was one of the organizers for a Manitoba Beef Producers’ flood tour on Sept. 19 in one of the hardest hit areas of the province. Included among the entourage were MBP General Manager Melinda German, District 10 Director Teresa Zuk and a number of SLFLA members, each of whom have been severely impacted by flooding and excess moisture conditions.

CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

Chad Saxon

The flood tour included areas throughout Shoal Lakes area. This particular section of land was once home to excellent pasture and hay land.

Continued from page 1 messages when it came to insuring their land while others are tired of the province dragging their feet on a feed transportation program and the ongoing flood crisis. “We don’t know what is going on. Are they scared to make a decision, are they inept at making decision? Is it ignorance?” said a producer who attended the Lake Francis meeting. It was clear throughout the day that the lack of a long-term solution to the high water levels in

the Interlake also remains a significant point of contention for producers in the region. Procter noted the Shoal Lake level is currently at 858 feet which is eight feet above normal with no signs of abating. He added that even in the driest of years the lake has not dropped significantly making the need for a second outlet crucial. “You go in a room with producers and there is a sense of urgency all around the lake,” noted the producer. “We want something done, nothing has been

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done since 2011. (The provincial government) has had three years to do something and now currently it’s bad, the lake is bad, western Canada is full of water, there is more water coming; anybody that knows something thinks you’ve got to do something. “They need to get on with the lake. There are so many people that farm around the lake and we’ve lost all the economic activity here. They are retiring the Interlake.” Those who haven’t left the Interlake are clearly growing weary. Procter said his life has been on hold as they continually battle flooding. In Lake Francis, Rosing said that many in the Interlake are facing the same predicament. German said the daylong tour was a great opportunity for MBP to hear from producers and get an idea on what issues are most important to them. She added it was also clear that the constant battles are wearing on the producers and help is needed immediately. “The resiliency of producers in these areas is astounding,” German said. “They have struggled for so long and have given it their all. However, as time goes on it is easy to see how many have

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given up on any meaningful support is forthcoming to ensure they can continue to do what they love to do and more importantly make a living at it.” German added MBP also remains concerned that producers in Manitoba will not be able to take full advantage of recent announcements such as free trade pacts with Europe and Korea that many are describing as a game changer for Canadian producers.

“In an age with so much opportunity in the beef industry it is sad and frustrating for those in the business,” she said. Shortly after the tour MBP issued a press release renewing calls for a transportation program and a longterm strategy to deal with the flooding. As of press time the provincial government had made no announcement on either topic.

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Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer Chad Saxon

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November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED LAKE MANITOBA AND LAKE ST. MARTIN OUTLET CHANNELS Maureen cousins Dozens of stakeholders – including many beef producers – turned out at a September 18 open house in Ashern to learn more about the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlet channels conceptual design study. “We are moving forward to implement greater flood protection by enhancing Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outflow capacities as part of the larger flood management system that includes the Portage Diversion and the Fairford River Water Control Structure,” said Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton in a news release issued just hours before the open house. “Individual property protection, combined with increased drainage capacity of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin, will greatly improve flood protection in these areas.” Information about six proposed outlet channel options to draw down Lake Manitoba was presented at the open house, with staff from KGS Group available to answer questions. Cost estimates for the proposed projects ranged from a low of $22 million to a high of $405 million. Also presented were two options to extend and to make permanent the emergency outlet channel on Lake St. Martin. Costs for these options ranged from $142 to $212 million. However, many people left the open house unconvinced that any of the proposed options would lead to Lake Manitoba being managed at a level that would leave valuable agricultural lands less vulnerable to future flooding. “Many producers I spoke to at the open house are not convinced that we’re going to get the needed results from any of the proposed options,” said Manitoba Beef Producers’ director Caron Clarke. “A key concern is that Lake Manitoba won’t be drawn down to the level recommended by the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee.” Clarke sat on that Committee, representing MBP. Besides being tasked with looking at the range within which the levels of Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin might be controlled, the Committee also looked at the need for more water control works. It also

recommended the construction of a second channel between Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin. “The Committee had recommended that the range of operation for Lake Manitoba be lowered from the current range of 810.5 to 812.5 feet by half a foot to 810.0 to 812.0 for a period of five years,” explained Clarke. “The proposed outlet channel options will only draw down the lake level slightly, and shorten the length of time that flooding occurs, but cattle ranches along Lake Manitoba will still be flooded!” Clarke’s concerns were echoed by Lake Manitoba Flood Rehabilitation Committee Chair Tom Teichroeb. He says the proposed conceptual designs will not flood proof Lake Manitoba as many had hoped, leaving farmers and ranchers’ operations at risk and potentially compromised. “I am concerned that the proposed outflows identified in the various options will still lead to flooding on Lake Manitoba if there is another flood event like the one in 2011,” said Teichroeb. “It goes back to what’s been said all along. Get the lake level down to what’s been recommended and ensure that outflows and inflows are balanced.” “Moreover, we’ve got to restore the capacity to handle water throughout the entire Assiniboine River system so it’s not necessary to divert so much water through the Portage Diversion and into Lake Manitoba during major flood events,” added Teichroeb.

MBP President Heinz Reimer urged governments to move swiftly on the situation. “We are at a critical point in our industry where we have tremendous opportunities to supply beef into new and expanded markets,” said Reimer. “However, repeated flood events are harming beef production in prime cattle country, forcing some producers to downsize their operations, and others to exit outright. It’s time to move forward and fix the problems so our beef industry can realize the opportunities before it. We can’t wait seven years for a solution.” There are a number of other pieces in the larger Manitoba flood management puzzle being examined. One is the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba

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Basins Flood Mitigation Study. Another is a review of the operating guidelines for provincial water control infrastructure, including the Portage Diversion, Red River Floodway and the Fairford River Water Control Structure. This was first announced in October 2013. The work will be undertaken by the Red River Floodway Regulatory Review Committee, chaired by Harold Westdal. Westdal previously chaired the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Regulation Review Committee. Former Portage

la Prairie MLA David Faurschou was recently named by Minister Ashton to undertake the public outreach on this initiative. For affected Manitoba’s beef producers, improved water management strategies can’t come quickly enough. “Beef producers want to be confidence that Lake Manitoba can be managed at a level that won’t place them at the repeated risk of flooding,” added Clarke. “We were only beginning to experience some meaningful recovery from the 2011 flood when we were

inundated again to help protect many of our fellow Manitobans from flooding. We have to find solutions that protect our homes and our livelihoods too.” Several stages remain before this project is completed. They include: aboriginal consultations; environmental and regulatory reviews; land acquisition; completion of the design; more public consultations; and, construction. For more information about the proposed options go to: www.gov.mb.ca/mit/ floodinfo/floodproofing/reports/index.html.

So What Are the Options? Preliminary Options for the Lake Manitoba Outlet Channel

Option A: Twinning of the existing Fairford River from Lake Manitoba to Lake St. Martin, crossing through the Fairford River at two locations; estimated cost is $85-134 million. Option B: Channel south of Pinaymootang First Nation, involving a new channel connecting Portage Bay on Lake Manitoba with Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $169-266 million. Option C: A channel slightly less south of Pinaymootang First Nation, connecting Portage Bay on Lake Manitoba with Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $151-238 million. Option D: A channel following Birch Creek, involving a new channel connecting Watchorn Bay on Lake Manitoba to the outlet of Birch Creek on Lake St. Martin; estimated cost is $141-212 million. Option E: A bypass channel north of the Fairford River Water Control Structure, and then merging with the Fairford River a short distance downstream; estimated cost is $22-25 million. Note: flows

would only reach a maximum of 3,750 cfs as greater flows are not feasible. Option F: Widening of the Fairford River and Fairford Water Control Structure, including dredging of the inlet channel; estimated cost is $239-405 million. A new outlet channel would reduce the peak Lake Manitoba water level by: • 0.24 (0.8 ft) for a 5,000 cfs channel • 0.34 (1.1 ft) for a 7,500 cfs channel

Preliminary Options for the Lake St. Martin Outlet Channel

The existing channel has three reaches. Two options have been identified for Reach 3, a new control structure and channel from Buffalo Creek to Lake Winnipeg. Option JB would involve an 8 km channel to Lake Winnipeg at Johnson Beach at an estimated cost of $142-196 million. Option WP would involve a 9.8 km channel to Lake Winnipeg South of Willow Point at an estimated cost of $153-212 million. At this time, Willow Point has been identified as the preferred option.

Source: Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin Outlet Channels Conceptual Design Preliminary Options

www.mbbeef.ca

CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

The views expressed in Cattle Country do not necessarily reflect the position of the Manitoba Beef Producers. We believe in free speech and encourage all contributors to voice their opinion.

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

moovin’ along

Take time to mentor a young producer

Recently MBP had the opportunity to showcase beef production at the Amazing Agriculture Adventure, which is a threeday event at Richardson’s Kelburn Farm and the Glenlea Research Farm. They gave students in Grades 4 and 5 a chance to experience agriculture hands on, seeing livestock production and animal care along with how grain becomes food. The majority of our beef consumers are now 3-4 generations removed from agriculture practices of today. Being able to showcase and teach our next up and coming consumer that modern agriculture has a good story to tell about technology and that we are good stewards towards the environment remains important.

We as beef producers need to continue to tell our story and have the facts to back things up that we are doing a great job producing food safely. I would like to thank all the organizers and volunteers that put on this great event and a special thanks to Dianne Riding (District 9) and Karen Emilson (tradeshow spokesperson) for manning the beef station. While we continue to educate our consumers on beef production, now is also the time to bring in the next generation of beef producers. We have struggled through the last 11 years since the discovery of BSE and cattle prices have returned to profitable. I believe there will be good returns for producers going forward. The average beef producer is getting older but

I have also seen a number of younger people getting involved in the industry. There are good opportunities to expand or for new producers to start, but it won’t be easy; it will take a lot of determination and some luck for a young person to get into the cattle business. We have price insurance, which does help, but are lacking comprehensive production insurance to cover some of those production practices. Building a herd doesn’t happen in one season, it’s a longterm investment. Hopefully these good prices become the new normal, not just a peak in the cycle. This will help us be competitive and attract new producers into the beef industry. So if you are a new producer or thinking of expanding, you will need to have a

Chad Saxon

HEINZ REIMER

Karen Emilson of Manitoba Beef Producers speaks with students during the Amazing Rangeland Adventure event that was held in September at the Kelburn Farm and Glenlea Research Station. Emilson was joined by MBP Director Dianne Riding at the event which is used to educate students about agriculture.

good handle on production and input cost before going forward. A wellresearched business plan

can better position you To you more experienced to capture opportunities producers, let’s lend a hand and minimize negative to the younger producers out risk. there whenever possible.

Subway and Tim Hortons promoting Canadian beef Two of the country’s most popular restaurants have added items featuring 100 per cent Canadian beef to their menus. Tim Hortons and Subway both made the announcements in early October and have launched aggressive advertising campaigns to promote their new offerings. In the case of Tim Hortons, the restaurant chain said it is permanently bringing back its best-selling Steak and Cheese Panini, and offering a new Chipotleflavoured option. In addition, Tim Hortons is introducing for a limited time a new Grilled Steak and Egg Breakfast Sandwich. In a press release it was noted the launch of breakfast and lunch steak sandwiches at Tim Hortons further solidifies the company’s leadership position in breakfast and its growing share of the lunch category. “Tim Hortons is continuing our play to become Canada’s lunch leader by bringing quality steak menu items to our guests

like the Steak and Cheese Panini and the new Grilled Steak and Egg Breakfast Sandwich made with 100 per cent Canadian Beef. According to the NPD Group, steak sandwiches are the fastest-growing category in quick-service restaurants, and last year our limited-time Steak & Cheese Panini became our number one selling sandwich,” said Tammy Martin, Vice President Marketing, Food and Merchandise, Tim Hortons. “It was clear that we not only needed to bring back the original Steak and Cheese Panini for good, but also complement it with a bolder Chipotle option and seize the opportunity to introduce steak at breakfast. All three of these sandwiches are hearty meals that feature steak sourced from 100 per cent Canadian beef that will easily satisfy a steak lover’s craving.” “Canada Beef is pleased to partner with Tim Hortons on the development and launch of the Steak & Cheese Panini, Chipotle

Steak & Cheese Panini and the Grilled Steak & Egg Breakfast Sandwich,” says Rob Meijer, President of Canada Beef. “Canada’s 68,000 beef cattle farmers and ranchers appreciate Tim Hortons’ commitment to offer top quality sandwiches featuring 100 per cent Canadian beef.” Subway has also stepped up to promote Canadian beef with the launch of their new Prime Rib Melt. Made with tender pieces of thick-cut 100 per cent Canadian beef tossed in an au jus glaze, topped with sliced cheddar cheese and served on freshly toasted Italian bread, this sandwich is available at participating locations across Canada for a limited time. “The Canadian beef industry is thrilled to be providing SUBWAY Restaurants across Canada with 100 per cent Canadian beef,” said Meijer. “This is a great opportunity for our local producers to showcase their top quality product in a premium quality sandwich.”

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GENERAL MANAGER’S COLUMN

Labour shortage a threat to entire industry Melinda German What is the primary challenge in agriculture today? Here in Manitoba many would say it is the issues we’ve been having with excess moisture and water management and feed shortages. In Canada as a whole the biggest challenge facing our industry is labour, or, more specifically, the shortage of labourers. Many Manitoba producers may question this statement, especially if you are a family owned and operated farm or ranch and you do not need to rely on a consistent and qualified outside labour force. However, let’s have a look at our industry from a little higher level. I think we all know of a cow-calf producer who has struggled with finding external labour; maybe it is you. In Western Canada we have seen a consistent pull on

our labour force from rural communities to resourcerich areas, such as the energy-rich areas in southwestern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Now this isn’t just a challenge to the larger cowcalf operator or a smaller one who works off farm and requires external workers. It is also a significant challenge to our feedlots and processing plants. More and more we are hearing that feedlots are leaving bunk space empty because they need more workers, and with that we have to wonder where cattle are going to be fed. This is a concern not only here in Manitoba, but also across Western Canada. This past summer we heard a lot about labour shortages and the challenges that have arisen with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). At the

recent Beef Value Chain Round Table, a bi-annual meeting of provincial and national beef associations and provincial and federal government representatives, the labour issue was discussed in detail. We were encouraged to continue to address this critical issue both nationally and provincially. We were also challenged to look at the labour challenge differently, more specifically, that part of the solution is to stop looking primarily for ”temporary” workers and to also focus on immigration programs that are more permanent in nature. While these labour shortages are a challenge for us on Manitoba farms and ranches and in our rural communities, they are even more profound in Canada’s processing industry. When our processing plants run below capacity this results in a loss of revenue. This is does not

lead to a healthy beef supply chain and it also puts our industry and country at the risk of a huge wreck in the future. Picture it; BSE … yes bovine spongiform encephalopathy … just the name still causes shivers. Well, let’s even go to the worst case scenario in terms of foreign animal diseases, an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). Imagine FMD Canada and the borders slamming shut again. Industry and governments would go into crisis management mode, dealing first with diseased or infected animals. At the same time we would be faced with managing the huge volume of healthy animals that could not be moved to a market or that would be delayed in marketing due to a backlog of animals because once again we have no external markets and limited domestic plant

capacity. For a country that exports a significant portion of our production we know how challenging this would be. Now compound this challenge with the problem of labour shortages. In this decade, our domestic plants are now in a critical stage of limited processing capacity due to a lack of staff to run them. This is a very worrisome picture for those of us that remember the challenges through the BSE era. The loss of a plant in a foreign animal disease situation or just due to a serious lack of labour would cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in mere months. On the positive side, the beef industry has recently been able to influence some changes in the TFWP Program. Feedlots are now considered to be a primary producer under the program, thus allowing

them access to it. As well, Manitoba has a leg up on the rest of the country in that our Provincial Nominee Program is faster than elsewhere in the country and can result in prospective immigrants receiving a Manitoba Certificate of Nomination which may help speed up the overall process to become a permanent resident. However, even with our recent win on the TFWP Program, and a slightly better program in Manitoba, we continue to work with our provincial and national governments on this critical issue. We need to improve access to labour for rural Manitoba and Canada, not temporarily, but permanently. Many of us know of or are related to a group of hard-working people that came to this amazing country looking to build their futures.

Attention Hunters

Your Land. Your Livelihood.

Samples are required from elk and deer taken in GHAs 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 18 and 18B (west of PR 366), 18A, 18C, part of 22 (west of PTH 83), 23, and 23A. Please submit fresh, not frozen, samples within 48 hours of the kill. Note that antlers of male elk or deer are not needed and should be removed before submitting the sample. A number of local businesses are participating by accepting samples from hunters. Please check the website listed below, or the 2014 Manitoba Hunting Guide for a location nearest you.

Ban on Feeding The feeding of deer, elk and moose in the above noted GHAs is prohibited.

Your Legacy.

Protect your operation today and for generations to come. Implement or renew your environmental farm plan. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) is offering free half-day environmental farm plan (EFP) workshops this fall and winter. Sessions will be held at select MAFRD GO Offices by video conference on the following days: Wednesday, November 12 Tuesday, December 9

Tuesday, January 13

To register and for workshop locations and times go to:

manitoba.ca/agriculture or visit your local GO Office.

EFPs must be renewed every five years to remain valid. Check the date of your Statement of Completion.

