HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-04-08, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2010.AgricultureBrussels Livestock reportChoice steers up slightly over last week
Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending April
3 were 2,022 cattle, 469 lambs and
goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold $1 higher. Choice steers
and heifers sold $89 to $91 with
sales to $95.25. Second cut sold $87
to $89. Cows sold on a fully steady
market. On Thursday veal sold on a
good trade at fully steady prices.
Lambs, goats and sheep all sold
steady. On Friday calves and
yearlings sold on a steady market.
There were 353 steers on offer. M-
R Farms of Exeter, consigned four
steers averaging 1,471 lbs. selling
for an average of $91.10 with one
blonde steer weighing 1,355 lbs.
selling for $95.25. Art Bos of Blyth,
consigned six steers averaging 1,347
lbs. selling for an average of $89.20
with two limousin steers averaging
1,363 lbs. selling to Norwich
Packers for $92. Kevin Stewardson
of Wyoming, consigned four steers
averaging 1,402 lbs. selling for an
average of $86.43 with one limousin
steer weighing 1,465 lbs. selling to
Dominion Meat Packers for $91.75.
Walter Riddle of Granton, consigned
sixteen steers averaging 1,488 lbs.
selling for an average of $89.98
with four black steers averaging
1,446 lbs. selling to Norwich
Packers for $91.35.
Lauderlea Farms of Listowel,
consigned three steers averaging
1,570 lbs. selling for an average of
$87.80 with one limousin steer
weighing 1,540 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $91. Owen F.
Bauman of Wellesley, consigned
seventeen steers averaging 1,552 lbs.
selling for an average of $88.04 with
four red steers averaging 1,461 lbs.
selling to Ryding Regency for
$90.50. Ross Battin of Monkton,
consigned eighty-six steers
averaging 1,544 lbs. selling for an
average of $88.67 with nine steers
averaging 1,482 lbs. selling to Holly
Park Meat Packers for $90.35. Robt.
S. Mitchell of Listowel, consigned
twenty steers averaging 1,397 lbs.
selling for an average of $88.34 with
two black steers averaging 1,523 lbs.
selling to Holly Park Meat Packers
for $89.85. Andrew Mitchell of
Listowel, consigned ten steers
averaging 1,496 lbs. selling for an
average of $88.13 with eight black
steers averaging 1,443 lbs. selling
for $89.50. Kevin Leddy of Auburn,
consigned forty-seven steers
averaging 1,426 lbs. selling for an
average of $87.73 with two black
steers averaging 1,418 lbs. selling to
Ryding Regency for $89.25.
There were 183 heifers on offer.
Johnston Farms of Bluevale,
consigned fifty-six heifers averaging
1,404 lbs. selling for an average of
$88.69 with one black heifer
weighing 1,415 lbs. selling to
Dominion Meat Packers for $93.75.
Southlore Farms of Palmerston,
consigned five heifers averaging
1,351 lbs. selling for an average of
$90.36 with two limousin heifers
averaging 1,375 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $91.75. Lyle
Kinsman of Kippen, consigned five
heifers averaging 1,129 lbs. selling
for an average of $87.19 with one
black heifer weighing 1,095 lbs.
selling for $91.
Darren Johnston of Bluevale,
consigned fourteen heifers
averaging 1,360 lbs. selling for an
average of $87.80 with one black
heifer weighing 1,340 lbs. selling for
$90.75. Knechtel Farms of Gadshill,
consigned eleven heifers averaging
1,434 lbs. selling for an average of
$85.34 with one charolais heifer
weighing 1,330 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $89.50. Noah
Weppler of Ayton, consigned nine
heifers averaging 1,272 lbs. selling
for an average of $86.79 with one
black heifer weighing 1,225 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$88.75.
Arthur and George Hinz of
Monkton, consigned seven heifers
averaging 1,395 lbs. selling for an
average of $87.07 with four blonde
heifers averaging 1,403 lbs. selling
for $88. James L. Taylor of
Wingham, consigned one red heifer
weighing 1,230 lbs. selling for
$87.25. Fred and Clyde McClure of
Walton, consigned two limousin
heifers averaging 1,278 lbs. selling
for $87. Allan Willits of Wingham,
consigned four black heifers
averaging 1,300 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $87.
There were 366 cows on offer.
Cows sold $45 to $55 with sales to
$65.50; beef cows, $45 to $55 with
sales to $63; D1 and D2, $42 to $49;
D3, $35 to $42; D4, $30 to $35.
Derek Reyneveld of Paisley,
consigned one holstein cow
weighing 1,215 lbs. selling for
$65.50. L.E. Waechter Farms of
Walkerton, consigned three cows
averaging 1,470 lbs. selling for an
average of $54.68 with one holstein
cow weighing 1,265 lbs. selling for
$65. Mark Pfeffer of Clifford,
consigned one charolais cow
weighing 1,025 lbs. selling for $63.
There were eight bulls on offer
selling $53.50 to $58 with sales to
$61. Allan Weiler of Mildmay,
consigned one red bull weighing
1,175 lbs. selling for $61. Dale
Smith of Monkton, consigned one
black bull weighing 2,085 lbs.
selling for $58.50.
There were 105 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $90 to $114 with
sales to $116.50; good holstein, $70
to $80 with sales to $92.50; medium
holstein, $60 to $70; heavy holstein,
$70 to $80 with sales to $92.50.
