PUBLISHED BY MANITOBA BEEF PRODUCERS
MARCH 2025
MBP District 7 Director and Board Secretary, Tyler Fulton, at the microphone during the resolutions debate as part of the 46th Annual General Meeting. Extensive coverage of the AGM can be found in this edition of the newspaper (Photo credit: Duncan McNairnay).
Highlights From Manitoba th Beef Producers’ 46 AGM Industry Knowledge Session The first day of the Manitoba Beef Producers 46th Annual General Meeting on February 20th in Winnipeg opened with an industry knowledge session featuring some cutting-edge technologies in the cattle feeding sector and research updates from the University of Manitoba. First up was Dr. Eric Behlke of TELUS Agriculture who talked about the company’s cow/calf data capture software called Animal Record Management designed to help producers make better data-based decisions to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of their production. In development is a Remote Early Disease Identification that uses sensors to read tags on animals to provide information about their movements and behavior that allow for earlier disease detection. Behlke also explained that pen floor amendments such as roller compacted concrete are having a major impact on cattle feedlots today. Most open-air feedlot pens in North America have earthen floors that pose
challenges with mud after precipitation events that can negative affects animal health and performance. Behlke said replacing earthen floors with roller compacted concrete can save feedlots almost C$34 a head through better animal productivity, and a reduction in the manure harvested, which also has less dirt content. Dr. Kim Ominski and graduate students from the University of Manitoba gave an overview of the many research projects they are working on related to the beef industry including a study looking at farmer wellbeing and mental health in western Canada. Others projects are assessing the impact of beef production on biodiversity across the Prairies and studying the environmental impacts of feeding food waste (bread by-products) to feedlot cattle. Two students have related projects on corn intercropping for winter grazing comparing different crop combinations for yield and nutritional quality. One student is using drones and hyperspectral remote sensing to map grassland distribution and productivity, and another is modifying the rumen microbiome to try to mitigate methane production and improve production efficiency.
The Business Portion After greetings from elected officials, including Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Ron Kostyshyn, the business portion of the meeting got underway with the ratification of the Board of Directors and Executive for 2025/26 and approval of the 2024/25 financial statement. The Executive for the upcoming year is as follows: Matthew Atkinson, President; Arvid Nottveit, Vice-President; Byron Falk, 2nd Vice-President; Mark Good, Treasurer; and, Tyler Fulton, Secretary. Then it was on to the much-anticipated resolutions debate. Delegates discussed three resolutions: the first recommending Manitoba Beef Producers advocate for cost-shared premiums for the Livestock Price Insurance program, the second to investigate seeking an amendment to the federal tax code to allow livestock producers to defer income from the sale of livestock, and the last to work towards implementing mandatory livestock inspection in Manitoba (see separate story). All three resolutions were passed.
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BY ANGELA LOVELL