By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Thursday July 13, 2023

Jul 13, 2023 | 10:02 AM

Alberta is making amendments to the Feeder Associations Guarantee Regulation to give its members more options to purchase and market livestock and to generate better cash flow for their operations.

The changes raise individual and joint membership loan limits, excluding advances, to $3 million from $2 million.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson said feeder associations are an essential part of Alberta’s livestock industry and are a proven way to support new entrants in primary agriculture.

“These amendments ensure thousands of producers across the province have access to the capital they need to keep producing Alberta’s world-renowned beef,” Sigurdson said.

Cattle prices have increased 25 per cent since the start of the year and are expected to keep rising. Alberta’s livestock producers are in greater need of easily accessible, low-interest capital backed by a government guarantee.

Thanksgiving wrap-up

Weekend rink report: Bears to play for gold at Canadian Crown, Mintos sweep three-in-three

7h ago

Sounding the alarm

Sask. NDP highlights red flags on Sask. Party platform

10h ago

National

Bill Vigars, campaign manager for Terry Fox Marathon of Hope, dies at 78

15h ago

Alberta’s Feeder Associations Loan Guarantee Program helps local, producer-run cooperatives get competitive financing to ensure they can continue being a player in the global market.

—

Dairy farmers have elected David Wiens to succeed Pierre Lampron as President of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)

Wiens farms in Grunthal, Man. where he milks 230 cows and tends 1600 acres of cropland with his brother, Charles.

Chair of Dairy Farmers of Manitoba, David Wiens has been a Director with the DFC board since 2009; in 2011, he was elected to the position of Vice-President.

During his time on the board, Wiens has been the Chair of the Promotion Committee and is currently serving as the Chair of the proAction committee and of the Canadian Dairy Research Council. He also chairs the committee that is reviewing and updating the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle.

—

The federal government will be providing $12 million to the Canadian Cattle Association under the AgriScience Program – Clusters Component.

The investment will go to further research, innovation, and technology transfer while improving their environmental footprint.

The 23 projects to be funded focus on research on reducing methane emissions through feeding strategies, breeding forages that are more productive and profitable, and developing technologies for faster response to emerging diseases.

The Beef Cattle Research Council, a division of the Canadian Cattle Association, will administer the Beef and Forage Cluster.

—

alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW