HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-01-21, Page 12PAGE 12.THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016.
Don Sholdice
LIVESTOCK
Order buyer of fat cattle, stockers and feeders
Box 389, Brussels
Cell 519-357-5135 • Fax 519-887-6836
Agriculture
Brussels Livestock report
IiJHURON TRACTOR
BLYTH
JOHN DEERE
519-523-4244
www.hurontractor.com
Fed steers, heifers sell on strong trade
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Jan.
15 were 1,821 cattle and 364 lambs
and goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold on a strong active trade
at prices $2 to $3 higher. Choice
steers and heifers sold $172 to $176
with sales to $187.50. Second cut
sold $168 to $172. Cows sold on a
strong active trade at fully steady
prices. On Thursday veal calves sold
on a good demand at fully steady
prices. Lambs and goats sold steady,
while sheep sold slightly lower. On
Friday calves and yearlings sold on a
strong active trade. Calves sold at
prices $3 to $5 higher while
yearlings sold at steady prices.
Chris Smith of Brussels,
consigned 19 steers that averaged
1,740 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $175.45. One limousin steer
weighed 1,545 lbs. and sold to
Norwich Packers for $187.50. Aden
Brubacher of Listowel, consigned 16
steers that averaged 1,458 lbs. and
sold for an average price of $166.45.
One pied steer weighed 1,485 lbs.
and sold to Bruno's Meat
Distributors for $184.
Andy Vanderveen of Blyth,
consigned six heifers that averaged
1,434 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $177. One limousin heifer
weighed 1,430 lbs. and sold to
Norwich Packers for $178.50. Paul
M. Weber of Mount Forest,
consigned 42 heifers that averaged
1,328 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $172.96. One black heifer
weighed 1,290 lbs. and sold to
Norwich Packers for $178.50.
There were 230 cows on offer.
Export types sold $95 to $99 with
sales to $107; beef, $107 to $112
with sales to $129.50; D1 and D2,
$88 to $93; D3, $85 to $88; D4, $80
to $85. Doug Sutherland of Kemble,
consigned one black cow that
weighed 1,345 lbs. and sold for
$127.
There were nine bulls selling $114
to $154. Bev Annett of Mildmay,
consigned one black bull that
weighed 1,655 lbs. and sold for
$154.
There were 150 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $185 to $230 with
sales to $240; good holsteins, $155
to $165 with sales to $175; medium
holsteins, $130 to $140; slightly
heavy holsteins, $135 to $145;
heavy holsteins (800+), $145 to
$155. Lamar Frey of Listowel,
consigned 10 calves that averaged
852 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $217. One limousin heifer
weighed 775 lbs. and sold for $239.
Amos M. Martin of Elmira,
consigned three steers that averaged
807 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $227.04. One limousin steer
weighed 870 lbs. and sold for
$228.
Lambs, 50 - 64 lbs. sold $286 to
$330; 65 - 79 lbs., $261 to $300; 80
- 94 lbs., $207 to $215; 95 - 110 lbs.,
$212 to $220 / lb.
Sheep sold $100 to $195 / lb.
Goats: kids sold $250 to $400;
nannies, $100 to $175; billies, $150
to $300 / lb.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $244 to $325; 400 -
499 lbs., $301 to $342; 500 - 599
lbs., $272 to $315; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$265 to $287; 700 - 799 lbs., $245 to
$275; 800 - 899 lbs., $232 to $253;
900 - 999 lbs., $229 to $242; 1,000
lbs. and over, $201 to $234.
Top quality stocker heifers, 300 -
399 lbs., sold $286 to $290; 400 -
499 lbs., $284 to $295; 500 - 599
lbs., $245 to $289; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$217 to $236; 700 - 799 lbs., $207 to
$238; 800 - 899 lbs., $203 to $213;
900 lbs. and over, $191 to $210. Bob
J. Phibbs of Jarvis, consigned 26
steers. Twelve red steers averaged
936 lbs. and sold for an average
price of $242. Tobias S. Bowman of
Wallenstein, consigned 27 heifers.
Nine charolais heifers averaged 919
lbs. and sold for an average price of
$206.
Producers hear from Farm & Food Care at annual
Starting the conversation
Sarah Brien from Farm and Food Care Ontario was the
guest speaker at last week's Huron County Beef Producers
annual meeting. She encouraged farmers to engage in
conversation and explain life on the farm to customers,
neighbours and community members. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
The Huron County Beef Producers
heard from Sarah Brien of Farm &
Food Care Ontario on Jan. 13 at the
organization's annual meeting at the
Brussels Legion.