John Martin of Lucknow,
consigned five veal averaging 743
lbs. selling for an average of $112.88
with one limousin heifer weighing
740 lbs. selling for $116.50. Darryl
Vansickle of Thamesville, consigned
eleven veal averaging 736 lbs.
selling for an average of $98.82 with
one limousin heifer weighing 630
lbs. selling for $116. Lloyd Kuepfer
of Kincardine, consigned four veal
averaging 761 lbs. selling for an
average of $89.67 with one charolais
steer weighing 775 lbs. selling for
$98.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $224 to
$315; 50 - 64 lbs., $225 to $319; 65
- 79 lbs., $207 to $250; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$185 to $225; 95 - 109 lbs., $115 to
$179; 110 lbs. and over, $110 to
$312.
Sheep sold $60 to $73.
Goats: kids sold $70 to $105 with
sales to $115 per head; nannies, $40
to $80 with sales to $100 per head.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $80 to $125; 400 - 499
lbs., $97 to $128.50; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$105 to $126; 600 - 699 lbs., $96 to
$119.25; 700 - 799 lbs., $93 to $107;
800 - 899 lbs., $85 to $102.75; 900 -
999 lbs., $80 to $93.50; 1,000 lbs.
and over, $80 to $89.
Top quality stocker heifers, 300 -
399 lbs. sold $90 to $123; 400 - 499
lbs., $93 to $122; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$96.50 to $117; 600 - 699 lbs., $89
to $104.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $83 to
$99; 800 - 899 lbs., $82.50 to
$97.25; 900 lbs. and over, $86 to
$94.25.
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.Pigs, Lambs, Goats & Sheep
FRIDAYS
10:00 a.m. Stockers
Call us 519-887-6461
Visit our webpage at:
www.brusselslivestock.ca
email us at:
info@brusselslivestock.ca
BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
2010 SPECIAL SPRING SALES
VACCINATED CALVES
& YEARLINGS
Monday, April 19 & May 3
Sale starting at 10 am
Feds announce $6 million beef research fund
The federal government is trying
to stand behind their beef
producers, with a recently
announced $6 million dollar
commitment to beef research.
The funds will be given to the
Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
(CCA) who will lead a research
cluster of industry experts and
academic, dubbed The Beef
Cluster.
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
made the announcement, stating
that the funds are well deserved.
“Canadian livestock producers
are the best in the world, and this
important investment will make
sure new breakthroughs in beef
research are Canadian
breakthroughs that make the farm
gate more profitable,” Minister Ritz
said.
According to Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, The Beef
Cluster will focus on several
sections that the industry has
identified as problematic, including
reduced production costs, feed
efficiency, and animal health
issues.
The cluster will also work to
increase the demand for Canadian
beef across the country and the
globe.
The CCA, through industry
partnership, will contribute nearly
$1.2 million dollars, while
provincial government partners
will also contribute nearly
$464,000 to the project.
Matt McCall, president of the
Huron Beef Producers (HBP), said
that the funds, while appreciated,
were really delivered into the
wrong hands.
“This money was given to the
[groups that distribute meat],” he
said. “And opening up new markets
doesn’t really help producers.
“The funds were improperly
distributed,” he said.
Harvey Hoggart, former
President of the HBP and current
Advisor Councillor to the Ontario
Cattlemen’s Association, believes
that, while the funds are good, the
government isn’t really doing
anything new.
“The federal government is
putting more money towards the
farming industry, which is good,”
he said. “But they keep announcing
the same money over and over.”
Hoggart explained that the $6
million is part of the $158 million
that the government announced for
agricultural projects in May of
2009.
“They keep announcing it over
and over, but it never seems to
make it way down to the farmers,”
he said.
The government, according to
Hoggart, is acting on the idea that
you either need to reduce costs or
increase market price to help out
struggling industries, but doesn’t
know that the money is being used
wisely.
“I don’t know if we can increase
feed efficiency, but I guess we have
to try and find a solution,” he said.
Hoggart said that, despite
problems with the system, this
project is a positive one.
“It’s not bad,” he said. “And if an
action isn’t bad, it’s got to be
good.”
Newly elected coordinator for the
National Farmers Union, Sean
McGivern, had misgivings about
the Beef Cluster, stating that
agricultural bureaucratic programs
seldom reach the producers that
need them.
“The money doesn’t reach the
grassroots,” he said. “It’s put into
bureaucratic programs that tell
farmers what they already know.”
McGivern said that, according to
published reports, 60 per cent of the
subsidies in Ontario went to 17 per
cent of the farms last year, and that
doesn’t help the people it needs to.
As for the Beef Cluster
specifically, McGivern stated that
the real problem is the double
standard.
“Our beef industry is based on
the import of American feed, and
the export of live animals, and that
puts Canadian beef producers at a
disadvantage.”
Canadian cattle, for example,
cost $12-15 more per head to sell,
due to the identification programs
that Canada requires its producers
to subscribe to, but doesn’t
scrutinize imported meat.
“It didn’t used to be that bad,”
McGivern said. “There used to be
an 85 per cent slippage rate, which
means as long as 85 per cent of the
cattle were tagged, it would be
acceptable.”
Tags identify cattle, and cost
approximately $4 per head, plus the
manpower cost to funnel the
livestock and attach the tags.
“Now there is a 100 per cent rate
necessary in trucks and at sales,”
McGivern said. “And tags fall off.
Cattle get rowdy, and they fall off,
and that costs farmers money.”
McGivern also commented on
the recent change to standards for
abattoirs, as they are a key part of
the beef market in Canada.
“[The changing standards] are
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
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