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CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

Straight from the Hip Celebrate your farm

Brenda Schoepp When Jamie McCoy, my guest from Wales stayed with us last summer, she glowed with passion for the family farm. A fellow Nuffield Scholar, her project was to look at opportunities for small holdings. The release of her report in 2014, the International Year of Family Farming, could not be timelier. Of course the first question to answer is – what is the definition of family farm? After extensive travel and research she really did not have a definition but observed that in the EU, 89 per cent of the 16.4 million people working on a commercial farm were the owner or their family members. In Canada, 98 per cent of all farms are defined as family farms. The United Nations chose 2014 as the International Year of Family

Farming because farming – or the production of food – is critical for the evolution of mankind. The UN descriptive of the family farm or family farming is “a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, including both women’s and men’s.” Clearly this would apply to most farms, including ours. In Wales, the majority of farms are less than 100 hectares; in most Asian countries farm size is less than three hectares. What are the opportunities on the small family farm? First, it is fair to say that farming is changing. Robotics, prescriptive farming, drones, black box farming and many other technologies and scientific developments have changed what farmers grow

and where they can grow it. Through this transformation, men and women on the farm have had to adapt to a change in their time demands for marketing, research, transportation and delivery, risk management, supply change management, branding and the understanding of consumer trends. Jamie’s research found that the challenges on the farm that were approached with strong business acumen were quickly addressed. In my words, the problem becomes the solution. A simple modified formula quickly became her framework for the evaluation of family farms around the world. Jamie found that most business projects will focus on strategy, capacity and capital but when it came to talking to family farms around the world, she could not ignore communication and

a continuous evaluation as or to build a legacy. Some cornerstone pieces for suc- said their success hinged on cess. telling their story, regeneration, innovation, diversiStrategy x Capacity x fication or building trust. Capital x Communication As you can see the farmers x Evaluation = from around the world all Sustained Profitable had different solutions to Growth the success of their family farm. Telling the story of What are the opportuni- how a food is produced is ties for small family farms? important to the farm sellMost farmers through the ing to the restaurant, while evaluation of the past his- other farmers clearly fotory and the future of their cused on practises to rejufarm were explicit on the venate tired land. If you are looking for a opportunity that provided a major incentive for change magic bullet for your farm, and profitability on the you likely won’t find it befarm. In their own words tween the pages of Jamie’s reit was for some the access port or any other published and utilization of informa- document. The solution(s) tion, improving efficien- lie independently with the cies, lowering costs, build- farming family who at all ing a brand or marketing as times are responsible for a group. For others it was their success. It is the farm to solve problems collec- family who must build the tively as a community, to be farm and it is the farm famgrateful in every day, build ily who build the commusomething slowly from nity in which the family scratch, to create a heritage members live. By continually

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evaluating the wealth and health on and of the farm, and with clear communication, nearly all things would appear possible. My own research into global food production identified areas that need addressing that are outside the business of actual farming. Most certainly I would argue that successful people, including farmers, come from a place of core values and beliefs. Both Jamie and I concluded that access to credit was limiting in food production and although I talked about financing from a woman’s perspective, she was clear in her recommendation to understand your borrowing capacity and that having a small holding is largely contingent in living within your means. And while the shortage of labor is stinging farms worldwide, the solutions are not simple and lie in the farmers’ approach to their profession of food production. In my research access to land was paramount for the security of the family farm and we have trouble appreciating that in Canada where we have land ownership. Very few farms are owned by farmers in this world, including Wales. Yet farmers are extremely proud and hospitable, capable and enthusiastic in every corner of the earth. I had the privilege of mentoring Jamie and as with all my experiences in working with bright, young farmers; I am enriched through the experience. The farming world is shared and special and you are invited to read Jamie’s report Opportunities for the Small Family Farm at http:// nuffieldinternational.org/ rep_pdf/1409386338JamieMcCoy-report-2013.pdf and my report on The Development of Mentorship Programs for Women in Agriculture at http://brendaschoepp.com/nuffieldscholarship/ . Celebrate your farm with its uniqueness and the wonderful people who create and maintain it – your family. Together you are the weavers of economic prosperity. Brenda Schoepp is a farmer, international mentor and motivational speaker. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014

November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

McRae enjoys experience of a lifetime at FNBA In early October, a Manitoba beef producer received the opportunity of a lifetime after his video detailing A Day in the Life of Beef Producer won top spot as part of a Five Nations Beef Alliance (FNBA) blog contest. Brett McRae is a fifth generation cattle producer operating from Mar Mac Farms, a 130-year-old family operation situated halfway between Brandon and Souris. Mar Mac Farms has over 200 head of cattle - primarily purebred Simmental and Angus - and also grows 1,000 acres of grain and oilseed crops. At 27 years old, McRae is part of a Cattlemen Industry Young Leaders (CYL) program that has selected 16 young leaders, from across Canada, who all work as part of the national cattle industry. Those who are chosen are paired up with a mentor who helps to guide and develop their assigned mentees in a mutual exchange of experience and enthusiasm. The program also gives young leaders the chance to travel to Cattlemen events and to apply for additional extra-curricular activities; such as the competition which McRae ended up winning. The competition was to enter a blog entry that could be written or could include photos or a video and spoke about the life of a beef producer. McRae selected to create a video blog and took some time to research other videos online, seeing what he liked and didn’t like in order to build his project. In choosing a video medium, McRae felt that he might be able to affect a broader audience, holding some interest for both those in the beef industry and those simply wanting to see where their dinner comes from. “Whenever I scroll through any social media, a video is what generally grabs my attention and makes me want to stop, check it out, and stick around,” says McRae. “I wanted the video to be very real and my ultimate goal was for a beef producer, grain farmer, or somebody from the city to get a fairly honest representation of what goes on every day for a beef producer.” The creation of the video itself only took a short time, thanks in large part to the help of his sister, Melissa McRae owner of Brandonbased, Prairie Pistol Designs. McRae acknowledges that without her media skills and

expertise, the project would have been a much larger undertaking for him. “Without her, it would have taken a week or more to finish for sure,” says McRae. “But we had it all done in a day. We were asked to give a day in the life of a beef producer and that’s exactly what we showed.” By winning this contest, McRae was able to represent Canada at the 2014 FNBA Annual Conference and tour held in Corpus Christi, Texas. The FNBA is made up of member nations Canada, the United States, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand and it accounts for approximately a third of total global beef production. This conference allowed McRae a unique opportunity to network with his international counterparts and to learn more about how cattle are raised outside Manitoba. “Of all the trips that CYL had listed, this was the one that I really wanted to go on,” says McRae. “The timing of this tour worked best for me and it was the one that that I felt I would get the most out of. It was going to be fascinating to find out how guys in Mexico raise their cattle versus guys in New Zealand or Australia. I was looking forward to seeing the differences

Brett McRae

Paul Adair

Brandon-area producer Brett McRae recently attended the Five Nations Beef Alliance in Corpus Christie, Texas. McRae was selected to attend the event after his video detailing the a day in the life of a producer was selected the winner of a FNBA blog contest.

between the countries and to also get a firsthand look at how they are doing things down in Texas.” Once in the Lone Star State, McRae toured through the various aspects of the Texan beef industry. One of the highlights was visiting the historic King Ranch, located between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. At 825,000 acres (3,340 square kilometres), the King Ranch is a national landmark and is one of the largest ranches in the world. McRae is particularly interested in seeing how cattle operations as large King Ranch are managed. “I am always looking for new and different ways of doing things,” says McRae. “Any time I go on a tour like this, I am always looking for something that I can bring back and use on my farm. It

could be something as simple as how someone ties up a gate; but if it’s something that I can use that will help out in my everyday life, then it’s useful to me.” By winning the blog contest, McRae was given the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the major movers and shakers of the international beef industry and to also meet some of the high-ranking members of the Canadian Cattlemen Association. While attending the conference, McRae took part in the Five Nations general session held in Austin, where he attended meetings to discuss the international beef market, farm sustainability, and some of the unique issues that each of the member nations deal with on a daily basis. “I kind of thought that this was going to be a kind of

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he would argue that there are many opportunities. McRae enjoys virtually every aspect of the profession; from riding around on his quad to check the herd in the summer to the day-to-day management of the cattle business. “Everybody has heard that if you don’t want to work a day in your life, then you need to pick something that you love,” says McRae. “For me, this is working cattle.”

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vacation but it seems that they planned to put us to work,” McRae says with a laugh. “It was really interesting to see what the world thinks about the beef market and where they think things are going over the next five to ten years.” For McRae, it is easy to share his optimism over the direction of the beef industry and, although he recognizes that there are many challenges for Manitoba beef producers,

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10 CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

Vet corner

parasite control is an important task

Dr. Tanya Anderson, DVM record cattle prices. Internal parasites compromise growth and development by causing internal organ damage and decreasing feed intake and conversion. Growth is slowed and carcass quality adversely affected; reproductive efficiency and milk production is compromised while weakening resistance to other diseases. The end result is thinner cows, more opens and smaller calves. The hidden threat lurks in pastures. Grazing season is the time of year when worm populations peak as the larvae require warm moist conditions to develop. The life cycle from egg to egg-laying adult is repeated every four to six weeks in mature cattle and may be even as short as three weeks in calves. A moderate infection level of 30 eggs per gram of manure represents 408,000 eggs per cow per day shed out onto pastures. Strategic deworming with Safe-Guard while on pasture will help reduce the yearly parasite contamination by 80 per cent or greater for the entire season. Weaning weights

in two Saskatchewan studies were increased by 18-26 pounds. A beef steer grazing through feedlot trial with strategic deworming on pasture followed by on-arrival feedlot deworming increased total gain by 102 lbs versus untreated control steers. Although it is fall, it is still not too late to ensure your herd is dewormed. Talk to your veterinarian about your herd’s risks and tailor a program to meet your herd’s needs that fits your management practices. Not every herd or even pastures within a herd need deworming. Institute a monitoring program based on the Modified Wisconsin Flotation Method which evaluates infection levels through the use of fecal egg counts (FEC). Consider doing a FEC two weeks after using a pour-on endectocide to assess the efficacy of the treatment. If it is working, then treatment with SafeGuard is not required. If you find that your herd is significantly parasitized, a variety of treatment options are available for both calves and cows. If calves will be

Maureen Cousins

Every fall, pour-ons to control lice and internal parasites have been “good production practice.” No one really worried about the worms as “cattle didn’t get worms in Manitoba,” and product efficacy was judged by the ability to stop the itching and hair loss associated with lice. But recent studies have shown internal parasites to be an economically significant problem in cattle on the Canadian prairies. Unlike sheep and goats, cattle rarely die from internal parasitism (with the exception of a liver fluke infestation) so deworming has never been thought of as a priority especially when the pouron labels indicate efficacy against many worm species. Unfortunately studies are showing another disturbing trend – avermectin resistance. A fecal egg count reduction of less than 90 per cent after deworming indicates potential parasite resistance. The value of effective deworming has never been truer than this year with

Cattle on summer pasture near Rivers.

kept for at least one month, treatment will put money in your pocket. Chute-side treatment with an oral suspension is convenient using a special Safe-Guard applicator that easily slides into the mouth. However, syringibility can be challenging in colder temperatures (under -10 ºc) and may necessitate the use of a pre-mix in the silage or grain mix. When adding to a complete feed, ensure proper mixing and add the pre-mix a little at a time while mixing to ensure that the drug is uniformly

distributed. Alternatively, Safe-Guard crumbles can be used as top dress on the grain. Treatments can be done over three to five days or as a single treatment. Check with your veterinarian for dosing recommendations and protocols. Summer treatments are similarly done on pasture using drenching, mixing in grain supplements or as an addition to the mineral. The latter is the most popular due to ease of administration and reduced handling requirements. It is beneficial

to treat all animals in the group (both adults and calves) as all will be shedding and contaminating the pastures. Keep in mind that the treatment programs will vary from year to year, depending on parasite loads. Dry conditions are not good for worms while warm humid weather is ideal. Work with your veterinarian and do fecal egg counts to determine the economic benefits of deworming under your herd’s individual situation. Your profitability depends on it.

From the Desk of the Bovine Tuberculosis Coordinator IMPORTANT NEWS ON TB TESTING FRONT IN THE CORE AREA

Allan Preston A slight but significant correction is required in the TB Update printed in the October, 2014 Cattle Country. The article indicated that the cattle herds in the Core Area of the Riding Mountain Eradication Area not tested in 2013-14 would be scheduled for testing this season. After further discussion between Ray Armbruster, Melinda German, Maureen Cousins and CFIA staff, Noel Harrington and Krista Howden, the decision has been made to not test any Core Area herds this year. Testing will proceed on the 10 per cent of herds selected in the buffer zone, and these producers have been notified of this requirement. For the 2015-16 surveillance season, all herds in the Core Area will be

tested. However, the plan is to continue to reduce, and quickly eliminate, any herd testing in the buffer zone. This change in plans for this year will allow MBP and CFIA to focus their

efforts on the Agri-Marketing Research Project – specifically, further updating the Cattle Scenario Tree Model to more accurately design future surveillance programs and continuing to advance the traceability

of RMEA origin cattle through to the retirement of their CCIA tags. I apologize for any confusion from the October Update – sometimes things change after print deadlines pass!

“The plan is to continue to reduce and quickly eliminate any herd testing in the buffer zone.” Where the livestock industry CONNECTS...

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November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

National survey of management practices on Canadian beef operations CHRISTINE RAWLUK, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR LIVESTOCK AND THE ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA The 2012 National Beef Farm Practices Survey provides a current picture of management practices on beef farms across Canada. A total of 1,009 producers representing a cross section of cow-calf, back grounding, finishing and combined operations from different regions of the country completed the 133-question survey conducted by Ipsos Forward Research. The survey was developed by Kim Ominski at the University of Manitoba, Shabtai Bittman with Agriculture AgriFood Canada (AAFC) in British Columbia, Doug Macdonald at Environment Canada in Ottawa, along with U of M colleague Don Flaten and graduate student Gwen Donohoe. Steve Sheppard of ECOMatters summarized survey responses. “The survey provides a wealth of information regarding farm practices across Canada,” said Ominski. “Having this information is essential as it provides direction to the industry to improve on-farm productivity, but will also be valuable to partners like McDonald’s who are working with the Canadian beef industry to develop ‘sustainable beef.’” Survey questions were designed to capture detailed information on feeding practices, herd management, grazing management, pasture and feed crop production management, manure management as well as information around farm operations and producer behaviour. The survey responses shed light on what management practices are being used, where improvements can be made using existing tools and practices, and where there is a lack of managementbased information for a given region or sector. Questions around decision making, risk and preferred sources of information provide insights as to why certain practices are, or are not, adopted and how to better communicate the benefits of existing best management practices.

Beef production on the Prairies

On the Prairies, 95 per cent of respondents classified their operation as cow-calf, compared with the national average of 91 per cent. The Prairies region also reported the lowest fraction of farm income coming from their cattle operation at 62 per cent, compared with a national average of 66 per cent. At 37 per cent, small-scale parttime cow-calf operations made up the largest single group of beef operation types. When comparing management practices on the Prairies to those in the east (southern regions of Ontario and Quebec), calving season was earlier and shorter, weaning weights were higher, winter grazing was more prevalent and varied, extensive feeding scenarios were preferred to confined feeding, and manure management practices were less intensive on the Prairies.

Feeding and grazing practices

Summer grazing occurs predominantly on tame and native/old pastures, with grazing of native/old pastures being more prevalent on the Prairies (81 per cent) than in the east (57 per cent). The survey defined tame pastures as less than 20 years old and native/ old pastures as not having been seeded in the past 20 years. Grazing harvested cropland is also fairly common on the Prairies (44 per cent), but less so in the east (14 per cent). For winter grazing, a variety of practices are used on Canadian beef farms. Feeding bales (44 per cent) and grazing processed forages (42 per cent) are the most common practices, although grazing swathed cereals (25 per cent) and stockpiled forages (29 per cent) also occurs. Lower cost and reduced labour were the main reasons given by survey respondents in support of winter grazing, followed by improved cattle condition and agronomic benefits.

Key Survey Areas • Feeding practices • Grazing management – warm season, cold season • Forage and feed grain production management • Manure handling, storage and application management • Beef operation characterization and producer behaviour

the survey were designed to better understand why producers adopt certain practices and how they obtain technical information. The survey showed producers prefer to make decisions based on their own experiences, but also ranked other beef producers, farm print media and veterinarians as other top sources of information, while extension-type events and web resources were intermediate. When compared with gross farm income, a higher proportion of finisher operations than non-finishing operations sought information from extension-type events, web resources and universities.

Producer groups, government extension offices and universities can use this information to arrive at improved strategies for sharing technical information with producers.

Closing the information gaps

Working with colleagues across western Canada, Ominski has conducted a number of studies on winter feeding management, looking at cow nutrition and performance, as well as the economic and environmental implications of low-cost overwintering strategies. “We are

concerned with not only meeting the cow’s nutritional demands, but that of developing fetus. A growing body of research points to negative lifelong performance and carcass impacts of maternal nutritional deficiencies during fetal development,” says Ominski. Recently, the University of Manitoba beefforage program expanded to include research into low-cost extended grazing scenarios, led by Emma McGeough, assistant professor, sustainable grasslands systems. McGeough’s current research, featured in the September edition of

Cattle Country, focuses on identifying promising annual and perennial species for swath or stockpiled grazing to extend the grazing season through fall into early winter. The best-performing forages will then be evaluated in a cattle grazing trial. Truly national in scope, the survey was developed in consultation with experts from across Canada, and was supported by funding at a provincial level from Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia, and from Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and Environment Canada at a federal level.

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Arriving at a management decision

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12 CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

The Bottom Line

Get full value for your commission dollars

Rick Wright October calf sales are in full swing with the majority of the sales for October and November booked to capacity at the auction markets. With record prices for all classes of cattle, producers are taking advantage of the “real price discovery” tool available; competitive marketing by the auction method. With the prices fluctuating from week to week and sale to sale, this is a great time to get full value for your selling commission. With the weigh slides for cattle pricing this fall at 15 to 20 on the calves, and 10 to 12 on the yearlings, paying an auction market to sort, weigh and sell your calves is a sound investment. The cost of the selling

commission could make you some serious cash this fall. These are the highest price adjustment slides in history. As a seller, unless you know exactly what your calves weigh, and they are a very uniform package, it is almost impossible to entertain a bid on the farm. A flat bid on the farm may sound attractive, but when you sort them for weight this year, your 400 pound steers could bring 20 to 25 cents per pound more than your 500 pounders, and the 700 weights only 10 cents less than your six weights. Whatever market you decide to ship to, just make sure that they sort and present the cattle properly, sell them in timely fashion to prevent excessive shrink, and have a large number of buyers at the sale. So far this fall, the

common theme on buyers’ row is that the cattle are costing more than expected, but everyone seems to have an order, and it has been very hard to “cheapen down” at the ring. Other than regional transportation problems and bad weather, the fundamentals indicate that the cattle markets will remain very strong all fall. The predictions for spring sales also look very favourable, especially for the grass type cattle. The shortage of cattle in North America is not changing! There are some areas of the USA where moisture and pasture conditions were good, and they are retaining heifers and starting to rebuild. The rebuilding into those areas is offset by the drought areas where beef producers are reducing numbers or liquidating their cattle. In the last

“So far this fall, the common theme on buyers’ row is that the cattle are costing more than expected.” USDA cattle report, cattle placements on feed were down 3 per cent, which was the sixth straight month of decline and the lowest in five years. Tight supplies and heifer retention in the USA will very likely keep placements lower for the remainder of the year. Cattle’s marketings in August south of the border were down 9.6 per cent from last year. Another positive sign that the prices should stay strong is the frozen meat inventory supplies. Beef inventories are down

DATE

LOCATION

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District 14

Stan Foster

Oct-27

Durban Community Hall

612 1st St. N, Durban

District 13

Ben Fox

Oct-28

Credit Union Place Arena

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Oct-29

Rossburn Community Hall

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District 12

Bill Murray

Nov-04

Ste. Rose Jolly Club

638 1st Ave., SW, Ste. Rose

District 10

Theresa Zuk

Nov-05

Bifrost Community Centre

337 River Rd., Arborg

District 4

Heinz Reimer

Nov-06

Grunthal Auction Mart

Provincial Road 205

District 3

Cheryl McPherson

Nov-10

Elm Creek Community Hall

70 Arena Rd., Elm Creek

District 2

Dave Koslowsky

Nov-12

Crystal City Community Hall

Conklin St. S, Crystal City

District 1

Ted Artz*

Nov-13

Deloraine Legion Club

115 Cavers St. N, Deloraine

District 5

Ramona Blyth

Nov-14

Carberry Memorial Hall

224 2nd Ave., Carberry

District 8

Tom Teichroeb

Nov-17

Royal Canadian Legion

425 Brown Ave., Neepawa

District 9

Dianne Riding

Nov-18

Teulon Hall

14 Main St., Teulon

*Director retiring

CALL 1-800-772-0458 OR EMAIL INFO@MBBEEF.CA FOR FULL DETAILS www.mbbeef.ca

approximately 20 per cent from last year. Ground boneless beef supplies are down 21 per cent, despite nearly 50 per cent more ground beef imported so far this year into the USA from Australia. Beef cuts were 16 per cent lower than last year at this time and a whopping 40 per cent lower than the 5-year average. Packers and retailers will have to be competitive on the cash market with the tight supplies in storage. Pork supplies were on par with last year with the exception of pork bellies, which were 135 per cent higher than last year and 17 per cent over the 5-year average. With so much pork in reserve, it makes you wonder why the big increase in bacon prices at the store! Chicken in cold storage was 17 per cent below last year and 15 per cent below the 5-year average. Feed grain prices continue to drop as the harvest progresses in the south. Corn futures are approaching long‐term support at $3.00/bushel, which takes the corn price back to the 2009 levels. Some traders are predicting the 2005-2006 prices of $2.63 per bushel. Early reports said that corn was maturing more slowly this year, and at the time of this writing, harvest was 20 per cent behind last. Cattle feeders from both Ontario and Quebec started to buy Manitoba calves in October, pushing the prices even higher than expected. About 50 per cent of the calves purchased by those operators will be back grounded in Manitoba at custom feedlots with the remainder going directly to eastern Canada. The American feedlots have been aggressive buyers of yearlings off the grass all fall, with stiff competition from the feedlots in Alberta. The currency exchange going south makes the USA very competitive for the Canadian cattle. Already this year we have exported

812 thousand head to the USA compared to 732 thousand cattle for the entire year in 2013. Fed slaughter cattle exports are up 3.5 per cent from last year but 18 per cent lower than the five-year average with 27,700 exported to US packers. The biggest surprise has been the cow exports, which are currently running 10 per cent below last year. Despite the larger than average number of cows being sold during the summer months, a higher percentage is being processed in Canada. The main reason is that many of the cows are not age verified and dentition indicates that they are over four years of age and cannot be exported. Producers should make every effort to age verify their cows or get age verification papers when they purchase bred cows or heifers. Currently on the middle-aged cows, there is a 3-5 cent price premium per pound for those cows that are age verified. The cattle futures have been responding positively to the lower grain prices, and prices for finished cattle have been improving. This has made the cattle feeders a little more comfortable with the new prices trends for the feeder cattle. With the feeders costing so many dollars per head more this fall, some of the minor fundamentals used to determine breakevens at the feedlot have become more important than ever before. Death loss and interest on inventory have become very import factors when doing the calculations on feeding costs. For producers who are wondering about keeping their calves, looking at the Price Insurance Program may be worthwhile. The program prices have come closer to the cash market in the past few weeks. The program gives you reasonable price insurance but allows the potential for you to cash in on increased prices at the time of sale. Until next time, Rick

November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

DIRECTOR PROFILE: LARRY GERELUS – DISTRICT 7

farm, to larger issues of an international scope. “There is certainly a lot more lobbying than I thought there would be,” says Gerelus. “Everything seems to reflect back to governments, and how we can work with them and how they will work with us. Until I became a director, I really didn’t get to see this part. When I was strictly a producer, I stayed focused on my day-to-day operations and missed out on the many things that were happening for me in the background.” Gerelus wishes the

public could share in his perspective, witness how Manitoba cattle producers care for their animals, and see the effort that goes into bringing quality beef products to the province’s dinner tables. Too often, unfortunately, it only takes one bad incident to have the entire sector tarnished with the same brush. “It doesn’t take much to get a negative perception out there about our industry,” says Gerelus. “Once some celebrity goes out and makes an irresponsible statement that’s not 100 per cent fair

around cattle, and it’s just something I have in me. It’s in my blood.” Gerelus advises the younger generation looking to enter the industry to come at it with both eyes open. Being a Manitoba beef producer is not easy, and those interested in the business need to be prepared to work; there is always something to do when you’re involved with cattle. Gerelus also warns against over-reaching when it comes to determining your eventual farm size. “Remember that bigger is not always better” says Gerelus. “You can double the size of your farm, but that doesn’t mean that you are going to double your profit, because your expenses will jump up that much higher. Plus you need to put aside a little freedom for yourself.

