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Fusarium on the march and wreaking havoc Once limited to wheat fields in southern Alberta, fusarium head blight is spreading quickly into central Alberta and beyond

Beef leaders aim high with new national strategy Goals include boosting production efficiency by 15 per cent and increasing carcass cut-out value by 15 per cent in just five years

By Jennifer Blair af staff

devastating wheat disease is on the rise in Alberta — and spreading quickly. “Over the past few years, (fusarium) has increased considerably, and it’s fairly prominent now,” said Trevor Blois, disease diagnostician with 20/20 Seed Labs. “This year, around 16 per cent of samples that are submitted for a fusarium test in Alberta are testing positive. That’s the highest we’ve ever seen.”

see FUSARIUM } page 7

photo: laura rance By Alexis Kienlen af staff

usiness gurus call them Big Hairy Audacious Goals — and now Canadian beef leaders have to figure out how to achieve the ones they’ve set for their industry. “You have to pick a place to get to,” said Trevor Atchison, co-chair of the National Beef Strategic Planning Group. “You

can’t make every goal in life, but if you don’t set something that’s higher than what you have today, you can’t strive to get there.” The group, comprised of the country’s main beef industry players, released a document entitled Canada’s National Beef Strategy earlier this month. It sets the bar high with three specific goals to be achieved by 2020: Boost production efficiency by 15 per cent, increase

carcass cut-out value by 15 per cent, and reduce cost disadvantage relative to global competitors by seven per cent. “Maybe the goals are more ambitious than what we can complete, I don’t know,” said Atchison, a cow-calf producer and backgrounder from Pipestone, Man., who is also vicechair of Canada Beef. “But it’s in every producer’s best interest to try and get there to keep the industry healthy and

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grow it, with increased numbers that we’re going to need to maintain the market share for the global beef business we have today.” The 30-page document (available at www.beefstrategy.com) contains many items that are long-term propositions, including improving genetics, forage productivity, and feed efficiency along with boosting technology

see BEEF STRATEGY } page 6

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