CBBC Announces recipient of Don Matthews Memorial Award

For immediate release:

Calgary, Alberta

March 16, 2011

CANADIAN BEEF BREEDS COUNCIL

BOB PRESTAGE RECEIVES AWARD

Bob Prestage, owner of Arklow Angus and Wicklow Angus and a purebred Angus breeder, received the Don Matthews Memorial Award for Excellence in Animal Health at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council (Council) held in Calgary, March 9, 2011.

The Award is presented by the Board of Directors of the Council to individuals who have contributed exemplary service to the development of the Canadian purebred beef cattle industry in the field of animal health. Bob Prestage has a lifetime experience in the livestock industry as a beef specialist, breeder of purebred beef cattle and international marketer of livestock genetics. He is a knowledgeable judge of cattle, understanding both performance records and physical characteristics. He specializes in the logistics of shipping live animals, semen and embryos all over the world. Bob has been extremely involved as a volunteer in his industry and his community

Bob Prestage is a distinguished lobbyist for animal health and welfare and is recognized as a leading international spokesperson for the purebred cattle sector,” said Allan Marshall, President of CBBC Board of Directors. “He has been instrumental in helping resolve agricultural trade access issues and we consider him a champion of the purebred beef cattle sector.”

The Don Matthews Memorial Award for Excellence in Animal Health was instituted in the honour of the late Don Matthews, Angus breeder, and a past President and driving force behind the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. Matthews had a passion for matters relating to animal health and international trade, foundational pillars of the Council.

The Canadian Beef Breeds Council is the recognized representative of Canadian seed stock producers by government and industry, while effectively promoting Canada as the source of quality beef cattle genetics.. Its members include national breed associations that in turn represent producers of breeding stock. Associate CBBC members are exporters and service providers. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council exists to represent and promote Canadian pedigreed beef cattle genetics domestically and internationally.

For more information:

Brett Campbell, Executive Vice President, Canadian Beef Breeds Council

brett@canadianbeefbreeds.com

T: 403.730.0350, C: 403.901.5090

CBBC Announces New Executive

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release:

Calgary, Alberta

DATE: March 16, 2011

Canadian Beef Breeds Council Announces New Executive

The Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) wishes to announce the results of the recently held Annual General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held Wednesday, March 9^th. The board re-elected Allan Marshall, Canadian Charolais Association as President, and re-elected Byron Templeton, Canadian Hereford Association as 1^st Vice President. Newly added to the Executive were Doug Fee, Canadian Angus Association and Roger Davis, Davis-Rairdan Embryos International.

“We are delighted with this additions of Doug Fee and Roger Davis to the Executive of CBBC and look forward to working with them”, says President Allan Marshall. “Our focus for Canada’s purebred beef cattle producers continues with ongoing projects such as international market development through the Canadian Cattlemen Market Development Council and the Legacy Program, CBBC-BIXS value chain system and Producer Business Tools, including cost of production, sales reporting and benchmarking, with the view to promoting the purebred sector both domestically as well as internationally.”

The Canadian Beef Breeds Council is the recognized representative of Canadian seed stock producers by government and industry, while effectively promoting Canada as the source of quality beef cattle genetics.. Its members include national breed associations that in turn represent producers of breeding stock. Associate CBBC members are exporters and service providers. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council exists to represent and promote Canadian pedigreed beef cattle genetics domestically and internationally

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For more information:

Allan Marshall, President, Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC)

futureal@telusplanet.net; www.canadianbeefbreeds.com T: 403.730.0350, C: 403.588.5282

Numbers down but prices up at Calgary Bull Sale

By Jen Gerson, Calgary Herald March 5, 2011 8:31 AM

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Numbers+down+prices+bull+sale/4388092/story.html#ixzz1FkKucAaz

The price of a bull is rising.

The average price for the animals edged upward at this week's annual Calgary Bull Sale.

The number of bulls sold decreased about five per cent from last year, according to Alberta Cattle Breeders Association president Mabel Hamilton. However, the average cost of the bulls reached a 10-year high of $4,284.97, she said.

"It gives us some optimism that maybe we'll be able to get through the year just because we had such depressed prices for quite some time," she said.

Canadian cattle have been harder to sell since a scare of BSE -- also known as mad cow disease -- shook buyers in 2003.

Prices likely edged upward in part because so many producers were pushed out of business by fears of the disease.

"A number of producers have sold off and given up. . . . We have a decrease in the number of cattle actually available for sale," Hamilton said. "Hopefully, the good sales and good results will bring numbers back up next year."

The top-selling bull was auctioned at $21,000. No one could be more pleased by the price than the animal's owner, Andy Schuepdach, the head of Lilybrook Herefords Inc.

"It's a pretty proud experience. I guess it makes a guy feel good. We could use the money, I guess," he said. "It's been pretty slow. Cattle prices weren't very high and the demand was very poor, and now it looks like our cow numbers nationwide are low and we're struggling to get enough butcher beef."

The cattle industry is looking a little more optimistic, he added.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Numbers+down+prices+bull+sale/4388092/story.html#ixzz1FkKJw1CN

Testing Cattle for BSE 2010-2011

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the Canadian Food Inpection Agency are reminding cattle producers in Alberta to call their veterinarians to collect brain tissue samples to be tested for Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as Mad Cow Disease.

Cattle producers play a key role in monitoring and eradicating this disease from the Canadian cattle herd by presenting eligible animals for testing.