I only just recently spoke to one producer and he was just about to go on his first holiday in over 30 years!” Gerelus says that it is important to find time for the things that you enjoy doing. For Gerelus, this means enjoying his steak done medium-rare on the barbecue, heading out to the mountains with the family to ski over spring break, and committing himself to public service within the community, helping bring positive changes to the community where he was born and raised. “Small towns across Manitoba − like Shoal Lake − are having a tough time surviving,” says Gerelus. “But it’s where I live and if I can do my part to help my community hold its own and thrive, then that’s great.”

DLMS INTERNET SALES EVERY THURSDAY AT www.dlms.ca - Call our office to list your cattle! Monday, Nov 3

November

Larry Gerelus

2014 Fall Sale Schedule

Over the last two years, Larry Gerelus has been representing the interests of cattle producers as Manitoba Beef Producers’ (MBP) District 7 director. The district encompasses the western municipalities of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, and Blanshard. Started by his father, Gerelus’ farm is located in the southwestern corner of the Rural Municipality of Shoal Lake, and has been in the family for more than 70 years. After his father’s passing in 1984, Larry, and his older brother Ron, have been working the property alongside their respective families. They maintain an approximately 200 head, mixed breed (primarily Simmental and Black Angus), cow/calf operation, finishing off their own calves for beef. Gerelus first became involved with the Manitoba Beef Producers after attending a MBP meeting in Birtle around 15 years ago, hoping to network with other producers in the area, and then share ideas and information on how to improve his operations. Two years ago, he was approached by former District 7 director, Ray Armbruster, to gauge his interest in taking over the director position when Armbruster stepped down. “There was the odd time I would wonder what it would be like to get involved as a director, but I never really gave it much thought,” says Gerelus. “So, at first, I didn’t really jump at the idea but, after about six months of thinking on it, I decided to throw my hat in ring at the next district meeting.” Gerelus has found the transition from beef producer to district director to have a steep learning curve. He is enjoying the challenges, and the experience has broadened his view on the beef industry. As a director, Gerelus has been able to get a clearer picture of why things are happening the way they are within the industry, from the issues that matter to the family

about your product, it can drag down the entire industry. It’s really a scary thing.” The Manitoba beef industry is facing many challenges moving forward. Devastating overland flooding is occurring more and more often, farm expenses are always rising, and it is becoming more difficult to find skilled labour to help out with the farm as traditional agriculture competes with Saskatchewan’s oil and potash mining sectors for workers. “Some days I just don’t know why I stay in the business,” says Gerelus. “For all the work that you put into the beef producing, you can feel sort of foolish when you see other people going off to 9-to-5 jobs and not having a care in the world. But I was born and raised

Wednesday, Nov 5 Friday, Nov 7

Monday, Nov 10

Wednesday, Nov 12

Butcher Cattle Sale

Presort Feeder Cattle Sale

Presort Feeder Cattle Sale – Angus Influence

Butcher Cattle Sale

Dr. K’s Specialty Products Warehouses in Winnipeg and St. Martin, MB

www.mbbeef.ca

11AM 9AM

10AM 9AM 9AM 10AM

Monday, Dec 1

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

Friday, Dec 5

Bred Cow Sale

11AM

Sunday, Dec 7

Campbell Limousin Dispersal Sale

Monday, Dec 8

Tuesday, Dec 9

Feeder Cattle Sale

Springcreek Simmentals Production Female Sale Butcher Cattle Sale

No Borders Charolais Female Sale

Wednesday, Dec 10

Feeder Cattle Sale

Saturday, Dec 13

Bred Cow Sale

Tuesday, Dec 16

Bonchuk Farms Simmental Production Female Sale

Friday, Dec 12

Monday, Dec 15

Friday, Dec 19

Monday, Dec 22

11AM

9AM

9AM 9AM

Border Side Select Female Sale

1PM

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

12 NOON

Feeder Cattle Sale

9AM

Bred Cow Sale

11AM

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

Blacksand Cattle Co. Simmental Dispersal Sale

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10AM

Bred Cow Sale

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9AM

Friday, Nov 21

Friday, Dec 19

Bred Cow Sale

Wednesday, Nov 19

Monday, Nov 17

Wednesday, Dec 17

New Livestock Mineral

Presort Feeder Cattle Sale – Angus Influence

Regular Cattle Sale

Saturday, Dec 6

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

Butcher Cattle Sale

Friday, Nov 14

Wednesday, Dec 3

December

Paul Adair

Heartland Livestock Services

14 CATTLE COUNTRY November 2014

MBP makes submission on animal diseases amendment act Maureen Cousins MBP made a submission when Bill 71 – The Animal Diseases Amendment Act – went before the Manitoba government’s Standing Committee on Social & Economic Development on Sept. 23 for public feedback. Effective management of animal diseases, locally, nationally or internationally, is essential for the livestock sector. Outbreaks of highly contagious foreign animal diseases, such as Foot and Mouth Disease, can have devastating economic consequences for affected nations. With Bill 71, the Manitoba government is attempting to strengthen the existing legislation related to the management of animal diseases, with the aim of reducing the likelihood of their introduction and spread. This includes using a “one health” approach that takes into account the interconnectedness between animal health, human health and environmental health. MBP is generally supportive of the proposed amendments, but in our submission we sought clarification about several elements of the legislation, which are described in more detail here. A key component of Bill 71 is Section 2.1, which deals with animal health surveillance. If passed, this provision will allow the provincial government to conduct animal health surveillance

programs for a variety of purposes, such as gaining an overall understanding of the health status of animal populations in the province. MBP has several questions about how such surveillance programs will work, taking into account the Manitoba beef industry’s experience with mandatory federal surveillance for bovine tuberculosis. Cattle producers in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA) have been part of a multi-decade, multistakeholder effort aimed at stemming the spread of this disease between wildlife and livestock, with the ultimate aim of eradicating it. Producers have borne considerable costs associated with the bovine TB surveillance program. Under Bill 71, it is not clear if producer participation in these animal health surveillance programs is mandatory or voluntary, nor are consequences identified should a producer decline to participate. Second, MBP has asked whether producers will be required to bear all costs associated with making their animals available for surveillance testing or whether they will be borne by the provincial government. MBP wants clarification about who assumes the costs for animal injuries sustained during a

surveillance program. It is MBP’s position that compensation should be based on fair market value, and that any questions around liability need to be resolved before surveillance is implemented. MBP is requesting that the province consult with affected producers well in advance of any such surveillance activities to ensure reasonable efforts are made to accommodate the farm or ranch’s annual management plan, such as the calving season. It is not yet clear if the surveillance programs will apply only to reportable diseases. MBP asked what criteria will be used to determine which diseases will be subject to surveillance. Bill 71 gives the provincial government enhanced regulation-making powers. This includes authority to make regulations designating areas of Manitoba as animal disease prevention, management or control areas and regulating activities in relation to animals in those areas. MBP wants clarification whether the Manitoba government had discussions with its federal counterparts to ensure that provisions of its own Animal Diseases Act complement similar provisions under the federal Health of Animals Act. MBP wants assurances that there is no duplication in this area, and

36th Annual Keystone Konnection Simmental Sale

View the catalogue online at www.marmacfarms.net

For information contact: Keystone Sale Management Blair and Lois McRae Phone: 204-728-3058 Email: marmac@inetlink.ca Sale Broadcasted by Cattle in Motion

NOVEMBER

Thursday, Nov 6

operation on agricultural Crown land where there is an infected animal to another operation where livestock are also present could unintentionally transfer an animal disease. Alternatively, a person who has traveled to a livestock operation in another country where a contagious foreign animal disease is present might unwittingly transfer said disease to a Manitoba herd via infected footwear or clothing when entering agricultural Crown land where livestock are present. Either of these scenarios could have very serious implications from a disease management perspective, and in turn have severe economic consequences not only for the producer, but also the larger provincial or national economies, depending on the nature of the disease. MBP has raised this concern with the Manitoba government in the past and looks forward to a further discussion around the concept of informed access, whereby visitors to agricultural Crown land would be required to inform the person leasing that land that they intend to enter it. MBP believes this would help ensure that sound biosecurity practices are being utilized. Further, MBP continues to request that provincial departments, Crown corporations and other similar

Presort Calf Sale Angus Influence

9:30AM

Regular Sale

9AM

Regular Sale

9AM

Tuesday, Nov 18

Presort Calf Sale

9:30AM

Tuesday, Nov 25

Presort Calf Sale

9:30AM

Thursday, Nov 27

Bred Cow Sale

1PM

Tuesday, Nov 11

Presort Calf Sale

Thursday, Nov 13

Bred Cow Sale

Thursday, Nov 13

Thursday, Nov 20 Thursday, Nov 27

Tuesday, Dec 2

Thursday, Dec 4

DECEMBER

40 lots of *Full Fleckvieh Bulls and Females *Red and Black Females *Breds and Opens

Tuesday, Nov 4

2014 Fall Sale Schedule

Tuesday, December 9, 2014 Canada Room, Keystone Centre, Brandon, MB.

that there are clear lines of authority. Bill 71 will allow for the minister to be able to use a regulation to declare a reportable disease, as opposed to having to open up the legislation to do that. MBP supports this process, recognizing the importance of being able to swiftly respond to emerging disease threats. MBP welcomes the clarification that Bill 71 provides around definitions contained in the Act, such as defining what biosecurity measures entail. Manitoba’s cattle producers are doing their best to ensure that biosecurity is not compromised on their livestock operations. However, MBP believes it also takes a collective societal effort to ensure that animal diseases are not inadvertently allowed to spread. MBP continues to strongly encourages governments to take this factor into account when they are developing public policies that may have unintended consequences. As a case in point, MBP points to policies around public access to agricultural Crown lands in Manitoba. Current policy allows anyone to access agricultural Crown lands, even if livestock are present. MBP is very concerned that a member of the public who travels from one livestock

Thursday, Dec 4

Tuesday, Dec 9

Thursday, Dec 11

Regular Sale

9AM

Bred Cow Sale

1PM

Regular Sale

9AM 9AM

Regular Sale

9AM

Regular Sale

9AM

Bred Cow Sale

1PM

Bred Cow Sale

Thursday, Dec 18

Regular Sale

Thursday, Dec 18

1PM

Regular Sale

Thursday, Dec 11

Tuesday, Dec 16

9:30AM

1PM

9AM

Presorts MUST be booked in advance. Bred cow sales must be pre-booked and in by NOON on Wednesday prior. Age verification papers must be dropped off with cattle.

Heartland Livestock Services www.mbbeef.ca

entities undertaking work on any agricultural land adhere to the strict biosecurity policies that have been adopted in the cattle sector. MBP is seeking clarification about several other aspects of Bill 71. Among the proposed amendments is the creation of a system for reporting hazards that may threaten animal or public health. Under the proposed changes, the director will be able to issue an order seeking that action is taken around a hazard that may pose a threat to animals. This could require that biosecurity measures be implemented or require that animals be tested. MBP notes that Section 2.3 states that the costs of orders re: hazards or other potential causes of disease will be assessed against the owner of the place, area or vehicle. Similarly, under Sections 3(1) and 3(1.1), it states that costs may be assessed at the expense of the owner for examination, quarantine, treatment and disposal expenses related to either animals or other things. MBP has questions about how these costs will be assessed and where liability stops and starts. For example, should a producer whose biosecurity practices were breached by a third party entering the farm, thereby introducing a disease, be held liable for costs when the problem was not caused by the producer? Or, will there be a mechanism available to help the producer recover these costs? As well, will there be an appeal mechanism available to producers who have questions about the costs and measures being required of them under an order? MBP has requested that any authorized personnel visiting cattle operations, auction marts or other sites associated with beef production to enact or enforce provisions of the Act be well versed in both beef husbandry practices and biosecurity practices. Looking ahead, MBP has requested thorough stakeholder consultation into the development of new regulations or fees under the Act. The bill is expected to be reinstated for Third Reading and further debate when the Manitoba Legislature resumes sitting sometime this fall. If passed, the bill will come into effect the day it receives Royal Assent. Bill 71 can be seen at: http://web2.gov.mb.ca/ bills/40-3/b071e.php.

November 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES UPDATE Maureen Cousins Changes to the board of directors of the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), investments in traceability systems and feed grain research, and some reminders about Growing Forward 2 (GF2) programs are the topics being covered in this month’s column.

Krpan New MASC Chair

The MASC board of directors has been revamped and the new chair will be familiar to many in the beef industry. According to a Sept. 3 Order in Council from the Manitoba government, Frieda Krpan has replaced John Plohman as MASC chair. Krpan has also been serving as the chair of the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council. Also new to the board are directors Jonathan Hildebrand of Winnipeg, Audrey Herman of Ethelbert and Larry Bohdanovich of Grandview.

Reappointed to the board are Sandy Yanick of Shoal Lake, Wilfred Harder of Lowe Farm, Bryan Ferriss of Bowsman, and Harry Sotas of Solsgirth. Sotas is the board’s vice-chair. Frank Fiarchuk and Carol Masse are no longer on the board.

GF2 Reminders

Jan. 30, 2015 is the deadline to apply for funding under the next intake of Growing Forward 2 (GF2) Growing Assurance – Environment. Examples of eligible BMP categories include: improved manure storage, farmyard runoff control, relocation of livestock confinement, and extensive wintering of livestock. You must have a premises ID number, an AccessManitoba client ID number and a valid Statement of Completion certificate for an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) to be eligible to apply for this program. Contact your local MAFRD GO Office for

help with these requirements. For more details see: http://www.gov.mb.ca/ agriculture/environment/ environmental-farm-plan/ growing-assurance-environment.html MAFRD is holding EFP workshops at select GO Centres in the coming weeks, but you must preregister for the workshops. EFPs must be renewed every 5 years to remain valid. For more details see: http:// www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/environment/eventsand-deadlines/index.html A quick reminder to producers participating in the Verified Beef Production Program: Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 the next application deadlines for GF2’s Growing Assurance – Food Safety On-Farm programming. For details see: http://www. gov.mb.ca/agric ulture/ food-safety/at-the-farm/ growing-assurance-foodsafety-on-farm.html Are you a producer applying for funding under GF2 programs, but you don’t have a premises ID number? Applications are made through Manitoba Agriculture and there is

no cost involved. For more information and an online application, see: http:// www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-safety/traceability/premises-identification. html Not sure when deadlines are coming up for applications under the suite of GF2 programs? Visit MAFRD’s GF2 website and scroll down to the bottom of the home page, where you will see a list of upcoming events and program deadlines. See: http://www.gov. mb.ca/agriculture/growing-forward-2/

CATS Funding

The federal government is providing $7.5 million to the Canadian Agri Traceability Services (CATS) to develop, implement and operate a national livestock traceability data service. CATS is a new not-forprofit corporation that brings together the combined experience of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ).

“Traceability plays a significant role not only in preventing and managing a disease outbreak but also in accessing markets globally. By combining the best from two separate traceability databases presently operated by CCIA and ATQ, the state of traceability in Canada will be improved while reducing the costs for industry and simplifying data reporting for producers,” said Terry Kremeniuk, Chairman of the Board, Canadian AgriTraceability Services in an Oct. 9 federal government news release. The funding is coming from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s AgriMarketing Program under GF2.

Feed Grain Research

On Sept. 25, the federal and provincial governments announced that $400,000 has been allocated from GF2 — Growing Innovation — Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (GI-ARDI) to help fund a four-year

project to develop new feed wheat varieties. The Western Feed Grain Development (WFGD) Co-op will lead the research. It is researching new wheat varieties suitable for livestock feed and the ethanol industry. The Co-op and its members are also contributing $1.8 million toward this research. According to the announcement, the project will use traditional plant breeding techniques, so any resulting varieties will not be considered genetically modified and could be used in all livestock operations. “We are looking forward to applying these funds to our breeding program and addressing major areas of concern for Prairie producers, including post-seeding excess moisture, salinity, and aster yellows. WFGD Co-op is developing wheat varieties that will help to minimize the economic losses that result from these crop production challenges,” said David Rourke, WFGD Co-op director.

New deals hold massive potential for producers There have been some tough times for Canadian beef producers over the past few years and for many, particularly those here in Manitoba, there are still more hurdles ahead. However, a pair of recent trade deals signed by the federal government have brought renewed levels of optimism to many in the industry. On Sept. 22, the government announced the signing of the CanadaKorea free trade agreement (CKFTA) in a ceremony held in Ottawa. Just a few days later, Sept. 26 to be exact, the government announced they had signed the much anticipated free trade agreement with the European Union. Both deals were hailed by a number of groups including the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA). In a press release, the CCA noted that under the terms of the CFTKA agreement, the 40 per cent Korean tariff on fresh and frozen beef will be fully eliminated in 15 equal annual steps and the 18 per cent tariff on offals will be fully eliminated in 11 equal annual steps.

The release added the tariff has been the main impediment to accessing the Korean market since Korea lifted its BSE prohibition on Canada in early 2012. “For the past few years, Canada’s key beef competitor, the U.S. has enjoyed an increasing tariff advantage flowing from its free trade agreement with South Korea. Today’s formal signing of the text brings us an important step closer to restoring a competitive position for Canadian beef in the Korean market,” CCA president Dave Solverson said. The tariff disadvantage had become a significant issue as in 2002, Korea was a $40 million market for Canadian beef and its fourth largest export destination. In 2013, with a growing tariff disadvantage relative to U.S. beef, Canada exported $7.8 million. “This is excellent news for Canadian beef producers,” said CCA Director of Government and International Relations, John Masswohl. “The ability to get every piece of the animal to the highest value market is what maximizes prices at

the farm gate. I particularly like that we will be getting an aggressive phase-out on offals that get more value in Korea than they do here in North America.” While the agreement with Korea was obvious reason for excitement, the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) generated even more buzz in the beef industry. In a separate release, Solverson called CETA an outstanding agreement for Canadian beef producers and thanked Prime Minister Stephen Harper, International Trade Minister Ed Fast and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz for their demonstrated commitment to move the agreement forward. It was further noted that once ratified and implemented, the CETA will provide new duty-free access for 64,950 tonnes of Canadian beef valued at nearly $600 million annually, with the lion’s share of the quota reserved for Canada alone. “The CCA would like to see the same unanimous endorsement from all the provinces and territories

that the agreement-inprinciple received last fall,” Solverson said. “The CCA urges the Federal and Provincial governments to move quickly to implement the agreement as soon as possible.” The CCA added that CETA will produce duty free access for 64,950 tonnes. Of this, 50,000 tonnes, consisting of

35,000 tonnes of fresh/ chilled beef and 15,000 tonnes of frozen beef, are reserved for Canada. In addition, Canada will see the 20 per cent duty on the existing 14,950 tonne Hilton quota shared with the U.S. reduced immediately to zero. Canada will also continue to have access to the existing shared duty

free quota for high quality grain-fed beef. Combined with the new access, there is a potential to reach more than 100,000 tonnes per year of duty free access for Canadian beef. Additionally, all live cattle, genetics and most beef offals and processed beef products will benefit from immediate unlimited duty free access.

Canadian beef export stats to Korea:

• Prohibition from May 2003 to Feb 2012 • 2012 – 2,247 tonnes for $10 million, $4.47/kg • 2013 – 1,166 tonnes for $7.8 million, $6.70/kg • Jan-July 2014 – 807 tonnes for $7 million, $8.70/kg Source: Statistics Canada

Tariff Elimination Schedule:

• 40 per cent tariff on fresh and frozen beef eliminated in 15 equal annual steps (2.6 per cent or 2.7 per cent reduction each year depending on rounding). • Same as phase-out for U.S. beef. • Transitional safeguard starting at 17,769 tonnes in year one and growing 3 per cent per year to reach 26,877 tonnes by year 15. • 18 per cent tariff on offals eliminated in 11 equal annual steps (1.6 per cent or 1.7 per cent reduction each year depending on rounding). • Faster than phase-out for U.S. beef which is being reduced at 1.2 per cent each year. An example of a highly valued offal product in Korea is the abomasum (one of the stomach chambers of a ruminant animal). Abomasum is commonly used in Korean BBQ. Intestines and tendons are also valued products in Korea. • 2 per cent to 8 per cent tariff on beef fats and tallow to be eliminated immediately on implementation.

www.mbbeef.ca

VERIFIED BEEF PRODUCTION WORKSHOPS Find out the latest information on how to prevent and control food safety risks in your farm operation at a Verified Beef Production (VBP) workshop. WORKSHOPS will take place at select Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development GO Offices throughout the province on the following dates:

November 20, 2014 December 18, 2014 January 15, 2015 February 19, 2015 March 19, 2015 These workshops are funded by the Canada and Manitoba governments, through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincialterritorial initiative.

Time: Time: Time: Time: Time:

1 – 4 p.m. 1 – 4 p.m. 1 – 4 p.m. 1 – 4 p.m. 1 – 4 p.m.

To register or for more details contact your local GO Office one week prior to the workshop.

Growing Forward 2 funding for beef producers:

Are you a beef producer who has successfully completed the Verified Beef Production Program training and an audit of your facilities? Growing Assurance may be able to help fund equipment to improve food safety, biosecurity and traceability on your farm. • A combined total of $2,000 is available for the first VBP audit and approved safety equipment for audited producers. • A combined total of $5,000 is available for the beef biosecurity herd assessment and biosecurity good agricultural practices (GAP) measures. • An additional $5,000 is now available for funding traceability equipment and software. For more information, call Manitoba Beef Producers at 1-800-772-0458.

36TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & PRESIDENT’S BANQUET February 5-6, 2015 | Victoria Inn, Brandon, MB REGISTER AT WWW.MBBEEF.CA OR CALL 1-800-772-0458.

PERSON 1: q EARLY BIRD $75 q GENERAL $90

• Must be purchased by Monday, January 5, 2015 at 4 p.m.

NAME:________________________________________________

• Package includes admission to all MBP meetings, lunch on February 5, coffee breaks, 1 FREE Banquet ticket (value: $50).

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________

• Non-refundable.

POSTAL CODE: _________________________________________

Book early to get your best value!

MEETING ONLY (NO BANQUET) $40 PER PERSON GENERAL REGISTRATION $90 PER PERSON - AFTER JAN. 5 • Package includes admission to all MBP meetings, lunch on February 5, coffee breaks, 1 FREE Banquet ticket (value: $50). • Non-refundable.

q MEETING ONLY (NO BANQUET) $40

CITY/TOWN: ___________________________________________ PHONE: _______________________________________________ FAX: __________________________________________________ EMAIL: _______________________________________________ PERSON 2 (IF REQUIRED): q EARLY BIRD $75 q MEETING ONLY (NO BANQUET) $40 q GENERAL $90 q YOUNG PRODUCER *Complimentary with mentor’s registration NAME: ________________________________________________

NEW! YOUNG PRODUCER MENTORSHIP OFFER

ADDRESS: _____________________________________________

• MBP members are encouraged to mentor and register a young producer (ages 18 to 39).

CITY/TOWN: ___________________________________________

• The young producer receives a complimentary registration with a mentor’s registration.

PHONE: _______________________________________________

• Package includes admission to all MBP meetings, lunch on February 4, coffee breaks, 1 FREE Banquet ticket (value: $50). MAKE CHEQUE PAYABLE TO: Manitoba Beef Producers 220 - 530 Century Street Winnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4 PHONE: 1-800-772-0458 FAX: 204-774-3264

RESERVE A ROOM: Call the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre toll free: 1-800-852-2710 Quote booking number: 268463

POSTAL CODE: _________________________________________ FAX: __________________________________________________ EMAIL: _______________________________________________ EXTRA BANQUET TICKET NAME: ________________________________________________ q BANQUET $50 *Banquet tickets are non-refundable.

AGM details to come in the December Cattle Country and will be available at www.mbbeef.ca under the News tab.

CALL 1-800-772-0458 FOR REMOVAL FROM MAILING LIST OR ADDRESS CHANGE.

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS 36TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

CHaD saXOn

DECEMBER 2014

Manitoba Beef Producers was one of the many groups involved with the Amazing Rangeland Adventure event Nov. 6 in Brandon. The MBP station featured a relay race called Cow Boss which included a stop where students in Grade 10 and 11 simulated checking a cow for pregnancy.

CCA Town Hall held in Dauphin Page 3

Canada wins another round in COOL battle with U.S. The United States is a step closer to having tariffs imposed on a wide range of exports to Canada after losing another trade dispute ruling over its country of origin meat labeling law. A World Trade Organization compliance panel ruled in October that the U.S. has failed to change COOL in order to comply with international trade rules after being told to do so. As a result, Canada could be allowed to slap retaliatory duties on dozens of U.S. products ranging from fresh

meat and wine to ketchup, orange juice and breakfast cereal. The federal government says it will not hesitate to do that if the U.S. fails to revise COOL to bring it into line with WTO rules. “Canada will be watching this situation closely to ensure U.S. compliance in accordance with the WTO’s clear ruling,” Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast said in a joint statement Oct. 20. “We will continue to fully assert our rights to achieve a fair resolution to our concern,

including authorization to implement retaliatory measures on U.S. agricultural and non-agricultural products if and as necessary.” This is the third time a WTO panel has ruled against the controversial measure which requires American grocery stores to put country of origin labels on meat products. After COOL took full effect March 16, 2009, Canada and Mexico challenged it at the WTO, saying it unfairly discriminated against their cattle and pigs. A WTO dispute panel in 2012 agreed. A subsequent

appeal panel upheld the ruling and gave the U.S. until May 23, 2013 to revise COOL. The U.S. Department of Agriculture did so but Canada and Mexico claimed the new version was even more discriminatory against their livestock than the previous one. The WTO compliance panel requested by the two countries agreed. “We have found that the amended COOL measure has increased the original COOL measure’s detrimental effect on the competitive opportunities of imported livestock,” the

panel report said. “We therefore find that the amended COOL measure accords less favourable treatment to imported livestock than to like products of U.S. origin.” John Masswohl, government and international relations director for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the panel’s report is about as definitive against the U.S. as it could be. “We’re pretty happy with it. It’s a very strong ruling,” Masswohl said. “In some places, where you’re reading it, it’s almost as Continued on page 2

AgriRecovery funds available for waterlogged cattle producers After a year filled with water-induced headaches, the provincial and federal governments have announced they are coming forward with some aspirin for Manitoba producers. In a joint media release issued Nov. 12, it was announced that the governments had come forward with a province-wide transportation program as well as forage shortfall assistance for producers in the Lake Manitoba/Lake Winnipegosis areas. “Beef producers play an important role in creating economic growth in

Manitoba,” Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in the release. “This support, combined with that available through existing programs, will help producers with the extraordinary costs of accessing forage for their herds over the coming winter months.” Manitoba Beef Producers President Heinz Reimer said MBP had been lobbying on behalf of producers for a number of months and he was pleased to see both programs come to fruition. “We would like to thank the provincial and federal

governments for recognizing the seriousness of this issue and coming forward with a plan that will be of great help to producers in the affected regions,” said Reimer. Among the highlights of the program are: assistance of up to $0.16 per tonne per loaded kilometre for the transportation of forage/feed and up to $0.08 per head per loaded kilometre for the transportation of breeding livestock and their unweaned calves to feed sources. For producers in the Lake Manitoba/Lake Winnipegosis regions, forage

purchase assistance of up to $50 per tonne. It was also noted that to ensure the money is targeted to those most affected, payments will be calculated based on individual need and receipts will be required to ensure producers have incurred eligible transportation and feed costs. “With so many positive trade developments in the past year, we should be seeing an expansion of the industry,” Reimer said. “For a number of producers, the announcement could be the difference between them staying

in business or dispersing their herd. Although producers still face many challenges these assistance programs will give them some much-needed certainty as they make plans for the future.” Although MBP and other groups were pleased with the funding for livestock producers, there was some concern that producers in the other waterlogged areas of Manitoba were not eligible for the forage shortfall assistance program. MBP General Manager Melinda German said Continued on page 2

Quality winter feed important Pages 11

Artz wrapping time with MBP Page 14

POSTMASTER: PLEASE RETURN UNDELIVERABLE COPIES TO: MBP, UNIT 220, 530 CENTURY STREET, WINNIPEG, MB R3H 0Y4 CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT SALES AGREEMENT NUMBER 40005187 POSTAGE PAID IN WINNIPEG.

RoN FRIEsEN

CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

canada wins another round against cool continued from page 1 if they’re shaking their finger at the Americans. It’s so obvious that what they did is not in compliance.” Masswohl said the U.S. was almost certain to appeal the ruling at a WTO dispute settlement body meeting in November. A final outcome could take up to a year. But if Canada ultimately wins, it can ask the WTO for permission to apply retaliatory tariffs equal to the economic damage caused to its economy. Canada previously estimated COOL cost its cattle and hog industries $1.1 billion a year in lost export sales and depressed prices. But that was before the latest version of COOL made the impact even worse, Masswohl said. Ottawa published a list in June 2013 of 38 American products it could hit with tariffs if the U.S. ultimately lost the COOL case. The list is a work in progress and more products could be added. Masswohl said the list is carefully crafted to target products made in states represented by federal U.S. politicians who supported COOL in the first place. Manufacturers of those products are already worried

about the effect on sales and are starting to lobby their politicians to make the problem go away, said Masswohl. “Our hope is that they’ll want to take some action because you can see already that it’s not just the act of imposing tariffs that is damaging to the U.S. It’s the uncertainty for business it creates.” Masswohl said the WTO has never said the U.S. has no right to impose country of origin rules. It just cannot treat imported commodities differently from its own. Masswohl said the U.S. has two options for complying with the WTO. It could simply repeal COOL. Or it could change the legislation to eliminate the need for meat processors to segregate domestic animals from foreign ones. That has been the crux of the matter all along. COOL forces packers and feedlots to segregate U.S. animals from imported ones. This results in extra costs which are ultimately passed back to Canadian producers in the form of discounted prices. Some processors simply refuse to accept Canadian livestock, thus avoiding the hassle altogether.

agriRecovery funds available program, once producers applications must be acEligible Feed must be for waterlogged producers - complete their application, companied by receipts or transported between Aug. continued from page 1 they must make an ap- relevant documentation 1, 2014 and March 31, pointment to have a short- supporting the claim of 2015 while Eligible AniMBP will continue to lob- fall calculation completed transportation costs in- mals must be transported by both levels of govern- by one of the following curred and must be signed between Aug. 1, 2014 and ment on behalf of those MAFRD offices: Dauphin, by an authorized MAFRD May 31, 2015. There is a producers and will also Ste. Rose, Gladstone, Por- representative confirm- minimum distance of 25 press the federal govern- tage la Prairie, Teulon/Ar- ing that the application is kms per loaded kilometer. ment for the implemen- borg and Ashern. There is complete and meets the Payments will be limited tation of the tax deferral no assistance for flooded program eligibility re- to 300 kilometres for feed provision for those selling pastures. The 2014 forage quirements. Applications and 300 kilometres for off breeding animals to re- acres do not need to be in- are assessed following the transporting animals to an duce their herd due to feed sured acres. deadlines based on wheth- alternate feeding location shortages. On the transporta- er the project meets pro- and 300 kilometres in re“This isn’t the compre- tion assistance front, all gram outcomes. turn. hensive program we were seeking but it does provide some short-term assistance to those in the Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis and alleviates some of the hurt province wide through the transportation assistance pro• offers a complete Order-Buying service and covers gram,” German said. “We all Manitoba and Eastern Saskatchewan Auction Marts. will continue to seek more comprehensive program• buys ALL classes of cattle ming that can be accessed direct from producers. by all impacted producers in the province.” • is interested in purchasing German added MBP will continue to press govlarge or small consignments of Feeder Cattle, ernment for a long-term Finished Cattle, Cows and Bulls. solution to the ongoing water-related issues. For more information and pricing, contact any of the Cattlex buyers: Applications for both programs are now availAndy Drake (204) 764-2471, 867-0099 cell Clive Bond (204) 483-0229 able to producers through Jay Jackson (204) 223-4006 Ken Drake (204) 724-0091 Gord Ransom (204) 534-7630 the MAFRD website and at MAFRD GO offices Bonded & Licensed in Manitoba & Saskatchewan At press time there was throughout the province. no indication of what the With respect to the ForU.S. intended to do. age Shortfall Assistance

GRUNTHAL LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART

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Check out our Market Report online UPDATED WEEKLY

Regular sales every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. Last sale of 2014 is Tuesday, December 16th First sale of 2015 is Tuesday, January 6th Saturday, December 6 th at 10:00 a.m. Bred Cow Sale Monday, January 26 th at 12:00 p.m. Sheep and Goat with Small Animals & Holstein Calves For on-farm appraisal of livestock or marketing information, call

HAROLD UNRAU - Manager/Sales Rep. 1-204-434-6519 office or 871-0250 cell 204-434-9367 fax Box 71 Grunthal, Manitoba R0A 0R0

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Thank you to the Angus customers and consumers of 2014!

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UNIT 220, 530 CENTURY STREET WINNIPEG, MB R3H 0Y4 DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 5

DISTRICT 9

DISTRICT 13

DISTRICT 14

R.M. of Albert, Cameron, Whitewater, Edward, Brenda, Winchester, Morton

R.M. of Elton, North Cypress, North Norfolk, Cornwallis, Oakland, South Cypress, Victoria, South Norfolk

R.M. of Woodlands, Rockwood, St. Andrews, Rosser, St. Francis Xavier, Springfield, Tache, Whitemouth, Lac du Bonnet, Brokenhead, St. Clements, LGD of Alexander, Pinawa

R.M. of Shell River, Shellmouth,Hillsburg, Boulton, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ethelbert, Mossey River, Dauphin, LGD Park

R.M. of Minitonas, Swan River, Mountain, The Pas

TED ARTZ

DISTRICT 2

DAVE KOSLOWSKY

R.M. of Riverside, Strathcona, Argyle, Lorne, Turtle Mountain, Roblin, Louise, Pembina

RAMONA BLYTH - SECRETARY

DISTRICT 6

LARRY WEGNER

R.M. of Wallace, Woodworth, Daly, Pipestone, Sifton, Whitehead, Glenwood

DIANNE RIDING

DISTRICT 10

THERESA ZUK - TREASURER

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 7

R.M. of Bifrost, Gimli, Fisher, Armstrong

R.M. of Portage la Prairie, Cartier, Grey, MacDonald, Dufferin, Thompson, Roland, Morris, Stanley, Rhineland, Montcalm

R.M. of Russell, Silver Creek, Rossburn, Ellice, Birtle, Shoal Lake, Strathclair, Archie, Miniota, Hamiota, Blanshard

DISTRICT 11

DISTRICT 4

TOM TEICHROEB

CHERYL MCPHERSON

HEINZ REIMER - PRESIDENT

R.M. of Richot, Ste. Anne, Hanover, De Salaberry, La Broquerie, Franklin, Stuartburn, Piney, LGD Reynolds

LARRY GERELUS

DISTRICT 8

R.M. of Harrison, Clanwilliam, Rosedale, Glenella, Saskatchewan, Odanah, Minto, Langford, Lansdowne, Westbourne, LGD Park

CARON CLARKE

R.M. of Siglunes, Grahamdale, Eriksdale, Coldwell, St. Laurent

DISTRICT 12

BILL MURRAY - 2ND VICE PRESIDENT

R.M. of Lawrence, Ochre River, Ste. Rose, McCreary, Alonsa

BEN FOX - 1ST VICE PRESIDENT

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS

Unit 220, 530 Century Street Winnipeg, MB R3H 0Y4

Ph: 1-800-772-0458

STAN FOSTER

POLICY ANALYST Maureen Cousins

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Chad Saxon

FINANCE

PH - (204) 772-4542 FX - (204) 774-3264 info@mbbeef.ca www.mbbeef.ca

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

GENERAL MANAGER

CATTLE COUNTRY EDITOR

Melinda German

Deb Walger Esther Reimer Chad Saxon

Cody Chomiak

www.mbbeef.ca

December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

CCA Town Hall meeting held in Dauphin MauREEN cousINs MBP Policy Analyst

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) priorities, the development of a National Beef Strategic Plan, and trade were among the items discussed when the CCA held a town hall meeting in Dauphin on Oct. 28.

CCA Priorities and Spending

CCA President Dave Solverson outlined the Association’s priorities for the Canadian cattle industry, including profitability, advocacy, and crisis management and preparedness. When it comes to profitability, Solverson said key areas of focus include competitiveness, market access, value creation and innovation. Solverson explained Canada’s beef industry enjoys advantages such as strong cattle genetics and consistency of product, but also faces competitiveness disadvantages, including a strict regulatory environment, especially in the wake of BSE. Strong market access is essential. “It is the ability to send product to the places in the world that’s willing to pay the most for it. This has added a lot of value to our animals,” said Solverson. Solverson added the CCA, and entities like Canada Beef Inc. (CBI), also invest considerable time and resources in creating positive public attitudes about the industry. This involves working very closely with the government and media to get the industry’s story out. He also gave an overview of CCA expenses by activity. Key areas of spending include: U.S. trade advocacy 31 per cent; legal-trade 9 per cent; 14 per cent in Ottawa for advocacy/domestic agriculture policy work; 5 per cent for communications/ crisis management; animal health 5 per cent; value creation 4 per cent, animal care 2 per cent; and, market services 4 per cent. Administration is 7 per cent of CCA’s budgetary costs.

