Rib Ends: Notes, news 'n' notions AB Winter 2010

Local beef
The Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network has started a pilot project to try and get beef from the Prescott Russell region of Ontario into the area’s chain stores. The plan is to start small, bringing on a few local producers and enlisting the support of a supermarket. The initiative’s slogan is “Feed our Local People,” and the group’s independent research suggests that in the Prescott Russell region cattle farmers could produce 252 prime beef animals a week. (Eastern Ontario AgriNews, September 2010)

Alberta agrees on check-off                     
The CCA commended Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Jack Hayden for his efforts in forging a resolution regarding the $1 mandatory, non-refundable national levy on beef cattle sales in that province. The levy will be implemented before year end and will end on March 13, 2013, unless a review leads to an extension. All National check-off funds go directly to market development, promotion, and research organizations.

Farm land values rise again
According to Farm Credit Canada, the average value of farm land in Canada increased by three percent in the first half of 2010, following gains of 3.6 and 2.9 percent in the two previous reporting periods. Farm land values remained the same or increased in each province except British Columbia. Ontario experienced the highest average increase at 4.3 percent. For more information on individual provinces, follow the Farm Land Values link at AtlanticFarmer.com.

BSE testing critical
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reminds cattle producers to continue to test eligible animals under the national BSE surveillance program. This testing is critical for maintaining domestic and international confidence in Canadian beef products. For more information on this program, call 1-800-442-2342 or follow the BSE Inspection link at AtlanticFarmer.com.

Promoting Canadian beef
Stonefire Grill, located in southern California, is the first U.S. restaurant chain to actively promote Canadian beef on its menu. Working with the Beef Information Centre (BIC), Stonefire Grill is now offering a Canadian tri tip, and has added the Canadian beef brand mark to its marketing materials. BIC staff are also working hands-on with its chefs and executives, identifying the restaurant’s Canadian beef specifications and supply needs.

Cracking down on transport violators
Effective immediately, Canada is more than doubling current fines – the first increase in more than 10 years – for those who mistreat and improperly transport livestock. According to Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, if you violate the Health of Animals Act, fines of up to $10,000 can be imposed. The previous maximum penalty was $4,000. In addition to this, repeat offenders can face fines of up to 50 percent over the maximum penalty (e.g., a second offence could mean a fine of $15,000). The Canadian Food Inspection Agency continues to work with animal welfare experts and industry leaders to update the regulations governing livestock transportation to reflect the latest science and industry practices. (TheCattleSite, Oct. 28/10)

Tender tidbit
When it comes to aging meat for tenderness, not all cuts are created equal. The Beef Information Centre (BIC) put six sub-prime cuts to the test for tenderness – striploin, inside round, outside round, eye of round, blade eye, and chuck tender. As expected BIC researchers found through both objective (i.e., calculating shear force) and subjective measures (i.e., taste tests) that aging markedly improved the juiciness and tenderness of some cuts. Four cuts improved, with best results coming after 14 to 25 days of aging; blade eye after 14 days; chuck tender, 21 days; striploin, 35 days; and eye of round after 35 days. But two of the sub-prime cuts, outside round and inside round, did not get better from aging at all. In fact, the outside round became less tender over time.

FCC “drives” away hunger
Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC) Drive Away Hunger program finished the last leg of its annual four-week journey on Oct. 15, with 1,773,688 pounds of food collected for food banks nationwide. Six tractor tours took place in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Regina from Oct. 12-15. FCC also collected food and cash donations in every office across Canada from Sept. 20 to Oct. 15. Nearly 800,000 Canadians use a food bank each month – 37 percent of them children.

Promoting beef in China
A Canadian mission to China is trying to raise awareness of the Western Canadian beef market. In July China formally lifted a long-standing ban (due to the global outbreak of BSE) on Canadian boneless beef derived from cattle under 30 months. British Columbia, and predominantly Alberta and Saskatchewan, account for about 74 percent of the country’s beef production, according to Statistics Canada. The U.S. has been Canada’s largest export market, but the re-opening of the Chinese market could help reduce the country’s reliance on the U.S. (TheCattleSite, Oct. 11/10)