It is very important for us to test enough eligible samples to continue to demonstrate the low and declining level of BSE in the national herd. This is essential for maintaining Canada's status as a "controlled risk" country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This status clearly acknowledges the effectiveness of our BSE surveillance, control and elimination measures, and helps in securing international market access for our beef and cattle.

Producers are encouraged to call a veterinarian if they have animals aged 30-107 months that are diseased, distressed, down (non-ambulatory) or recently dead, or animals over 30 months of age with neurological signs. Producers must have possession of the animals for at least 30 days, in order to provide an adequate clinical history.

The Canada and Alberta BSE Surveillance Program continues to reimburse producers $225 for eligible samples and pay veterinarians for visiting their farms to examine cattle for BSE eligibility and for collection of samples.

Testing for BSE in the Province of Alberta is a shared commitmenet between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. A network of approximately 300 private veterinarians is readily available in the province to respond to producers' calls on potentially eligible animals, to examine the animals and to collect samples when eligible.

For more information, please visit :

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/progserv.nst/all/pgmsrv187

or contact the Canada and Alberta BSE Surveillance Program at 780.644.2148, or call your nearest veterinarian.

CCA Supports Government Investment in Inter-Provincial Trade

December 6, 2010

Calgary, AB – The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) fully supports the Government of Canada’s announcement today that it will invest up to $3 million for a series of pilot projects aimed at facilitating inter-provincial trade.

As the domestic market is Canada’s biggest market, removing any barriers to improved trade is a worthy undertaking, said CCA President Travis Toews. Indeed one of the CCA’s principles is free and competitive trade both internationally and inter-provincially.

“Increasing opportunities for provincially-inspected processing plants will increase demand and competition for Canadian cattle, particularly in regions which are not in close proximity to Federal plants,” Toews said.

The announcement follows a promise made at the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in July.

For further information, contact:

Gina Teel

Communications Manager

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

403-275-8558 x 406 | teelg@cattle.ca

www.cattle.ca

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BIXS Stage One Launch

BIXS stage one launch to stakeholder partners under way


The CCA is pleased to announce the stage one launch of the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) to stakeholder partners. These partners represent existing and, in some cases, large beef cattle databases and specific beef cattle programs.

The stage one launch commenced at the end of October and will continue for several weeks as stakeholder partners make the necessary preparations to batch upload individual animal data to the BIXS database.

Issues may arise during this initial launch but to-date the process has been relatively smooth, reported the CCA’s Larry Thomas, national coordinator of the BIXS and Canadian Beef Advantage programs.

In the meantime, the BIXS management team is finalizing the details of the BIXS application leading up to the program’s national launch to cow-calf and feedlot producers.

“This second stage may roll out in a couple of phases, with the initial targeted launch to cow-calf producers on high-speed Internet connections or those enrolling and submitting data to BIXS through a third party,” Thomas said.

Interested producers are urged to visit the BIXS web site often for updates on the stage two launch and to learn more about the program. For more information, visit: http://bixs.cattle.ca.

"Healthy Animal" Youth Contest Launched

"Healthy Animal" Youth Contest Launched In Support Of National 4-H Month

OTTAWA, November 1, 2010 - The Government of Canada is proud to promote November as "National 4-H Month", and encourages Canadians to show support for 4-H by wearing green to mark "Show your Colours Day" on November 3. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will mark 4-H month by launching an animal biosecurity contest for 4-H club members and other like-minded Canadian youth.

"Reaching out to young people who are passionate about farming and agriculture is an investment in the future of agriculture," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "As a former 4-H'er, I know the positive role this organization plays in providing our youth with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed not only in the agriculture sector, but in life."

The Canadian 4-H Council has a long history of attracting new farmers to agriculture, helping to develop responsible citizens, and building confidence in youth as they learn a wide variety of skills through hands-on projects. The online contest asks young people to come up with a slogan, a story or lyrics to a song that explain how to keep animals healthy. The winning submission could be used in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) advertisements and national campaigns to inspire others about biosecurity.

"Having healthy animals means healthy food, healthy people and a healthy agriculture industry," explains Dr. Brian Evans, Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada and newly appointed Chief Food Safety Officer of Canada. "We challenge the young minds of today to explain to their peers across the nation that protecting animal health is important."

Contest information can be found online at www.inspection.gc.ca/biosecuritycontest. The Government of Canada and the Canadian 4-H Council encourage young people to learn all they can about biosecurity and step up to the challenge. The contest closes January 30, 2011.

"We are extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with the Government of Canada," said Judy Shaw, president of the Canadian 4-H Council. "Their help and support provides new and exciting opportunities for 4-H members across Canada to 'Learn to Do by Doing.' Whether it is national programs or club-level activities, support from the Government of Canada helps ensure that 4-H remains one of Canada's premier youth leadership organizations."

The Government of Canada has supported the Canadian 4-H Council since it was established in 1933. The Council organizes and coordinates national and international conferences, exchanges and scholarships which focus on leadership development, career choices such as agriculture, technology transfer and other pressing issues being faced by today's rural communities and their young people. Show Your 4-H Colours day is an opportunity for 4-H leaders, alumni and supporters to show their pride, spirit and enthusiasm for youth, agriculture, leadership and skills development.

To learn more about the Canadian 4-H Council, "Show Your 4-H Colours" day and National 4-H Month activities, visit www.4-h-canada.ca. For more information about Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs and services that support young farmers, visit www.agr.gc.ca/youngfarmers.

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For more information, media may contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972

Meagan Murdoch
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations: 613-773-6600

Ken Lancastle
Canadian 4-H Council/Canadian 4-H Foundation
613-234-4448 ext. 27