National Beef Strategic Plan

CCA Executive VicePresident Dennis Laycraft discussed the creation of a National Beef Strategic Plan that will span the period 2015-2020. The process is being cochaired by two Manitobans, former CCA Past President Martin Unrau and former MBP President Trevor Atchison, who represents

MBP at CBI. Laycraft said the initiative is being led by the provincial cattle associations. Other key players include the National Cattle Feeders Association, CBI, Beef Cattle Research Council, and the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. Laycraft explained the Canadian beef industry has undergone a decade of change, affected by factors such as BSE, drought, the growth of the ethanol industry, global financial crises, price volatility, consumers questioning production practices, and shrinking herd sizes, among others. The vision contained in the strategy is to ensure “a dynamic and profitable Canadian cattle and beef industry.” The mission is for Canada’s industry “to be the most trusted and competitive high quality beef cattle producer in the world recognized for our superior quality, safety, value, innovation and sustainable production methods.” The vision contains four industry pillars and goals as follows: • Beef demand: increase carcass cutout value by 15 per cent • Competitiveness: reduce cost disadvantages compared to main competitors by 7 per cent • Productivity: increase production efficiency by 15 per cent • Connectivity: enhance synergies within industry and connect positively with consumers, the public, government and partner industries Laycraft explained the CCA and others involved in developing the strategy are tackling a number of issues to achieve these goals. For example, labor supply may be the biggest threat facing the industry. Laycraft explained that currently the beef and pork industries are about 600 workers short to process beef and pork from Manitoba west. This results in both lost opportunities and animals going for processing in the United States. CCA continues to address labor challenges via mechanisms such as the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and other initiatives. Another challenge is red tape. Laycraft noted the enhanced feed ban has had a particularly detrimental impact on smaller processors/ packers due to the costs of picking up the SRMS. CCA is engaging with governments to try to reduce the level of red tape. On the productivity side, Laycraft said there are tremendous opportunities

for gains and if the goals are met, it could save $100/ head. He added that even if they are only partially successful it will still be important to the industry. Laycraft said the development of the national strategy ultimately leads to a discussion of the National Checkoff (NCO) and whether it needs to be increased. He explained the NCO came into effect in 1995 but has been eroded by inflation. He added he thinks it would need to rise to $2.50/head to achieve the elements proposed in the strategy with the type of ambition individuals have thought are necessary to do this. Work continues on finalizing the strategy.

Trade

John Masswohl, Director of Government and International Relations for the CCA, provided an update on several trade issues. He said that foreign trade priorities for Canada’s beef industry include resolving US Country of Origin Labeling. (See related article on page 1.) Other trade-related priorities for the CCA include: European Union (CETA), Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, Japan/Trans Pacific Partnership, achieving

OIE Negligible Risk Status, Over Thirty Month access to Mexico and achieving full Under Thirty Month access to China. Masswohl discussed the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at length, noting Europe could become one of the Canadian beef industry’s highest value export markets. CETA creates nearly 65,000 tonnes of new duty free access: 35,000 tonnes fresh and 15,000 tonnes frozen. This will be for beef produced without antibiotics and beta agonists. Masswohl explained not everyone needs to be producing this in order to meet the quotas, adding that out of each animal there is probably about 100-115 kilos of product that makes sense to go to Europe. Currently there are about 30-35,000 head being raised in Canada to the European protocol. He said producers seeking to access European markets need to produce under the CFIA protocol for Europe from the time the animal was born. CETA next steps include: a commitment to negotiate equivalence of meat inspection systems between Canada and Europe; signing the agreement, and introducing and passing implementing

CCA President Dave Solverson

legislation in both the Canadian and European Parliaments. Masswohl said the latter step will likely take about two years. Masswohl said the CCA is often asked why Canada needs new market access, explaining it takes time to access markets. Improved market access can result in improved prices. The Canadian industry will start expanding, he added, so the way to prevent prices from falling again is to create new markets.

Solverson said the CCA looks at these trade deals as being there for the next generation. “Look at how long NAFTA has been important for us. It’s why we spend so much time on trade. It’s for positioning ourselves for a strong future,” Solverson said. Overall, Masswohl said Canadian beef exports are up about 12 per cent in volume and 40 per cent in value in 2014.

Apply today for the Farmland School Tax Rebate The Manitoba government is offering a rebate of up to 80% of the school taxes levied on your farmland for 2014 This rebate is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to help support the rural economy and provide tax relief to farm families.

How it works If you are a Manitoba resident who owns farmland in Manitoba and you paid your 2014 property taxes, you may be eligible for the rebate. Your farmland does not have to be in cultivation or used for grazing to be eligible for the rebate. The rebate applies only to the school taxes assessed on your farmland and does not apply to residences or buildings.

Your application must be returned to MASC by the March 31, 2015 deadline. For more information: Website: masc.mb.ca/fstr Email: fstr@masc.mb.ca Phone: 204.726.7068

How to apply If you received a rebate for 2013, an application form was mailed to you. You can also download an application form from masc.mb.ca or pick one up from your local Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) office, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Growing Opportunities (GO) Office or municipal office.

PO# 4500901762 Cattle Country www.mbbeef.ca

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CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

Change is a constant on the farm MElINda gERMaN

General Manager’s Column If you attended your MBP district meeting, you would have heard me talk a lot about the changes in the beef industry. These include changes in the form of what our consumers expect from producers now and also the changes in our beef cow herd over the last decade. Annually, market analyst Janet Honey puts out a report on Manitoba’s beef and cattle industry and it is always a good read. I am going to summarize the highlights but I encourage you to have a look at it as well at: http:// umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/ dept/agribusiness/media/

pdf/cattle_profile_2013.pdf. Thinking back to what our farms and ranches looked like 20 to 30 years ago, we can identify many changes in the way we do business, whether that is production management techniques, equipment, or record keeping and farm finances. Despite a few hiccups along the way the Manitoba cow inventory rose steadily since the 1940s and peaked in 2006. This peak was attributed to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) when our borders slammed shut in May of 2003, only to start reopening in 2005.

Today we see markets reopening to us that have been closed or of limited access since 2003. However, now in 2014 our herd size has fallen by 33 per cent from that peak. In 2006 we had 680,000 head of beef cows and now we hover around the 458,400 head mark. This is the lowest beef cow herd inventory since 1993. Our falling cow numbers in Manitoba can be attributed to several factors. One is the effect of the bovine TB issue in the Riding Mountain region. Another is adverse weather conditions where in the past six years we have dealt with floods and droughts that have had a large impact on forage and hay production. Factors like these have caused producers to sell off higher numbers of their breeding animals or sell out completely. The

number of heifers and steers retained on farms in 2014 was down by 800 head and 2,900 head respectively over 2013 numbers. An external factor affecting herd size is challenges when it comes to marketing animals. The marketing of cattle in Canada is not only tied to international markets, including our largest trading partner the United States, but also to our currency. In 2007 until the fall of 2008 and in 2009 and 2013 the Canadian cattle industry took a hit from a strong Canadian dollar. But to add to our challenges in trading cattle internationally, in 2008 the United States introduced mandatory Country of Origin Labelling or COOL. I will not go into any more detail here on COOL as there is a full article on this topic on page 1 of this edition of Cattle Country.

When borders started to open in 2005 and the value of calves began to rise, the number of animals marketed increased significantly as producers sold animals to start paying off debt incurred since the closure of the border. The hope was that producers could pay off debt, dust themselves off and return to a profitable and thriving industry. Perhaps now, nine years later, we can start to get to that point. Cattle prices have corrected themselves after a very long slump. What is driving this? Basic supply and demand as the Manitoba, Canada and North American beef cow numbers drop, as well as a weakening of our Canadian dollar. The American herd is currently at a 63-year low and demand for our animals is strong despite COOL. There

is also a strong demand for Canadian beef beyond the United States and we anticipate a growing demand as several International markets open up to us. So what’s our future? That is always difficult to forecast unless you have a crystal ball, but considering we saw a major contraction of the industry in the last eight years, we will see fewer calves born on Manitoba farms in 2015. We are hearing that herds in our sister provinces to the west are starting to show signs of expanding, but we have heard very little of that here at home. We know Manitoba has the ability to produce an abundance of forage and hay, so we know we can have the resources to expand. It just depends on having the right climate to do so.

Premises ID critical in emergencies suBMIttEd By MaFRd Every second counts in an emergency and up-todate information is critical. The Manitoba Premises Identification (PID)

Program links livestock and poultry information with their geographic locations, which is needed to alert producers about emergencies

that might affect their animals in a timely way. A premises is a parcel of land where livestock and poultry are grown, kept, assembled or disposed of. This includes farms, vets, auction

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marts, stables, abattoirs, fair grounds and more. Under the program, all locations are validated to ensure the information is correct in the system, as this is essential during an emergency. Manitoba’s program can only use the information for animal health and emergency purposes, as outlined in the Animal Premises Identification Regulation under The Animal Diseases Act. Each owner or operator of a farm or other premises with livestock or poultry is required to identify at least the primary premises. However, many producers have opted to identify all their land with livestock or poultry, to be sure they are informed about emergency situations near any part of their land.

What is premises identification used for?

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In Manitoba, premises identification information has been used for flooding, wildfires, natural gas explosions and animal disease events. Most recently, it has been used for investigations related to Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), anthrax and bovine tuberculosis (TB). All information follows national standards, so the PID system also works with the national traceability system.

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PID information is used to identify susceptible animals on a map. For example, if there is a disease that only affects certain animals, we map for just the locations with that species. If there is

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a flood forecast, it is compared to the livestock locations and the department produces a report identifying the locations (premises) and contact information, so the producer can be notified and ensure animals have been moved or protected. The province can only notify farms we know about and have identified through the Manitoba Premises Identification Program. Last winter, a natural gas explosion resulted in services being severed for a few days during a particularly cold stretch. By comparing a map of the affected area from Manitoba Hydro with PID information, we were able to identify barns that might have been impacted and worked with industry to contact producers to offer assistance. During an animal disease investigation, PID information is used to map out locations with animals at risk. A buffer is placed around the infected location and producers in the zone are contacted to tell them that there is a disease in the area. This is a critical step so producers can take extra precautions and enhance biosecurity when appropriate.

How do I identify my farm in the Manitoba Premises Identification Program?

The application can be completed in under 60 seconds and it is free. Applications are posted at manitoba.ca/agriculture/ pid or at your local GO office. All that is required is a legal land description, basic animal information and basic contact information.

After the application is processed, a letter will be sent with the PID number.

What else is a premises identification number used for?

PID is also part of a traceability system, with animal identification and movement being the other parts. A PID number is required for move in, move out, import and export event reporting with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) and can also be used when reporting age verification with the CCIA. A PID number is used for all lab test submissions to Veterinary Diagnostic Services, technical reviews and some funding programs. The livestock manifest has also been updated to accommodate the recording of a PID number.

How can I find my farm’s premises identification number?

The PID number is included on the letter and wallet card that were sent out after the application was processed. If you cannot find a letter, call 204-9457684 to find out your number. You can also store your PID number on your CCIA account by calling them at 1-877-909-2333.

For more information...

Visit manitoba.ca/agriculture/pid, a local GO office, email traceability@ gov.mb.ca or call 204-9457684 to learn more about premises identification or to update your PID information.

December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

This is an exciting time to be in the cattle industry but challenges remain HEINZ REIMER

MBP President Moovin’ Along Well, it looks like winter has made its way again to Manitoba. Here’s hoping that you got everything done that needed to be and what you didn’t can hold until the spring after the snow melts. After the summer that never was, we finally got some dry weather in October allowing

producers to get some feed put up and crops harvested. Cattle producers have encountered many changes over the past decade since the onset of the BSE crisis in 2003. Our industry has faced many marketing challenges and we are coming from an excess of beef supply and depressed

prices to now where we have a limited supply and higher prices. It is nice to see producers get good returns, allowing them to pay off some debt and invest back in their operations. MBP staff and directors have just finished going through fall district meetings. Producers had the opportunity to get an update on the industry while meeting MBP staff and board members. These meetings were also an opportunity to hear your concerns which helps guide and direct this

organization. We also provided updates on key industry developments that may impact your operations. Resolutions that were brought forward at the meeting are included in this edition of Cattle Country and will be debated at the Annual General Meeting on Feb. 5-6 in Brandon. Thank you to all who came to the district meetings. Lately I have been thinking what an exciting time this is to be in the beef industry with the strong cattle prices. Firstly, if I was young again

and full of ambition and energy (the exciting stage of life) with the way the next few years are looking, life would be great. Boy, I better get my work plan in place. Next, I thought what if I was older or had major health issues (the difficult stage of life)? Is it now time to retire and do I have a plan in place? Should I sell the cows and farm to buy a condo in Arizona? Sounds enjoyable but also scary. But when I get back to reality I am close to the end of (the in-between group)

operating my cattle farm. It’s time to enjoy what I have and move forward. It’s also time to look back and remember the fond memories of the past. The point of all this is we all have the power to choose how we deal with the important decisions in life. At this time I am fortunate for the wonderful family and friends that surround me. With that, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

How livestock dealers licensing program can help Manitoba cattle producers financial institution for purchase readily availpayment within eight able to the designated Manitoba Agriculture, Food and business days of the day person by MAFRD. Rural Development of the price determination. In the case where Suspension, Manitoba Agriculture, the seller is a livestock Cancellation and Food and Rural Developdealer, the cheque must Audit of Livestock ment (MAFRD) administers be presented in five Dealers Licences: the livestock dealers licensbusiness days. • The director of Liveing program under Mani- • Must notify MAFRD stock Knowledge Centre toba Livestock Dealers and within seven business days (LKC), MAFRD will conAgents Licensing Regulation. of a returned check due to duct random audits of the The purpose of the pronon-sufficient Funds. records of sale/purchase gram is to protect sellers of • SELLER BEWARE IS of livestock dealers as livestock from payment deTHE BEST POLICY. necessary. After a careful faults by the licensed buyers. investigation the director Licensed dealers are required Licensed Dealers: has authority to suspend/ to carry bond coverage as • Must hold and display a cancel the licence of a livestipulated in the regulation. valid livestock dealers/ stock dealer if a breach of The level of coverage is agents licence. the Act found. determined by the volume • Must include the licens- • The director will by of livestock they buy on an ee’s name and number mail notify all licensed annual basis. If a default in all advertisements relivestock dealers withoccurs, sellers can make a lated to livestock sale/ in 24 hours if the declaim against the dealer’s purchase. fault in payment by a bond to recover full or par- • Must provide sellers with licensed dealer occurs tial value of the livestock a written statement about due to another licensed depending on the value of the details of the purchase livestock dealer for the the bond. MAFRD will adincluding: name and adpurchase of livestock. vertise the name of dealers dress of the seller, name The suspension/canwhose license has been susand address of the dealer, cellation of the license pended or cancelled in renumber and kind of livewill be advertised in losponse to an investigation of stock bought, unit and cal newspapers and the potential default. gross purchase price, and MAFRD web site. In order to ensure the inweight of the livestock if tended protection, sellers and bought on weight basis. Following activities the buyers must adhere to the • Must ensure only li- will initiate a prompt following requirements becensed agents act on be- investigation: fore making any deal. half of the licensed live- • Any findings of non-paystock dealer. ment during an audit. Sellers: • Are required to make • A substantive complaint re• Must ask for a livestock payment of any livestock garding payment omission. dealer’s/agent’s license purchases within one day • A substantive report about before continuing with of the price determination a buyer going into receivthe sale. unless otherwise agreed ership. • Must verify the status upon. • A complaint of non-comof the livestock dealer’s/ • Must carry proper secupliance under the Maniagent’s licence from rity with MAFRD. toba Livestock Dealers and MAFRD. • Must notify MAFRD Agents Licensing Regula• Must notify MAFRD imwithin 24 hours if he/she tion of the Livestock and mediately in case of the sells livestock to another Livestock Products Act. payment omission within licensed livestock dealer one day unless otherwise who defaults in the pay- Investigation agreed upon. ment. Process: • Must present the • Must make all the re- • Sellers will be requested to cheque to their cords of livestock sale/ provide evidence of sale

Mamoon Rashid

within three days of the • Suspend the licence for • For cancellation of a request (sooner is better). further investigation. licence due to non• Buyers must furnish the • Cancel the licence if it is payment or bankrecords as requested. determined that a breach ruptcy a notice for any Investigation will be comof the regulation has occlaimants will be pubpleted promptly, normally curred. licized. within five business days. • Claimants will have 90 The LKC Director can take If a case of default is days to submit their following actions as a result verified: claims against the surety of the investigation: • The information will bond of the dealer. Once • Dismiss the complaint if be publicized using the bond is realized the there is no reason to bethe MAFRD website, payments will be made lieve that the breach of the newspapers and other on prorated basis as necregulation has occurred. means essary.

THANK YOU Manitoba Beef Producers would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for sponsoring the Beef on a Bun suppers at our 14 District Meetings held throughout the province in October and November.

District 1 - Ted and Becky Artz District 2 - Koslowsky Farms (Dave and Rhonda Koslowsky), Northfork Ranch Supply District 3 - St. Claude Veterinary Clinic, Penn West Meats (Rob Penner), Cherway Limousin, Creek Cattle Co. (Trevor and Lisa Carlson) District 4 - Southeast Farm Equipment (Corey Plett) Masterfeeds (Peter Kraynyk) Grunthal Livestock Auction Mart (Harold Unrau) District 5 - Rosehill Cattle Co Ltd. (Harold and Ramona Blyth) District 6 - Heartland Livestock Virden Wegner Land & Cattle (Larry & Rosemary Wegner) District 7 - Twin Valley Co-op District 8 - John Deere, Ag West Equipment, Neepawa Co-op, Rocky Mountain Equipment District 9- True North Foods, Winnipeg Livestock Sales Ltd. (Scott Anderson, Jim Christie, & Mike Nernberg) District 10 - Arborg Livestock Supplies District 11 - Noventis Credit Union District 12 - Dauphin/Ste. Rose Vet Clinic District 13 - Farm Credit Canada, Benson Nutrition, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association District 14 - Swan Valley Consumers Co-op - Ag division

www.mbbeef.ca

CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

A robust economy with a local identity Straight from the Hip Quebec is an agricultural hub for Canada and a leader in food processing. It is our little bit of Europe and the feel in the country is cozy. What most folks don’t see as they drive the countryside past long narrow tracks of land, vineyards and orchards dotted with steeproofed houses and old barns, is just how massive agriculture and agri-food industry is in Quebec. A large and heavily wooded province, most of the intense agricultural production is predominate in the south. While the west often thinks of maple syrup when they think of Quebec, it is only four per cent of farm cash receipts. Dairy and cash crops equally account for 58 per cent followed by hogs (16 per cent), poultry (11 per cent) and beef at seven per cent. Collectively Quebec production agriculture generated $8.3 billion in cash receipts in 2013. The number of farms is also declining in Quebec and they are getting larger,

growing soybeans, corn and horticulture crops. Family-owned farms continue to dominate and even large companies such as Veg Pro with 1,400 acres of Iceberg lettuce, 428 acres of Romaine, 385 acres of carrots and 4,500 acres of baby leaf (also onions, red and green leaf, celery and Nappa) are cooperatives that are family owned and operated. These farms employ the latest in technology and science and massive workforces (750 persons in this company alone). To ensure quality product from start to finish, Veg Pro, like others in Quebec choose to process at the source and market their own products. One of the first to adopt the square salad package (called a clamshell) with a complete salad in the box, they now distribute in eastern Canada and the USA selling $150 million worth of packaged product. And that is what makes Quebec so unique? Ontario and Quebec dominate food

Jeannette Graves

Brenda Schoepp

processing in Canada with Quebec home to 24.5 per cent of all food processing in the nation. It is the largest contributor to the province’s GDP. Nationally, agri-food processing is the largest contributor to GDP in manufacturing leaping ahead of traditional industries such as auto manufacturing. Landlocked, western Canadian provinces such as Manitoba lack the infrastructure that ports provide and it shows. While Atlantic Canada and British Columbia own 16 per cent and 11.9 per cent of the food processing industry in Canada, Alberta has 7.7 per cent share, Manitoba at 3.7 per cent and Saskatchewan at 3.1 per cent. Canada is about food and Quebec is about processing - employing 475,189 people in 2,100 facilities that are largely cooperatively owned. Forty per cent is from supply managed business such as dairy but the processing profile includes meat, ready to eat food, vegetables and fruit, dairy, cheese, bakery, flour and packaging and storage. This supports the whole of the industry beyond the producer in such areas as research, food mills,

crop inputs, service providers and equipment dealers. Who lives here? Dare, Leclerc, Ronzoni, Coca-Cola, Molson, Labatt, Agropur, Danone, Kraft, Parmalat, Saputo, Baxter, Maple Leaf, Olymel, Callebaut (North America’s largest chocolate processing plant), Nutriart, Frito-Lay and hundreds of others dominate the processing scene. Québec’s Co-op fédérée expertly delivers inputs to farmers and supplies support services. But that is not all that there is to Quebec. Hundreds of orchards produce secondary products including apple cider while vineyards create wines of international recognition. Microbreweries are everywhere and they are experts at telling the story behind their favorite brew. Farms make cheese to sell in on site fromageries.