Brien said that Farm & Food Care
Ontario has been striving for years to
start conversations about farming
and to tell the story behind the
province's food.
Much of the organization's efforts
have been concentrated in many of
Ontario's larger city centres. While
everyone in the province relies on
Ontario farmers for at least some of
their food, less than three per cent of
the province's population has grown
up on a farm, Brien said.
Those numbers put a lot of
consumers of Ontario food out of
touch with what actually goes on at a
farm, she said. And with
misinformation spreading by way of
the internet, farmers can sometimes
be at a disadvantage when trying to
tell their story about farming and
food production.
The population loves animals,
Brien said, so when they're told that
farms mistreat animals, it becomes
easy to become skeptical, but that's
why farmers have to take every
opportunity they can to tell their
story.
Whether it be through the media or
on their own, Brien said, farmers
have to be telling their own story, as
Farm & Food Care Ontario has been
for years.
One of the organization's most
successful endeavours has been its
annual Faces of Farming calendar,
which highlights the faces and
families behind food production in
Ontario. Brien herself was
featured in the calendar a few years
ago.
She also mentioned a number of
other initiatives, including buying
advertising in some of Toronto's
largest newspapers and producing a
publication called The Real Dirt on
Farming, which aims to discuss the
world of agriculture from the side of
the farmer.
She highlighted a number of
current dietary trends, including
Proposed national check -off increase
concerns Huron County Beef Producers
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
At its annual meeting last week in
Brussels, the Huron County Beef
Producers discussed a proposed
increase to the national check -off
and several locals were less than
impressed.
The check -off is a mandatory
national levy that currently sits at $1
per head of cattle sold — money that
goes straight from beef producers
across the country to Canada Beef,
the national commodity
organization.
The current check -off level was set
in 1994 and due to inflation, what
was $1 then now amounts to 73
cents. As a result, with a number of
other factors thrown in, Canada Beef
is proposing to increase the national
check -off to $2.50 per head of cattle
sold.
The main efforts of Canada Beef
with the check -off are research and
promotion of beef at a national and
international level. At the Brussels
meeting, however, Beef Farmers of
Ontario (BFO) representatives
explained that beef farmers across
Ontario aren't thrilled with the
proposed increase, feeling that most
of Canada Beef's efforts and
interests go towards western Canada
and its abundant beef -producing
industry.
Some local producers wondered
aloud if they were getting their
money's worth with the $1 check-
off, let alone increasing it another
150 per cent.
Jack Chaffe, a feedlot director on
the BFO Board of Directors, said
that an "east versus west" mentality
was developing in response to the
proposed check -off increase, and
that many farmers in eastern and
central Canada felt too much time
and effort was going into western
Canada and that their best interests
weren't being served.
Richard Horne, BFO's Manager of
Policy and Issues, said that the
matter of voting in the check -off
change has been taken away from
"grassroots" organizations, such as
the Huron County Beef Producers,
and will be decided at a higher
level.
In addition, Chaffe said, another
change is up for debate that would
decide how check -off funds
generated in Ontario would be spent.
Chaffe said that historically
Ontario producers have valued
research over promotion and have, in
turn, dictated that the province's
national money be spent
accordingly. That decision-making
power, Chaffe said, would be taken
away if the changes were voted in
and Canada Beef would then decide
how the entire country's money is
spent.
With this change in direction and
funding increase, Chaffe said,
Canada Beef is hoping to further
promote the country's beef around
the world and accomplishing more
at the national level.
The issue will be discussed further
at the BFO annual conference in
Toronto next month.
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Let everyone know about
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Call for prices and details
519-523-4792 1
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The
Citizen
major buyers like Subway and A&W
attempting to phase out animals that
have been grown with the use of
hormones and antibiotics.
While statements like that make
customers feel good, the moves are
easier said than done, she said, and
words like hormones or antibiotics
shouldn't scare the general public as
much as they do.
The best thing the farmers at the
Legion that night could do to help
themselves, she said, is to engage in
conversations, whether it be online,
through the media or in line at the
grocery store to help set the record
straight for the good of all
agriculture.
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
TUESDAYS
9:00 a.m.
Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows
THURSDAYS
8:00 a.m. Drop Calves
10:00 a.m.Veal
11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep
FRIDAYS
10:00 a.m. Stockers
Visit our webpage at:
www.brusselslivestock.ca
email us at:
info@ brusselslivestock.ca
Call us 519-887-6461
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