A Busy and Productive Start to the New Year

Greetings all. I hope you all were able to have some time with family and friends over the holiday season. It’s always a great time of year to slow down and reflect on the positives and negatives throughout the production year as we plan for the next one.

Although 2022 had its challenges, such as the spring storms, I am optimistic looking ahead to 2023. I know a major hurdle in many sectors right now is rising input costs. Th is is especially a challenge in the beef sector, as our commodity’s price has not kept pace as well as other commodity prices have. However, with the strong demand for beef and the tight supply due to many challenges (in North America in particular), market signals are favourable for increased cattle prices moving ahead in 2023.

During the fi rst week of 2023, MBP put on two great extension workshops at Manitoba Beef & Forage

CARSON CALLUM General Manager’s Column

Initiatives’ (MBFI) Brookdale site and Eriksdale that included hands-on demonstrations around potential calving challenges. Th is was done through the use of Clover the cow, a life-sized Hereford Dystocia Simulator which is a great teaching tool. I greatly thank Melissa Atchison, MBP’s Research and Extension Specialist for coming up with the idea for producer-focused events like this. Thanks to all our team at the office for organizing it. Thanks to 4-H Manitoba for the use of Clover. Thanks to Dr. Mary-Jane Orr and the team at MBFI for the use of their top notch facility and for transporting Clover for use at the Eriksdale workshop. Thanks to Dr. Roger Richard for leading the workshops. Thanks to Boehringer Ingelheim for sponsoring the Eriksdale event. Thanks to Komfort Kitchen of Brandon and Eriksdale Museum Board for catering services. Thanks to the Eriksdale Recreation Centre for hosting the second workshop. Finally, thanks to MBP District 10 director Mike Duguid for helping to organize the Eriksdale event and for participating in it. We are looking forward to hosting future extension events like these in 2023.

I want to welcome Dale Cazakoff of the Durban area to the board of directors as our District 14 director. Dale comes to the board with a great deal of experience in the beef industry and the energy sector. He will be a welcome addition to the team.

Another piece of good news on the MBP team is our Food Expert Anna Borys’ recent achievement. She has received her Red Seal Chef certification. Th is is a very high level of distinction in the culinary world. It has been wonderful having Anna represent the beef sector on Great Tastes of Manitoba and at other human nutrition focused events. Th is added level of certification really adds to her creditability in that space. Wonderful job Anna, congratulations!

MBP welcomed Dale Cazakoff as the District 14 director effective January 1, 2023. Dale was involved in the mining industry for 30 years with a passion for livestock the entire time. It’s been three years now since he retired from mining and became a full-time rancher in Swan River Valley. (Photo credit: Dale Cazakoff )

Finally, by the time you are reading this, we could be close to our 44th AGM on February 2-3 in Winnipeg at the Victoria Inn. I hope many of you can make it out to this fi rst in person AGM since 2020. We have lots of great speakers lined up and a fun night planned during the President’s Banquet. If you are reading this after the event, I greatly thank all who took time to make It out and engaged with MBP and peers in the sector.

We are looking forward to a positive and productive year. The beef sector is a leader in many areas, and we will continue to push its benefits within industry, to governments, and to the general public.