You can spend a day driving from one farm to the next to gather for a roadside picnic. Cheese, bread, jam, fruit, wine and maple treats (to name but a few) all bought direct from farms for a gastronomic experience. This two-layered approach to food and food processing allows for Quebec to compete on the world stage with $6 billion in agri-food exports in 2012, and still maintain its rural charm. In open food markets such as the infamous Atwater which I visit often, the selection is stunning from commodity to complete value added on farm. In grocery stores, the next step is evident as Quebec product takes centre stage and is labeled clearly as “Product of Quebec.” The variety on Quebec

shelves makes western Canadian grocery shopping a literal downer as we sort through food that is loaded with food miles, fingertips and a severe lack of nutritional quality. In addition to understanding the importance of infrastructure what can the agriculture and agrifood industry in Quebec teach us? The lesson is twofold. You can have robust economic prosperity based on a value-added food industry and still maintain your sense of local identity. Brenda Schoepp is a farmer, international mentor and motivational speaker. She can be contacted through her website www.brendaschoepp.com. All rights reserved. Brenda Schoepp 2014

Succession planning: How to make it work Submitted by MAFRD Many farm business owners avoid succession planning because they don’t know what to do, where to start or how to manage the sometimes strong feelings the topic creates in families. While your farm will have elements that are unique to your operations and your family, there are some common topics that need to be addressed in any successful plan, including: • a retirement strategy • estate and financial plans • a process for transferring to the next generation • the ideal business structure • the ideal financial transfer The four common issues that come up involve: communication, the impact on farm finances, non-farming children and divorce or death.

Tips on Succession Planning

While each farm has its unique issues when it comes to transferring the business to the next generation, there are some common topics that almost all farmers must address.

Communication

The ultimate goal of a succession plan is to make

a smooth transition from one generation to the next. Good communication is key in writing down a plan that works for your farm. Many farm business owners avoid succession planning because they don’t know what to do, where to start or how to manage the sometimes strong feelings the topic creates in families. Fear of conflict can make farmers avoid planning and the results can mean disaster for the whole operation. Even if it feels hard, you need to speak up if something needs to be said during the planning process. One of the best tips to remember is to use “I” statements, rather than “you” statements, which can often sound like blaming and sets up resistance before the discussion even starts. You can start informally, by talking separately to your spouse, farming children, non-farming children and their spouses to find out what everyone is thinking. The information you get can form the framework for a family discussion. When you meet as a family, it’s often useful to structure it like any formal meeting with an agenda that covers all the topics that have

been brought up in previous discussions. Some families ask a neutral person to run their meetings which can help keep people on track and on topic without allowing personal issues to sidetrack the meeting. As the plan evolves, it is often good to bring in trusted advisors, including accountants, lawyers and business experts for help when it’s needed. Remember that successful communication involves: • listening as well as speaking • giving everyone at the table a chance to say what’s important to them as individuals as well as members of the family unit

Impact on farm finances

The best succession plan is the one your farm can afford and doesn’t jeopardize the financial viability of the operation. At the start of the process, it may be a good idea to talk to a trusted accountant or financial advisor. Accountants can advise on topics such tax laws, cash flow projections and business structures. Another useful consultant may be your lender who can offer advice on available financing options. Owners should share the financial statements with

the incoming generation. Doing an analysis of past and current financial results helps everyone understand what you’re dealing with and shows how the farm has been performing. Projections will help you assess how well the farm will do and also help you assess specific scenarios which will also help you plan for and handle unexpected or emergency financing problems. The process can highlight any weaknesses and allow changes to the plan to ensure the farm can remain viable. It is also important to include the family living expenses in the plan as these can have a significant impact on the farm’s finances. This discussion may lead to ideas about current and future lifestyle issues and their implications for the future. Everyone involved with the succession plan needs to understand the financial implications to the farm and accept that there will be need to be some compromise.

Many owners are unsure of how to do this. Before decisions are made, parents need to ask what expectations the non-farming children have. Their answers may surprise you. Parents need to decide what fits best for your succession plan and the farm operation as a whole. For example, it could be that the nonfarming sibling gets a quarter of land but must allow the farm to use the land for a defined period (ex: 10 years). After seven or eight years, the non-farming child should be able to tell the farming child if they intend to buy or sell the land outright, renew the lease or allow the sibling to sell the land. This provides the farming sibling with time to arrange financing to complete the purchase. For another example, parents can decide to give a quarter of farmland to each non-farming sibling or to make non-farming siblings beneficiaries of life insurance policies, with the farm covering the insurance premiums. Get expert advice and be as creative as you need to be to Non-farming children find the right solution and If there are children who avoid sibling conflict after the have left the farm and don’t succession. intend to return, parents need to consider how you Divorce or death can treat them fairly without The two biggest concerns compromising the business. that producers have about

www.mbbeef.ca

succession planning is the impact of death or divorce on the farm. Both could destroy the farming operation if the proper groundwork hasn’t been done. It’s important to plan for succession after a death by setting up a power of attorney. This will allow others to act on your behalf to make decisions about things such as banking, health care, or end of life directives. Your will must be kept current and adjusted when children reach age of majority, marry, have children, etc. Life insurance can be used to ensure there is a nest egg for your family if you become incapacitated or die. Credit life insurance can be used to cover the term loans and operating credit. Divorce creates business challenges and the use of a pre-nuptial agreement can minimize the negative effects. Operations that are incorporated will use common and preferred shares to structure the ownership of the farm. In a divorce, the former spouse’s shares would revert to the children and the company would buy them back from the former spouse to keep ownership. For details and advice on succession planning, talk to your local business development specialist.

CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

36TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & PRESIDENT’S BANQUET February 5-6, 2015 | Victoria Inn, Brandon, MB REGISTER AT WWW.MBBEEF.CA OR CALL 1-800-772-0458.

MBP looks forward to meeting with members at the upcoming 36th Annual General Meeting. The meeting will have something for all sectors of the industry. Our theme is ‘Focus on the Future’ and this meeting will provide an opportunity for all members to engage in discussion, debate key issues and set policy that will impact the future of your industry. We encourage all producers and beef industry stakeholders to attend.

THURSDAY FEB. 5

FRIDAY FEB. 6

MORNING

MORNING • Panel Discussion: The Changing Face of Canada’s Beef Industry and the Opportunities it Presents » Speakers include: Manitoba Producer Brett McRae, video blog contest winner for his entry ‘A Day in the life of a Beef Producer.” Trish Sahlstrom, A&W Canada. (Speakers subject to change pending availability)

Choose from two Breakout Sessions: • Capitalizing on New Market Opportunities

» Information about new trade opportunities and how to access them

• Programs and initiatives that can move my operation forward » Including a presentation on the economics of leasing versus buying. BRM programs and more TRADESHOW

Come see the new ‘Gadget Corner’ highlighting new technology for the beef industry AFTERNOON • Opening remarks from Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn • MBP Business » Reports from the President and General Manager » Financial Report

• Updates from National Organizations » Beef Canada Research Council » CanFax » Canadian Cattlemen’s Association » National Cattle Feeders Association

NOTES:

• There will be a Verified Beef Production workshop Friday afternoon. All producers welcome, please contact the MBP office to register. • Association of Manitoba Community Pastures’ Annual General Meeting February 4, Victoria Inn Brandon 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Resolutions Debate EVENING • President’s Banquet KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dan Ohler “Thinkin’ Outside the Barn”

MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS 36TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

PERSON 1: ❑ EARLY BIRD $75 ❑ GENERAL $90

• Must be purchased by Monday, January 5, 2015 at 4 p.m.

NAME: _______________________________________________

• Package includes admission to all MBP meetings, lunch on February 5, coffee breaks, 1 FREE Banquet ticket (value: $50).

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________

• Non-refundable.

POSTAL CODE: ________________________________________

Book early to get your best value!

❑ MEETING ONLY (NO BANQUET) $40

CITY/TOWN: __________________________________________ PHONE: ______________________________________________ FAX: _________________________________________________ EMAIL: ______________________________________________ PERSON 2 (IF REQUIRED): ❑ EARLY BIRD $75 ❑ MEETING ONLY (NO BANQUET) $40 ❑ GENERAL $90 ❑ YOUNG PRODUCER *Complimentary with mentor’s registration NAME: _______________________________________________

NEW! YOUNG PRODUCER MENTORSHIP OFFER

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________

• MBP members are encouraged to mentor and register a young producer (ages 18 to 39).

CITY/TOWN: __________________________________________

• The young producer receives a complimentary registration with a mentor’s registration.

PHONE: ______________________________________________

• Package includes admission to all MBP meetings, lunch on February 5, coffee breaks, 1 FREE Banquet ticket (value: $50). MAKE CHEQUE PAYABLE TO: Manitoba Beef Producers 220 - 530 Century street Winnipeg, MB r3H 0Y4 PHOne: 1-800-772-0458 FaX: 204-774-3264

RESERVE A ROOM: Call the victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre toll free: 1-800-852-2710 Quote booking number: 268463

POSTAL CODE: ________________________________________ FAX: _________________________________________________ EMAIL: ______________________________________________ EXTRA BANQUET TICKET NAME: _______________________________________________ ❑ BANQUET $50 *Banquet tickets are non-refundable.

www.mbbeef.ca

ADDITIONAL AGM DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT MBBEEF.CA UNDER THE NEWS TAB.

December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY

RESOLUTIONS FOR THE UPCOMING ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) held its 14 annual district meetings throughout the province in October and November. These meetings provided producer members with information about policies, issues and actions undertaken by MBP. The following are the resolutions that were proposed by producers, debated and carried at the MBP district meetings. They will be brought forward for debate at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) being held February 5, 2015 at the Victoria Inn in Brandon. District 14 – October 27 14.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers support research around new technology related to permanent forms of animal identification. 14.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to provide the RFID tags at no cost. District 13 – October 28 13.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers investigate moving to a one day Annual General Meeting. 13.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers continue to lobby the Government of Manitoba for the removal of the 10 per cent deductible on predation claims. District 7 – October 29 7.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby for compensation for livestock abortions sustained as a result of the bovine TB testing process. District 6 – October 30 6.1 Whereas there are concerns around the enforcement and compliance policies of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers pursue with the CFIA and other federal officials the need for a third party appeal process for producers who have concerns related to enforcement and compliance policies administered by the CFIA. 6.2 Whereas a significant number of producers who lease agricultural Crown lands have been affected by flooding and excess moisture conditions in recent years; and Whereas in order to retain their leases producers are expected to continue making payments on the lands, even though they may not be usable. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to review agricultural Crown land policies to ensure that affected producers retain the right to use these lands, at a reduced rental rate, until such time as normal production resumes, and then normal rental rates resume. 6.3 Whereas there are concerns that valuable agricultural land is being purchased by private and public interests and permanently removed from agricultural production, but is left in a state that it could still be used for that purpose. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby governments to ensure that lands held by third parties that are suitable for agriculture, but that have been idled, remain available to producers for these purposes. District 11 – November 3 11.1 Whereas the current compensation provided by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) for wolf-slashed calves does not reflect the true costs associated with supplies, medicine and labour involved in the treatment of the calves when administered by the producer. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby MASC to pay the producer all reasonable costs associated with treating wolfslashed calves. 11.2 Whereas there is a problem with predator wolves. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation for a $300 wolf reduction fee in agricultural Manitoba where there are wolf predation problems.

11.3 Be it resolved that the Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to stop the relocation of problem animals from one place to another. 11.4 Whereas the Government of Manitoba has put forward two committees to review the Lake Manitoba levels and have accepted their own recommendations to maintain the lake level at 810 to 812 feet asl. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to honour their own recommended operating range for Lake Manitoba of 810 to 812 feet asl. 11.5 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to lower the level of the Shoal lakes with a controlled drain. 11.6 Whereas the Government of Manitoba prevented water from leaving the Shoal lakes areas, thus increasing water levels to the point of flooding roads and making them impassable. Be it resolved that MBP lobby the Government of Manitoba to open provincial roads 415 and 416 to alleviate the devastation on the rural economy. 11.7 Whereas the current compensation provided by Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) for predator-slashed calves does not reflect the true costs associated with supplies, medicine and labour involved in the treatment of the calves when administered by the producer. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby MASC to pay the producer all reasonable costs associated with treating predatorslashed calves. District 12 – November 4 Only one resolution came forward in this district. It was defeated, so is not eligible for debate at the AGM. District 10 – November 5 10.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to construct an outlet on Lake Manitoba to match the daily inflow from the Portage Diversion in order to stop the negative impacts on beef and forage production and the rural economy in Manitoba. 10.2 Whereas the Manitoba Trappers program and Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation compensation programs are not effective in eliminating problem wolves and providing compensation due to the requirement of a carcass as proof of loss. Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba for a $300 incentive for trappers and hunters to deal with wolves in problem areas; and Be it further resolved that the timeline for trappers be extended to address the problem wolves in defined areas. 10.3 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to impose a minimum fine for the first offences for convictions related to cattle theft and/or the intentional destruction of cattle to $2,500 per animal. 10.4 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to ensure that a forensic audit will be conducted on the financial affairs of the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council and that the results be made public. 10.5 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to enable packers to reduce the

MBP has also published these resolutions online at www.mbbeef.ca to help ensure that beef producers in Manitoba are aware of them in advance of the AGM. Note that some districts have adopted similar resolutions. These may be combined for debate and voting purposes at the AGM. Please attend the AGM to debate and vote on the resolutions. We look forward to your participation. costs associated with the removal and disposal of Specified Risk Materials to ensure the viability of the packing industry in Manitoba.

and businesses in form of visual recognition that are promoting and selling Manitoba and/or Canadian beef.

District 4 – November 6 4.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers continue to work with the provincial and federal governments to reopen previously closed markets, as well as the opening of new international markets that will continue to benefit the Canadian and Manitoba beef industry.

District 8 – November 17 8.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers pursue the dealer assurance program to protect producers from dealer defaults with a mandatory levy on all livestock transactions and the fund should be managed by Manitoba Beef Producers.

4.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation and other lending institutions to review and implement new policies on loans for breeding stock to encourage more uptake by using current prices instead of a 5-year average.

8.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby Manitoba Public Insurance for cost effective and/or reduced rates and prompt settlements for commercial trucks hauling livestock and ensure independent, third party arbitrators to settle disputes.

4.3 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to allow the import of all forms of straw into Manitoba from the United States. District 3 – November 10 3.1 Whereas increases to livestock dealer bond levels and the current status quo are not acceptable.

8.3 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to expand the needs-based forage feed assistance program to include the entire province to provide assistance to producers impacted by the 2014 excess moisture. 8.4 Whereas many rural wells are contaminated with nitrates and other compounds; and

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers continue to investigate dealer assurance programming.

Whereas there are rural municipalities that cannot access water and it must be hauled in at the owner’s expense; and

District 2 – November 12 2.1 Whereas certain circumstances require efficient and prompt animal health treatment and animal welfare could be compromised, and

Whereas many rural residents do not have access to safe, good quality water for both human and livestock consumption.

Whereas the safety of the producer can be at risk when tagging mature animals; Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to ensure reasonable enforcement of CCIA tags when transporting animals to vet clinics for routine or emergency procedures and then returning to the herd of origin, and to provide a venue to hear the concerns from producers to ensure continued support for traceability systems. 2.2 Be it resolved Manitoba Beef Producers take a serious, proactive, long-term approach to ensure a healthy slaughter plant capacity in Manitoba and Canada. District 1 – November 13 1.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship to provide agricultural landowners, whose primary income is from agriculture production, with an annual elk and/ or moose hunting licence on their property. 1.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the provincial and federal governments to expand the needs-based forage feed assistance program to include the entire province to assist producers impacted by the 2014 excess moisture crisis. 1.3 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba in regards to excess moisture deductibles in areas declared disasters, and the increase in deductibles be waived for the year following the disaster.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments for infrastructure dollars for the development of rural water systems. 8.5 Whereas producers in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area are testing their animals for bovine tuberculosis and their actions are benefitting the Canadian beef industry, Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the federal and provincial governments to provide proper compensation for the time to muster animals and the loss of animal production due to testing of their livestock for bovine tuberculosis and that the rate be $16/ head. 8.6 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to provide a better brand registry system that is more accessible to the public and which includes clearer guidelines on acceptable brands that will minimize ineffective brandings and negative animal welfare consequences. District 9 – November 18 9.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to construct an outlet on Lake Manitoba to match the daily inflow from the Portage Diversion, in order to stop the negative impacts on beef and forage production and the rural economy in Manitoba. NOTE: An identical resolution was carried in District 10.

District 5 – November 14 5.1 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers’ annual general meeting be open to members in good standing.

9.2 Whereas the Government of Manitoba prevented water from leaving the Shoal lakes areas, thus increasing water levels to the point of flooding roads and making them impassable.

5.2 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers support organizations involved in longterm water management strategies that support enhanced agricultural practices.

Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers lobby the Government of Manitoba to open provincial roads 415 and 416 to alleviate the devastation on the rural economy.

