HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-31, Page 10Total receipts for Brussels
Livestock for the week ending Jan. 25
were 1,859 head of cattle, 256 lambs
and goats. On Tuesday fed steers and
heifers sold on a strong active trade.
Choice steers and heifers sold $80 to
$84 with sales to $91.25. Second cut
sold $75 to $79. Cows sold sharply
higher. On Thursday veal sold $2 to
$3 higher. Lambs sold very high with
a good demand. Sheep and goats sold
on a steady market. On Friday calves
sold $5 to $8 higher and yearlings
sold on a strong active trade.
There were 505 steers on offer.
Walter Riddell of Granton, consigned
fifteen steers averaging 1,456 lbs.
selling for an average of $83.42 with
two red steers averaging 1,408 lbs.
selling to Dominion Meat Packers for
$88.50. Hank DeJong of Fordwich,
consigned nine steers averaging 1,454
lbs. selling for an average of $82.33
with six black steers averaging 1,452
lbs. selling for $84.50. DM McAlpine
Farms of Ailsa Craig, consigned 41
steers averaging 1,440 lbs. selling for
an average of $83.46 with seven black
steers averaging 1,419 lbs. selling for
$84.35. Bruce Ross of St. Marys,
consigned three steers averaging
1,383 lbs. selling for an average of
$80.26 with one roan steer weighing
1,325 lbs. selling for $84.25.
Burnett Farms of Denfield,
consigned four steers averaging 1,431
lbs. selling for an average of $83.30
with one limousin steer weighing
1,355 lbs. selling to Holly Park Meat
Packers for $84.25. Niel Edgar of
Wingham, consigned ten steers
averaging 1,475 lbs. selling for an
average of $82.48 with six black
steers averaging 1,459 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $84. Andrew
Mitchell of Listowel, consigned
twenty-eight steers averaging 1,509
lbs. selling for an average of $81.10
with one roan steer weighing 1,515
lbs. selling to Dominion Meat Packers
for $83.50.
Ray Simpson of Glenco, consigned
eighteen steers averaging 1,373 lbs.
selling for an average of $80.40 with
eight black steers averaging 1,388 lbs.
selling for $83.25. David M. Weber of
Newton, consigned nine steers
averaging 1,479 lbs. selling for an
average of $78.67 with one gold steer
weighing 1,380 lbs. selling for
$83.25. Geisel Cattle Co. of Elmira,
consigned forty-eight steers
averaging 1,620 lbs. selling for an
average of $78.33 with six charolais
steers averaging 1,502 lbs. selling to
Holly Park Meat Packers for $83.
There were 292 heifers on offer.
Ross Baird of Wingham, consigned
three heifers averaging 1,435 lbs.
selling for an average of $85.92 with
one roan heifer weighing 1,360 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$91.25. Darren Johnston of Bluevale,
consigned twenty-five heifers
averaging 1,373 lbs. selling for an
average of $82.20 with two limousin
heifers averaging 1,353 lbs. selling to
Dominion Meat Packers for $87.25.
M-R Farms of Exeter, consigned three
heifers averaging 1,476 lbs. selling
for an average of $81.40 with one
limousin heifer weighing 1,390 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for $85.
Steven Haney of Seaforth, consigned
one black heifer weighing 1,400 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$84.25.
Andy VanderVeen of Blyth,
consigned eight heifers averaging
1,419 lbs. selling for an average of
$81.84 with one red heifer weighing
1,370 lbs. selling to Norwich Packers
for $83.75. Martin Metske of
Lucknow, consigned twenty-four
heifers averaging 1,360 lbs. selling
for an average of $83.06 with twelve
black heifers averaging 1,391 lbs.
selling to Norwich Packers for
$83.60. Peter Bauman of Millbank,
consigned eleven heifers averaging
1,353 lbs. selling for an average of
$81.07 with three black heifers
averaging 1,327 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $83.50.