5.3 Be it resolved that Manitoba Beef Producers acknowledge support to all organizations

NOTE: An identical resolution was carried in District 11.

www.mbbeef.ca

10 CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

Strong commitment to see Assiniboine River Basin Initiative move forward MauREEN cousINs MBP Policy Analyst

We need to work collaboratively to manage waterrelated issues in the Assiniboine River Basin. That was the clear message given by nearly 140 stakeholders from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and North Dakota attending the Assiniboine River Basin Initiative (ARBI) conference Nov. 12-14 in Regina. ARBI is a grassroots initiative aimed at developing a co-operative, cross jurisdictional approach to water issues in the Assiniboine River Basin. The basin encompasses the Assiniboine River, as well as the Souris and Qu’Appelle Rivers and their tributaries. ARBI was initially spearheaded by the Prairie

Improvement Network, which in the fall of 2013 assembled the ARBI Planning Committee. It includes a cross-section of members from all three jurisdictions representing interests such as local governments, agriculture, Conservation Districts, watershed associations and provincial and state governments and others. Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) has representatives on the Committee. The goal is to create a new organization, not unlike the Red River Basin Commission, to pursue a coordinated approach to water management in the Assiniboine River Basin. Conference delegates gave their support to moving the new entity forward as quickly as possible and had an extensive discussion of topics such as

how the organization will be governed. Dr. Allan Preston, ARBI Interim Chair, explained that an entity such as ARBI does not have statutory or regulatory authority over water-related decision making in the basin. But he said the organization hopes to positively influence the decision makers when it comes to how policies and management strategies are made for the basin. Conference delegates discussed an array of topics around water management in the basin, including jurisdictional issues, water allocation, experiences related to the 2011 and 2014 floods, longterm trends in regional hydrology and climate related to flooding and droughts, and the impacts

of wetland drainage on water quantity and quality. John Morriss, Associate Publisher and Editorial Director with Farm Business Communications, helped set the tone for the conference. Water management is a contentious topic, he noted, but there is a growing desire to find solutions. “We can’t turn back the clock, but we can acknowledge our mistakes, and, as the lawyers say, have a discussion without prejudice,” said Morriss. Morriss encouraged people to work together and to think local as small individual decisions can create larger problems, citing the extinction of the buffalo as an example of this. Ownership of land is not a license to export problems, Morris added,

be they related to water quantity or nutrient management. He cautioned that the entire population is aware of the problems on the landscape and the costs to society of managing them. If the people on the ground aren’t managing the problem, it will be managed for them from the top down. Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh discussed the challenge of governance when it comes to managing water in the basin given the number of jurisdictions and issues involved. “Everyone is downstream of someone else,” said Mackintosh. “These are huge challenges that take solutions from so many different perspectives and insights.”

Minister Mackintosh reaffirmed the Manitoba government’s $50,000 commitment to ARBI. “Let’s roll up our up sleeves and make this work. It is a legacy,” said Mackintosh. “Let’s get some early wins.” Next steps for the ARBI Planning Committee include finalizing decisions around board governance, defining the terms of reference, vision and mandate, determining a funding model and enacting a work plan. For more information, please visit the ARBI portal at the PIN website: http:// prairienetwork.ca/ARB Or contact Wanda McFadyen, ARBI Project Manager/Champion at 204-7956672 or wmcfadyen@prairienetwork.ca.

WLPIP: It’s not just for calves! suBMIttEd By Masc Cattle prices are at record highs and the leaner times are fading from memory. Most producers are cashing in, but others will remember that their industry is inherently volatile. “Anything can happen,” says Jason Dobbin, Livestock Price Insurance Coordinator for MASC. “The wrong trigger at the wrong time can easily bring back the weak markets and the

current profit margins can disappear.” In good times and bad, the Western Livestock Price Insurance Program (WLPIP) can protect against market volatility, letting producers lock in a price for a future date in case the market declines. The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) began offering WLPIP in April 2014 to Manitoba livestock producers.

Tuesday, Dec 2

Regular Sale

9AM

Thursday, Dec 4

Bred Cow Sale

1PM

DECEMBER

Thursday, Dec 4

2014 Fall Sale Schedule

Originally offered in Alberta as the Cattle Price Insurance Program, the replacement WLPIP has since expanded to the four western provinces, providing coverage for both cattle and hogs. WLPIP consists of three cattle programs (collectively known as ‘WCPIP’) that help mitigate the risk of feeding cattle at various stages in the production cycle (for calves, feeder cattle and

Tuesday, Dec 9

Thursday, Dec 11 Thursday, Dec 11 Tuesday, Dec 16

Thursday, Dec 18 Thursday, Dec 18

Regular Sale Regular Sale Regular Sale

Bred Cow Sale Regular Sale Regular Sale

Bred Cow Sale

9AM 9AM 9AM 1PM

9AM 9AM 1PM

First Sale of 2015 is on January 6th, 2015

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season! Presorts MUST be booked in advance. Bred cow sales must be pre-booked and in by NOON on Wednesday prior. Age verification papers must be dropped off with cattle.

Heartland Livestock Services

fed cattle), and a hog program (WHPIP) designed to protect against declining hog prices. Once a producer enrolls in a cattle insurance program, they can purchase a policy on the WLPIP website, and when the premium is paid a protected ‘floor price’ is locked in. If the settlement price falls below the producer’s selected floor price in the policy’s last four weeks, the producer is entitled to an indemnity payment. Since March, a significant number of producers in Manitoba have signed up for WLPIP, with 317 policies on over 22,000 animals for $27 million in coverage insuring calf prices, and 112 policies on almost 19,000 animals for $30.4 million in coverage insuring feeder cattle prices, and eight fed cattle policies insuring nearly 300 cattle with $480,000 coverage. “The WLPIP calf program is the only component that has a deadline (May 29),” explains Dobbin. “So in the spring we concentrated on getting

producers signed up for calf price coverage. But now producers are more concerned about a possible market decline over the winter, so we’re starting to see more interest in WLPIP’s Feeder Cattle and Fed Cattle programs.” WLPIP’s Fed Cattle component (WCPIP-Fed) is available for cattle on feed to be finished for market (settlement price based on 1250 lbs), with a policy length of 12 to 36 weeks from the date of purchasing coverage. “This is for producers that are looking to finish cattle,” says Dobbin. Settlement prices are based on the Alberta Fed Cattle Price Settlement Index that’s established using CanFax data. Producers opting for Fed Cattle price coverage can also purchase basis-only policies, which only protects against basis risk. “It gives a producer another flexible price option,” says Dobbin. The Feeder Cattle component (WCPIP-Feeder) offers price insurance on weaned or nearly weaned

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animals being backgrounded and/or intended for grass. Like Fed Cattle, policy lengths can range also from 12 to 36 weeks from the date of purchasing coverage. WCPIP-Feeder settlement prices are based on the average price of an 850lb steer. “Settlement prices are derived from current sales data from auction marts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan,” explains Dobbin. As cattle settlement prices are calculated weekly, producers can trigger a claim in any of the fourweek claim window prior to the policy’s expiration, and as Dobbin explains, “It’s important for a producer to remember that settlement is based on the average price of an 850lb steer sold at these local auction marts, not on their own livestock’s sale price.” For more information about WLPIP and its components, please contact your local MASC Insurance office, or visit the WLPIP website at www. wlpip.ca, or call toll-free 1-844-782-5747

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December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 11

Many things to consider with winter feed, including the value of feed testing The Vet Corner

As fall winds down and winter arrives, many cattlemen are concerned about feed. Last year’s long winter and the challenging haying season this past summer mean feed shortages and lower quality feed in many areas. Check your inventories and plan accordingly. If you are short on feed, you need to do something about it now. This is no time for procrastination. And next year, start making plans during the summer when you have more options. If long range weather forecasts are close to accurate, expect suboptimal haying weather in the future. Look at alternatives – silage, haylage and swath grazing. Work with your local MAFRD office and nutritionist to find what works for your area and what fits your individual operation. If you are in a bind now, pregnancy test your herd. With today’s prices, open cows definitely don’t belong in any herd this year, especially if feed is at a premium. Preg checking is sound management in any year but especially this year when cull cow prices are at

a record high and feed is at a premium. Do you want the bother of late calvers? Check eyes, feet and udders and cull accordingly. Yes, these cows may wean a high priced calf next fall but so too can a quality replacement from a bred cow sale. If buying cows, do remember to heed the rules of biosecurity and speak with your veterinarian. Only purchase from herds with good health and vaccination programs and be sure to quarantine new arrivals. Two issues of concern that have arisen this year are elevated ergot and nitrate levels in feed. Both are toxic and will cause decreased production and death losses. Excess nitrates accumulate in plants when they are stressed from non-ideal growing conditions. Annual forage crops and weed species like ragweed, pigweed and thistles are more prone to nitrate accumulation than perennials. Heated round bale greenfeed can be particularly toxic – testing is strongly advised. If nitrate levels in the feed are too high, the rumen cannot convert it

quickly enough and nitrite is absorbed. This nitrite creates a chemical reaction that causes the animal to be oxygen starved. Chronic nitrate toxicity can develop when levels are at 0.5 to 1.0 per cent of the feed consumed (DM basis). Symptoms include a reduction in weight gain, lower milk production, decreased appetites and a greater susceptibility to infections. Abortions and premature births may be noted. Newborn calves that survive may have convulsions and seizures. Acute nitrate toxicity occurs with higher feed levels, particularly if only once daily feeding. Symptoms include muscle tremors, laboured breathing, blue/ grey mucous membranes, drooling, staggering, weakness and an inability to get up. Typically, several animals are found dead within a few hours of feeding. Animal susceptibility varies. Cattle in good condition and on a balanced diet are more tolerant. Higher level nitrate feeds can be utilized but preconditioning is required. Dilute high nitrate feeds and feed over two or three meals per day. If possible, avoid in high risk groups like pregnant cows. Ergotism has become more common due to wet

Jeannette Graves

dR. taNya aNdERsoN, dVM

years and cloudy cooler conditions during flowering. Fungal infection with Claviceps purpurea produces ergot bodies instead of grain kernels. Levels as low as 0.1 per cent (1 in 1000 kernels) are toxic. Rye is most susceptible followed by wheat, barley and oats. Native and tame grasses may also be infected. Screenings pellets and supplements may be highly toxic. The first symptom is

feed refusal and resultant weight loss. If forced to eat the feed, symptoms (due to constriction of blood vessels) will develop in two to six weeks. During cold weather, sloughing of hooves, ears and tails is common as well as changes in temperament and abortions. Unfortunately there is no treatment. Feed testing will help you better manage your inventory and avoid a disaster. Knowing the feed value

of your hay will let you develop a least cost balanced ration incorporating straw, grain, screenings and other locally grown feedstuffs. Plan for differing cow needs. Thin cows and first calf heifers will need more energy than mature ideal body condition cows. Regardless of how good the ration looks on paper, regularly assess body condition and cow health throughout the winter. The cows still do know best.

Edie Creek Angus would like to give a tribute to the mother cow:

Your Land. Your Livelihood.

Your Legacy.

Protect your operation today and for generations to come. Implement or renew your environmental farm plan.

ECA Eliseva 119T

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) is offering free half-day environmental farm plan (EFP) workshops this fall and winter.

2yr Old Bulls Sell March 14th, 2015 in Ashern, MB

Sessions will be held at select MAFRD GO Offices by video conference on the following days:

The cow is the foundation of beef production. Matrons that can REGULARLY produce calves calves at at the lowest possible cost and expenditure of labor give the highest possible and longest lasting net returns. ECA is using a few select strains of the Angus breed that for returns. generations have focused on the mother cow. Easy fleshing, good uddered, fertile, intelligent parent stock.

Tuesday, December 9

To register and for workshop locations and times go to:

Moderate - Maternal - Easy Calving - Easy Fleshing ECA 26Z

Tuesday, January 13

ECA 8Z

manitoba.ca/agriculture or visit your local GO Office. EFPs must be renewed every five years to remain valid. Check the date of your Statement of Completion.

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14-09-23 3:58 PM

12 CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

Signs point to strong prices continuing Rick Wright The Bottom Line This fall, every time cattle producers go to the cashier’s window at the local auction to pick up their cheques, a big smile appears when they look at the returns for that day’s sale. The next thing they do is to ask their marketing rep or one of the buyers, “How long can this last?” It is mid-November, and the fall run is in full swing! We have just finished a week where new record highs were established for both feeder and live cattle on the futures market. Locally, in Manitoba, steer prices have found their level and we are starting to see some discounts for medium quality steers. The heifer market on the other hand has really picked up, with the spread between the steers and heifers narrowing to between 10 and 15 cents per pound for equal quality and weight. Just how long can this cattle

market last? All the fundamentals are pointing to strong markets for the next 12 to 18 months. Even though USDA lowered their forecast of 2014 corn production by 68 million bushels and raised their forecast of the seasonal average corn price by 10 cents to between $3.20 and $3.80 per bushel, it did little slow up the American appetite for Canadian feeder cattle. Canadian feeder cattle exports for 2014 were up 105 per cent (342,000 feeders), with the numbers expected to increase again in November and December. With the U.S. harvest at 90 per cent complete, there are large inventories of both corn and soybeans that will more than cover the cattle placed on feed for the next year. Lower oil prices will result in less competition from the ethanol industry for corn, which is great news for cattle feeders, as

the cost of grain continues to drop. The rebuilding of the American cow herd is slower than first expected, and even though there is an increase in heifer retention, drought and the high price of heifers have placed more heifers in the finishing feedlots than first predicted. The majority of the Manitoba feeder cattle that go to the U.S. go to the “Corn Belt.” According to placement reports, pen utilization in those areas is running at 70 per cent to 83 per cent. Despite record imports of Mexican feeder cattle, feedlots in the Deep South are running at 75 per cent capacity. Beef production in the U.S. is expected to be 4 per cent lower in 2014 than the previous year, with an additional 5 per cent drop for 2015. Production in 2014 is the lowest since 1994. Beef production would be even lower, but carcass weights are 25 pounds per head higher than last year. The 901-pound

average is the result of cheaper feed and a steady increase in the prices. On the retail side, experts are predicting that beef will receive more competition next year from both poultry and pork. Estimated beef consumption per capita in 2015 is projected at 52.2 pounds, down 2.4 pounds from 2014, mostly driven by higher prices. The bottom line is that the total beef supply (production + imports) in 2015 is projected at 26.931 billion pounds, down one billion pounds from 2014. The weekly slaughter estimates in the U.S. are running about 560,000 cattle per week - a far cry from the 680,000 head per week in 2012. The week of Nov. 10 was the 37th consecutive week with cattle slaughter below the yearago level. It will take at least two years, the time for a calf to reach slaughter weight, before packers can expect any major increase in the availability of fed cattle. This gives cattle ranchers a two-year turnaround before the

All the fundamentals are pointing to strong markets for the next 12 to 18 months. U.S. herd starts to recover from a 63-year low after several years of drought damaged crops. In comparison, Canadian packers are killing between 50 and 55 thousand cattle per week, of which about 8,000 are cows. American packers import about 5,000 cows per week from Canada. In the meantime, packers on both sides of the border will have to bid higher to maintain sustainable kill numbers at the plants. Tight fed cattle supplies will continue as producers work to rebuild

DLMS INTERNET SALES EVERY THURSDAY AT www.dlms.ca - Call our office to list your cattle! Monday, Dec 1

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

Friday, Dec 5

Bred Cow Sale

11AM

2014 Fall Sale Schedule

December

Wednesday, Dec 3 Saturday, Dec 6 Sunday, Dec 7

Monday, Dec 8

Tuesday, Dec 9

Wednesday, Dec 10 Friday, Dec 12

Saturday, Dec 13 Monday, Dec 15

Tuesday, Dec 16 Wednesday, Dec 17 Friday, Dec 19 Friday, Dec 19

Monday, Dec 22

Feeder Cattle Sale

Springcreek Simmentals Production Female Sale Campbell Limousin Dispersal Sale

9AM

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

Feeder Cattle Sale

9AM

No Borders Charolais Female Sale Border Side Select Female Sale Bred Cow Sale

Butcher Cattle Sale

Bonchuk Farms Simmental Production Female Sale

1PM Cancelled 12 NOON 9AM

Feeder Cattle Sale

9AM

Bred Cow Sale

11AM

Butcher Cattle Sale

9AM

Blacksand Cattle Co. Simmental Dispersal Sale

First Sale of 2015 will be January 7th, 2015 Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year!

MBP is a proud champion of this cause

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thinned herds. The supply of cattle available to be fattened and the amount of processed beef for sale will force processors to bid more aggressively to secure animals to fill retail orders. Recent reports from both Tyson Foods and JBS showed projected record profits in 2014. The Americans need our cattle. This year to date, they have imported 958,000 live cattle, an increase of 125,000 so far. We are also in the top three for meat exports from the U.S. The U.S. government raised its pork production forecast for the calendar year ending September 2015. That shows pork surpassing beef for the first time since 1952 as hog farmers rapidly recover from a deadly pig virus which killed an estimated eight million pigs since May of 2013. Chicken production is expected to increase in 2015, and meat wholesalers are predicting that restaurants will increase promotion to consumers for chicken, which is traditionally more profitable than beef entrées. The other major fundamental is the value of the Canadian dollar. The dollar is currently around the 88 cent U.S. value, making Canadian imports very attractive. As long as the Canadian dollar stays under 90 cents U.S., the Americans will be active buyers of both live cattle and beef products. The outlook for the next 24 months looks very favourable for the Canadian cattle industry. With a little co-operation from Mother Nature, cattle producers should be able to maintain that smile. Until next time, Rick

December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 13

Risk management tools for anaplasmosis-free cattle herds in Western Canada Christine Rawluk National Centre for Livestock and the Environment

Although uncommon, Manitoba cattle herds are not without risk of contracting bovine anaplasmosis. An outbreak in southeastern Manitoba over the period of 2008 to 2011 resulted in the quarantining and culling of several hundred cattle in an effort to eliminate spreading of the disease. Bovine anaplasmosis is an infectious disease specific to ruminants that is caused by the blood-borne bacteria Anaplasma marginale. While cattle of all ages can become infected, the severity of the disease depends on the age of the cattle. According to CFIA, fatalities occur in 29 to 49 per cent of the cases in cattle older than two years of age. Cattle younger than two years of age generally recover from the disease. There is currently no vaccine and no approved treatment for permanently eliminating the pathogen from infected animals. One way the disease can be spread is by ticks that have previously fed on an infected animal transmitting the disease when feeding on uninfected cattle. Cattle that recover from the disease are life-long carriers and reservoirs for the bacteria. Keeping these cattle in the herd increases the risk of anaplasmosis being transferred to other cattle by vectors such as ticks. Until April of this year, anaplasmosis was a federally reportable disease, meaning the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was informed each time the disease was detected on cattle, bison and elk farms across Canada. Now classified as an immediately notifiable disease, the surveillance and on-farm

Sampling sites in Manitoba (2013, 2014). Stars represent sampling sites, colours vary according to mean tick Density (ticks/10m2): 0.01-0.5, 0.51-2.0, 2.01‐4.0, 4.01‐6.97.

response and control roles of CFIA have ceased. Anaplasmosis is an established disease in the United States. As such, it is anticipated that it will again appear in Canadian cattle herds. The disease was confirmed on a cattle farm in southern Manitoba as recently as October 2013, as the CFIA monitoring program was ramping down. Going forward, other means of assessing the risk and protecting Canadian cattle from this disease are needed. Enter Kateryn Rochon, entomologist at the University of Manitoba, and her colleagues, Tim Lysyk and Shaun Dergousoff at AAFC-Lethbridge and Neil Chilton, University of Saskatchewan. Together they are tracking the abundance, range, genetic diversity and changes over time in populations of the two types of ticks that transmit A. marginale on the prairies; the Rocky Mountain wood tick in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the American dog tick in southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They are building population maps that will serve as a baseline for assessing

changes in range and population dynamics across the prairies over time. The information they collect will be used to develop models for predicting the distribution and abundance of these two types of ticks. Their goal is to use these maps and models to generate risk maps for the transmission of bovine anaplasmosis by these two tick species. From their earlier work, the team has already shown that the range of the American dog tick has extended northward and westward since the last baseline assessment nearly 50 years ago. No stranger to knowing where to find ticks, Rochon studied Rocky Mountain wood tick habitats as part of her post-doctoral research at AAFC-Lethbridge prior to joining the University of Manitoba in 2012. In this current study, Rochon is shifting her focus to dog tick habitats in Manitoba. Kateryn and her team spent months travelling across southern Manitoba counting ticks in provincial parks, grasslands, pastures and riparian areas over the past two years. This involved dragging a flannel cloth behind them as they walked

and counting the number of ticks collected every ten metres over two kilometres for each site. In 2014 alone, 70 sites were sampled! They will continue collections for two more seasons. Based on their Manitoba counts, they generally found that from one year to the next, areas with high populations were still high, with large increases in numbers in some areas. “These zones of high density are what we would classify as potentially higher risk for anaplasmosis,” said Rochon. “But at this point we can’t really say that one region of the province is higher risk than another.”

of the eradication measures prevention or control stratthat were put in place to con- egies that might be used by tain the disease. beef producers. Yunik also found that up “Most importantly we to a fifth of the adult Amer- want to be able to answer ican dog ticks he collected in ‘What is the potential risk for one summer could survive a given population of ticks to a second Manitoba winter. transfer this pathogen to cat“Overwinter survival means tle and what can be done to that ticks carrying the disease reduce this risk?’” can potentially infect cattle in Although bovine anaplasa subsequent season, which mosis is not common on means greater risk. Wheth- Manitoba cattle farms, the reer this risk is confined to a ality is that it does occur and certain region or population that it will likely continue to is what we want to find out occur. The predictive tools, through this current study,” risk maps and population explains Rochon. maps arising from this study Recording habitat, cli- will better position cattle promatic conditions and tick ducers to protect their herds numbers will allow the group from this disease. to identify potential habitat Funding for this research Continuation of preferences of these ticks provided by the Beef Cattle Manitoba-based and what might be behind Research Council. Contact research on ticks and the observed differences over Kateryn Rochon to learn bovine anaplasmosis time and space. This know- more (Kateryn.Rochon@ Their research adds to ledge can be used to tailor umanitoba.ca). earlier work by Matt Yunik who followed the anaplasAttention Cattle Producers mosis outbreak in southeastern Manitoba during Find out what 2008 to 2011. As part of his MASC’s loan options MSc research at the Univerfor cattle mean to you sity of Manitoba, Yunik collected 2056 American dog The Manitoba Agricultural Services ticks in the outbreak region. Corporation has been providing financial Anaplasma marginale was assistance to producers for over 50 years. not detected in any of the If you are a cattle producer looking to ticks tested, which may be an grow your operation, you should learn more about how we can help you. indication of the effectiveness

Thank you! Plains Distributors would like to thank Ron & Debbie Middleton of 7-6 Ranch for their continued support of the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Wish Foundation. Congratulations on a very successful 15th Lobsterfest dinner that raised approx. $50,000!

Gerry Simonson Bus: (204) 436-2060 Cell: (204) 750-4300 Fax: (204) 436-2577

Stocker Loans – these loans provide short-term financing for producers who purchase feeder cattle or heifers for breeding. Direct Loans – these loans can be used for purchasing or raising breeding stock with terms up to ten years. Unbred heifers purchased for breeding have a first-year interest-only option. All our loans feature no pre-payment penalties and our low rates are fixed with flexible repayment terms that match your cash flow. To learn more about how MASC’s financing options will help you grow your operation, please contact your local MASC lending office or visit masc.mb.ca

Lending and Insurance Building a strong rural Manitoba

BOX 100 FANNYSTELLE, MB ROG 0P0 www.mbbeef.ca

MASC – Lending – Cattle Loans Publication: Cattle Country Ad size: 1/8 pg vert (3.125x5.8") Insertion dates: Dec 2014 Position: WFN

14 CATTLE COUNTRY December 2014

Ted Artz and MBP share a long history Ted Artz will shortly be wrapping up his time as MBP’s director for district 1. After having served as director for the last five years, Artz feels as though it is time to step down and let someone else take the reins. “I tell the guys at the coffee shop in town that I finally got the price of cattle to where it should be and now I can retire,” says Artz with a laugh before adding “A little B.S. doesn’t hurt once in a while.” Artz and his wife of 44 years, Becky, have been working their operation of approximately 450 head of cattle just northwest of Lyleton, Manitoba for over four decades, after moving to the Great White North from Antler, North Dakota in 1973. Artz remains active on the farm alongside his eldest son Matt, who is transitioning into taking over for his father once Artz backs away from the business. Artz takes a pragmatic view on retirement seeing it as part of the natural cycle of the agriculture industry as one

generation takes over for another. “My wife Becky and I are in our mid-sixties and we are starting to think now that we would like to start getting out … but it’s hard to do,” says Artz. “But I know that it has to happen and I am really not against it. We all get old quicker than we think and I have seen too many operations where the old man has stuck around too long in total management.” Artz had his first real experience with the Manitoba Beef Producers almost 40 years ago, after attending a district meeting in Deloraine and an Annual General Meeting in Melita. Prior to this, Artz was not particularly active with the association and he found these early encounters to be educational, if not a little overwhelming. “I was never really involved in this sort of stuff before and I probably had the deer in the headlights look, just trying to comprehend what the hell was going on,” says Artz. “They were talking about all kinds of different issues — a lot of stuff that I had never really

considered — and I thought to myself, ‘I’m sure glad that there is someone out there looking after us.’” After hearing of the position opening up, Artz threw his hat in the ring to become director at the urging of his wife who encouraged him to become part of the solution rather than simply talking about the problems within the cattle industry. “There was a lot of going into town and complaining about what we should be doing and what’s not getting done and why,” says Artz. “So Becky asked me, ‘Do you just want to stand around and complain, or do you want to try to go out and do something about it?’ And that’s basically why I did it.” Once in, Artz found there to be a steep learning curve for the director’s seat. He became particularly interested in the issues surrounding trade, Country Of Origin Labeling, and the opening of borders to the transfer of product. Unfortunately, he also discovered that politics would often bog down the association’s ability to deliver results.

COUrtesY OF tHe artZ FaMILY

paul adaIR

MBP Director Ted Artz is hard at work on his farm in southwest Manitoba. Artz will be retiring from the MBP board in February after serving six years as the director for District 1.

“The thing that I have learned the most is that everything takes time,” says Artz. “Governments and bureaucracy move at different pace than anybody else does and the process is terrifically slow, costly, and frustrating.” Artz believes that having longevity in the cattle industry comes down to having a passion for the business and that being a Manitoba beef producer is not simply about the money. Artz also knows that passion alone does not pay the bills and that there have been trying times for the beef industry in recent years, from B.S.E. to overland flooding.

“There were a lot of guys who exited agriculture during the more difficult years but I guess that I’ve been too stubborn or dumb to do anything else,” says Artz. “There were times when a few bankers suggested that it would be a smart thing to pack it all in in; and maybe they were right. But we live in a next year industry and my next years just never ran out; and I am sure glad they didn’t. It’s looking like the cattle business has a real good future moving forward.” As Artz moves away from directorship and — eventually — the business

of managing cattle, he is looking forward to spending more time fishing at the dam, watching his seven grandkids at their various endeavors, and continuing to enjoy locally produced beef. “My wife and I like cooking beef over a wood fire, whether it’s steak, hamburger, or a roast,” says Artz. “And the only thing you need to know when you cut meat is that you need to have a sharp knife, cut against the grain, wear a MBP apron, and give them lots because they can’t complain with their mouth full of good Manitoba beef.”

WCCCS: determining productivity and its link to proﬁtability In January 2014, a meeting was convened during the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference to discuss producers’ claims that they had moved their calving start date to May and had seen reduced conception rates. Kathy Larson with the Western Beef Development Centre (WBDC) was part of that meeting because of her experience collecting production data from producers when calculating cost of production. WBDC’s cost of production study is a very small sample size (typically 20-30 producers) and yes, some production data is collected, but details on breeding season start and end dates or cow:bull ratios are not. The reality is, we do not have current benchmarks

on cow-calf productivity. So when producers raise questions about reduced conception rates related to time of calving, the benchmarks we have are 16 years old and the industry has changed significantly since then. But that is about to change with the resurrection of a study last conducted in Alberta in 1998. The Western Canadian Cow-Calf (WCCC) Survey is being rolled out across Western Canada this fall, starting with the provincial cattle association district meetings from British Columbia to Manitoba. The survey was developed through a joint effort between the provincial producer associations, the provincial ministries of agriculture, Canfax, the Beef Cattle Research Council

and the Western Beef Development Centre. In addition to being handed out at the MBP district meetings, you are likely to also see the survey being handed out at events throughout the winter, such as Brandon AgDays, Agribition, Cow-Calfenomics, or the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference. The questions have been revamped and expanded somewhat from the 1998 survey, but for the most part we are still asking the same questions on productivity and management practices of cowcalf producers. Questions like: • What were your start and end dates for your 2013 breeding season? • How many cows calved on your operation in 2014?

• How many 2014-born calves were weaned? • When do you provide trace mineral to your cows? • Do you creep feed? • Do you pregnancy check? From the survey responses we can generate production performance measures for the industry. From the 1998 survey we learned that the average cow:bull ratio was 26:1, the average wean weight was 576 lb, the average breeding season length was 93 days, and the average conception rate was 95.6 per cent. We also learned that on average 48 per cent of cows calved in the first 21 days of the calving season, that 30 per cent of operations quality tested their forage, that less than 50 per cent of operations pregnancy

! Notice from the TB Coordinator Producers in the Riding Mountain Eradication Area (RMEA) can expect to start receiving calls regarding the On-Farm Risk Assessments for Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) in the New Year. These assessments are an integral part of the ongoing risk mitigation efforts undertaken by producers that have assisted in the overall management of TB in the RMEA, allowing Canada to maintain its TB Free status. Every effort will be made by MBP staff to make the assessment process go efﬁciently and at the producer’s convenience. All cattle producers are indebted to the continued effort and participation of their counterparts in the RMEA in the ongoing management of the TB situation.

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checked. That was 16 years ago, how do you think we fair now? Knowing production performance benchmarks is important. Management practices influence productivity and productivity influences profitability. Increasing productivity through a management practice change can lead to increases in the total pounds of calf weaned on an operation which increases profitability. Results from the WCCC survey will identify where we have strengths and where we can make improvements on our production practices and performance measures. We can also use the survey findings to guide research and extension to improve the productivity and profitability of cow-calf producers. The survey is 58 questions long and should take between 30 and 45 minutes to complete. There is also an online version of the survey on Western Beef ’s website: www.wbdc.sk.ca/ wcccs.htm. The website also has additional information about the WCCC survey. For those completing hard copy or paper

surveys, paid postage labels are included with the survey or available for download from the WBDC website. On the last page of the survey, survey respondents can ask to receive a complimentary report summarizing their production measures based on their survey responses. This allows for comparison with the benchmarks. The production benchmarks will be summarized by region, province and herd size and will be ready for sharing in Spring 2015. Over 1,700 producers participated in the 1998 survey. With a bit of friendly competition between the provinces, we should easily surpass that number. Which province’s producers will get the bragging rights on highest conception rate or highest wean rate? Fill out the survey to help us find out. If you have any questions about the survey contact:

Ben Hamm

Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development Ph: 204-425-5050 benjamin.hamm@gov.mb.ca www.wbdc.sk.ca/wcccs.htm

December 2014 CATTLE COUNTRY 15

The beef code of practice – What you need to know for the 2016 changes MBP Project Manager

Heading into fall and winter there are some key points from the beef code of practice that are particularly relevant. There are also a number of changes that take place in the beef codes of practice that will come into effect in 2016. Which means the coming 2015 season is the perfect time to consider how these changes will affect your farm.

1. PROTECTION FROM EXTREME ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Protecting cattle from adverse weather conditions is something beef producers do on a regular basis, especially here in Manitoba with our relatively extreme climate. Within the beef code of practice this is recognized as a very important and necessary action for the health, comfort and safety of beef cattle. There are 3 main requirements in this section of the codes. Cattle must have access to areas, either natural or man-made, that provide relief from weather that is likely to create a serious risk to their welfare. Promptly assist individual cattle showing signs of not coping with adverse weather. Provide additional feed to meet animals’ increased energy requirements when facing cold stress. Portable windbreaks and shelters are great ways to provide cattle protection from extreme conditions, however trees and geographical features (such as valleys) are also good sources of protection. The most adverse conditions can often be in the spring and fall when wet weather coincides with the cold. It is especially important during these times that cattle have relief from exposure, as this can drastically reduce their ability to insulate themselves against the cold. Providing dry bedding during times like this can also be very beneficial. Cattle should be in good body condition going into winter. The nutritional demands on them are greater in colder weather especially as cows get into late gestation

toward the end of the season. It takes longer and requires more resources to put weight on animals during winter so making sure they are in good condition at the beginning of winter is in your best interest. Your nutritionist is your best ally in keeping your cattle healthy and ready to calve, lactate and rebreed in the spring. Take advantage of that resource and work together to provide quality and balanced nutrition throughout the winter. This will also keep your cattle from losing weight during the winter months when they need it the most for insulation against the cold. There are many ways of providing water to cattle but the most important thing is that it be of adequate quantity and quality. Using snow as a water source is acceptable but comes with a few stipulations; the snow must be clean and loose. If you choose to use snow as a water source it’s important to continue to monitor the condition of the snow and change your strategy if the snow gets a hard crust or becomes trampled. Always have a back-up plan. Depending on the animals condition and production stage their water requirements will change and snow might not be enough, this is especially true in cattle that are lactating, growing or in poor condition. If cattle start to lose condition, even if you’ve provided adequate feed, it may be because they aren’t getting enough water.

2. JANUARY 2016 IS ON ITS WAY

And it will come sooner than you think. What’s happening in January 2016? There are some changes to the beef codes of practice that come into effect at this time. The current codes require that you castrate and dehorn as early as practically possible and consider pain mitigation options in consultation with your vet. Effective Jan. 1, 2016 the new requirements are that pain control is used, in consultation with your veterinarian, to mitigate pain associated with dehorning calves after horn bud attachment (typically at 2-3 months of age). Another change, Effective Jan. 1, 2016, is that pain control must be used, in

KEY POINTS

Jeannette Graves

Carollyne Kehler

• Cattle need adequate feed, water and shelter in winter conditions. • Check cattle often during extreme weather conditions. • Pain control required for castrating after 9 months of age, beginning Jan 2016 • Pain control required for dehorning after approx. 2-3 months of age, beginning Jan 2016 • Consider culling decisions consultation with your veterinarian, when castrating bulls older than nine months of age. Further, on Jan. 1, 2018, it will be required to use pain control when castrating bulls older than 6 months of age. If late castration or dehorning are part of your management plan, get ahead of the game now. Talk to your veterinarian, make a pain mitigation plan or adapt your management style. Then when January 2016 rolls around you’ll be well prepared.

3. CONSIDERATIONS FOR CULLING

Another important winter activity is making culling decisions. Often cows are culled because of physical weaknesses, poor reproduction or age. These factors can put them at risk during the journey from your farm to the slaughter plant. When making the culling decision consider that, if a cow leaves your yard in just ‘OK’ condition, the process of being transported and marketed can put them at risk of deteriorating into a much worse condition. When cattle arrive at the slaughter plant in poor condition (for example very thin, unable to walk, downer) it looks poorly on the entire industry. Obviously, if a cow does arrive in poor condition, this is the combination of many variables along the journey but it all starts at the farm of origin. Cull cows have a much better chance of arriving in good condition if they were in acceptable condition when the journey began. On-farm euthanasia is an acceptable and recommended practice if cattle are unfit for transport. This can be a tough decision

but one that should not be taken lightly as it will affect not only your farm, but the auction yards, assembly yards, transporters and slaughter plants along the way. These beef codes of practice are used to reassure consumers, the public and Canada’s trading partners that we raise beef the best way possible, which is good for the prosperity of the industry. And what’s good for the industry is good for you, the producer!

4. BACKGROUND

The newest beef code of practice was developed in 2013 by a number of parties including: researchers, beef producers, veterinarians, humane societies, transporters, animal enforcement and the CFIA. There was also a public comment period in which anyone could make recommendations to the code development committee. You might ask, why are these codes of practice important if I already take good care of my livestock?

They can be used to reassure consumers, the public, and Canada’s trading partners that Canada is raising their beef cattle in a safe and humane way. The codes differentiate between recommendations and requirements because they recognize that there are major differences between management strategies across Canada. However, there are some areas of beef care that cannot be compromised and this is reflected in the requirements.

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How to survive the holidays Great Tastes of Manitoba It’s the most wonderful time of the year; over the holidays we are blessed with having the opportunity to spend time with family and friends. With all the excitement of time spent with friends and family we are often attending party after party. The holiday season has many main events, work events, holiday cocktail parties or traditional family dinners that are shared once per year. Naturally, there is temptation present at every holiday gathering; we do not need to completely derail our health regimes and set ourselves back months

in a short three weeks! Here are some tips on surviving eating around the holidays and keeping your waistline in check for any upcoming winter getaways. Before a planned evening out, remember to keep to your regular routine. Whether you are in the kitchen baking your best holiday cookies and treats or attempting to wow guests with beautiful appetizers for a cocktail party, do not forget to take care of yourself. You will feel so much better later on and not crash at the party from exhaustion.

Sesame Ginger Sirloin Salad 4 – 4 oz (125 g) top sirloin medallions

Marinade & Dressing 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

4 cup mix greens salad

2 tbsp EACH sesame oil and sweet chili sauce

½ cup EACH cilantro and mint leaves, chopped

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 tsp EACH garlic and ginger, minced

1/2 cup bean sprouts

salt and pepper

1/3 cup edamame beans, shelled 1/2 english cucumber, sliced

Directions Blend all marinade/dressing ingredients together this makes a total of 2/3 cup, reserve half as

2 green onions, sliced 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

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Pat steak dry before placing on grill, grill or sear in a heavy skillet over medium high heat until the internal temperature reaches 145˚F or (63˚C) for medium rare. Allow the steak to rest before slicing. Add all salad ingredients together and dress with reserved marinade, top with sliced steak.

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friends and family during a special occasion. • Once you have sat down and are enjoying all the delicious food before you, remember to cut your food into bite-sized pieces and chew. Choking on a holiday dinner happens more than you may think and this is a good time to be mindful of when your body is feeling full. Taking your time will help you realize of when you are no longer hungry. Remember, dessert is always on its way shortly after a big delicious dinner. The next upcoming episode of Great Tastes of Manitoba is featuring hearty dinner salads; these are wonderful as a lighter option brought to a potluck for any occasion. Six newly-developed recipes are now available on www. mbbeef.ca on the consumer section of the website. Watch Great Tastes of Manitoba Dec. 6 on CTV at 6:30 p.m. The holiday season is busy and it’s easy to get all caught up in the excitement and cast your health regime to the waste side. Stay strong and enjoy all the special delights that make the holidays special whether it’s time spent with family from out of town or your aunt’s best dessert, enjoy all good treats in moderation! Thanks for reading and have a happy and safe holiday season!

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• Drink plenty of water buffet set up there a • Remember to start throughout the day. few strategies to prewith low calorie foods This will keep your envent getting over inthat will offer you more ergy up by staying hydulgent. nutrients, vitamins and drated throughout the • Eat with your eyes first, energy. These might be day and night of being take a look around and fruit, vegetables or cold up on your feet and be choosy. Pick items shrimp cocktail. Skip socializing more than you don’t have often; pouring gravy on your usual. those are festive choicwhole plate and focus • Eat small, high fibre es. Stay away from on perhaps pouring a meals that will keep things you indulge in small amount on only you full throughout the regularly, like potato the turkey this year. day; never skip meals chips or chocolate chip Stay away from butterwith hopes of saving cookies. Choose foods ing your potatoes or room for a big meal. that are only around adding a buttered bun This just results in over once a year and special to your plate. If a bun eating and feelings of to the occasion. with butter is a special discomfort after your • Choose a small portion food item that you do meal. from each platter and not eat regularly then • Have a healthy snack keep in mind that there try sharing half your 30 minutes before are many choices on bun with someone else you leave the house. the table. Be mindful of at the table. I always have a small the items on your plate, • Once you have made apple, banana or an oryou can’t fit everything your plate, go socialize. ange. This way I’m not on one plate either so Do not stand near the starving when I arrive save room from your buffet, because it will to the party. aunt’s famous stuffing just stare back at you. • If you are attending a or your grandma’s best Mingle and enjoy the cocktail party with a dessert. time of gathering with