Arandview Farms of Atwood,
consigned twelve heifers averaging
1,351 lbs. selling for an average of
$81.50 with two blonde heifers
averaging 1,213 lbs. selling for $83.
Orvie Wideman of Wallenstein,
consigned forty heifers averaging
1,330 lbs. selling for an average of
$80.86 with nine red heifers
averaging 1,347 lbs. selling to
Norwich Packers for $83. Hank
Huigenbos of Wingham, consigned
three heifers averaging 1,323 lbs.
selling for an average of $82.23 with
two limousin heifers averaging 1,300
lbs. selling to Norwich Packers for
$82.75.
There were 206 cows on offer. Beef
cows sold $35 to $49 with sales to
$54; D1 and D2, $33 to $36; D3, $31
to $33; D4, $28 to $31. Groenberg
Farms of Lucknow, consigned five
cows averaging 1,389 lbs. selling for
an average of $49.32 with one
holstein cow weighing 1,425 lbs.
selling for $54. Nico and Marian Van
Stee of Moorefield, consigned five
cows averaging 1,481 lbs. selling for
an average of $34.06 with one
holstein cow weighing 1,640 lbs.
selling for $52.50. Tony and Anita
Van Hittersum of Blyth, consigned
four cows averaging 1,449 lbs. selling
for an average of $45.77 with one
holstein cow weighing 1,275 lbs.
selling for $51.50.
There were 13 bulls on offer selling
$39 to $53. William DeBoer of
Lucknow, consigned one holstein bull
weighing 1,165 lbs. selling for $53.
Mike VerHoog of Centralia,
consigned one holstein bull weighing
1,710 lbs. selling for $52.50.
There were 159 head of veal on
offer. Beef sold $80 to $110 with
sales to $116; good holstein, $80 to
$90 with sales to $95; medium
holstein, $70 to $80; plain holstein,
$55 to $65; good heavy holstein, $70
to $80 with sales to $85. Lewis
Wideman of Moorefield, consigned
three veal averaging 698 lbs. selling
for an average of $107.50 with one
charolais heifer weighing 740 lbs.
selling for $116. Brian Wideman of
Gowanstown, consigned five veal
averaging 729 lbs. selling for an
average of $103.99 with two blonde
heifers averaging 773 lbs. selling for
$108. Kelly O’Neil of Denfield,
consigned nine veal averaging 697
lbs. selling for an average of $78.55
with one belgium blue steer weighing
655 lbs. selling for $110.
Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $110 to
$195; 50 - 64 lbs., $207 to $250; 65 -
79 lbs., $185 to $225; 80 - 94 lbs.,
$156 to $179; 95 - 109 lbs., $149 to
$157.
Sheep sold $32 to $90. Goats: kids
sold $70 to $80; nannies, $70 to $100;
billies, $250 to $320.
Top quality stocker steers under
400 lbs. sold $102 to $124; 400 - 499
lbs., $105 to $118; 500 - 599 lbs., $94
to $120; 600 - 699 lbs., $93.50 to
$120; 700 - 799 lbs., $82 to $96; 800
- 899 lbs., $72.50 to $92.50; 900 - 999
lbs., $86.50 to $87.25; 1,000 lbs. and
over, $78.50 to $89.
Top quality stocker heifers 300 -
399 lbs. sold $85 to $122; 400 - 499
lbs., $92 to $111; 500 - 599 lbs., $82
to $100; 600 - 699 lbs., $78 to $93;
700 - 799 lbs., $77.50 to $91; 800 -
899 lbs., $84.50 to $88.50; 900 lbs.
and over, $77 to $85.75.
AgricultureBrussels Livestock report1,859 head of cattle on offer at salesPAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008.
Producers of the year
Theresa, Arnold and Marcel Egli (at right) received the Producers of the Year Award from the
Huron County Pork Producers Association at the annual meeting in Seaforth, Jan. 23.
Presenting the award are Keith Selves and Amy Cronin, left. The Eglis are converting their
230-sow operation to organic production. (Keith Roulston photo)
Locals Producers of the Year
In the midst of record farm gate
losses in the pork industry, Ian Ross,
president and CEO of Grand Valley
Fortifiers held out a ray of hope at the
annual meeting of the Huron County
Pork Producers, Jan. 23.
“We’ve spent a lot of time in the
last couple of years talking to people
in the food industry to get more
(money) for the end product,” Ross
said of his company.
Grand Valley hired students to
conduct surveys with 199 households
in Guelph to try to get a feel for
consumer attitudes. The results
showed 45 per cent of people said
they ate pork about once a week. The
vast majority said they were not
eating more pork than they had a year
earlier.
There was better news, however, in
a survey of the traits that people felt
were most important in choosing to
buy. Of those questioned, 83.4 per
cent said it would be important or
very important to choose an Ontario-
grown product. Health benefits of a
food mattered to 73.4 per cent of
those surveyed. Meat raised without
the use of antibiotics mattered to 52
per cent while 47 per cent said
organic meat was important or very
important and 28 per cent would buy
to get Omega-3 advantages.
Would people be willing to pay
more for these traits? Five per cent
would pay five per cent more; 40 per
cent would pay 10 per cent more; 17
per cent would pay 20 per cent more
and 15 per cent would pay 25 per cent
more. Eighty per cent would buy
value-added pork if they knew the
benefits.
The vast majority of those
questioned chose to buy pork based
on the cut.
Where does this lead the industry?
Branding is more than a logo on a
package, Ross said. “A brand is a
supply chain.”
The Homegrown Ontario label
offered for pork. veal, lamb and, just
added, turkey, is a good initiative,
Ross said. “In the survey 85 per cent
of people said they wanted to buy
grown in Ontario products.
“It’s an educational defensive
strategy,” he said. “(To buy Ontario)
is not just a patriotic act but it’s better
for the environment.”
Homegrown Ontario will help
identify local products and deter an
invasion of American pork products,
he said.
In trying to help farmers identify
new markets that will deliver more
money, Grand Valley has been talking
to grocery chains, Ross said, telling
them that if they want to differentiate
their product they need to start at the
ground level. They can’t wait until
after the hog has been processed.
As a provider of nutritional needs
for farmers, Grand Valley has been
looking for ways to provide niche
market opportunities for animals
coming off the farm, Ross said.
They’ve been helping develop
markets for organic pork and poultry,
natural pork and poultry, and Omega-
3 meats.
In pork they have partnered with
Quality Meats to develop protocols
from the farm to the store shelves for
value-added products. “We hope to
have four or five or six programs for
producers to choose from. If one
doesn’t fit for farmers, another may.”
The programs will be monitored at
the farm level to maintain quality, he
said. The companies want to defend
these categories to prevent the
“commodification” of the brand.
“Somebody always wants to do it
cheaper,” he said.
Currently there are eight producers
in the company’s organic program,
Ross said. Also offered is a program
for certified humane natural pork,
animals raised without antibiotics,
fed vegetative feed with no animal
byproducts included.
There is also an Omega-3 program
(“there’s a fair amount of interest out
there”) and selenium-enriched pork.
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
Producers discuss value-added pork
A Blyth-area family has been
named Producers of the Year by the
Huron County Pork Producers
Association.
Arnold and Theresa Egli and their
family were innovative and thinking
ahead, said Amy Cronin in
presenting the award to the couple
and one of their sons, Marcel. The
family began the transition of their
farm to organic production in 2006
and will complete the conversion
this year, she said.
“They’ve been planning it for a
long time,” said Cronin at the Pork
Producers annual meeting in
Seaforth, Jan. 23.
The Eglis came to Canada from
Switzerland in 1980, bringing three
sons with them. Since then they’ve
added three more sons. Their
original 120-sow farrow-to-finish
operation has grown to 320 sows
today.
By Keith Roulston
The Citizen