Canadian exports expand to Philippines

 

 

Staff Writer

Farms.com

 

The feds announced new market access for live cattle exports to the Philippines on Monday, a same-day Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) release said. The government also announced sheep and goat genetics exports to Indonesia and the Philippines. 

 

Live cattle exports to the Philippines are valued at about $8 million, while combined exports of sheep and goat genetics to Indonesia and the Philippines will produce $100,000 annually, the Canadian Livestock Genetics Association said in the AAFC release. 

 

Wider market access for Canadian livestock will benefit the ag sector and, specifically, farmers. 

 

“On behalf of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council … we’re always excited when new markets are opened up and there is opportunity to export, whether it be live cattle or genetics, which provides value back to our primary producers,” Michael Latimer, executive director of the council, told Farms.com yesterday. 

 

“Any time that a country looks at improving their genetic base of their livestock, whether it be cattle or sheep or goats, that are better suited to their consumers and more environmentally efficient, I think it’s beneficial to see programs like (this) around the world.” 

 

The agreement “shows there is trust in our system of producing cattle and the genetics that we have (worked) towards over the last number of years,” Latimer added.  

 

Broadening Canada’s trade ties, specifically with markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, will result in greater opportunities for the Canadian agri-food sector to sell its products globally. 

 

“Canada is building strong markets around the world which will benefit our farmers and food processors,” said Lawrence MacAulay, minister of agriculture and agri-food, in the release. “These recent market access gains are setting the stage for deeper bilateral economic relations between Canada and the ASEAN region, and will contribute to our government’s goal of reaching $75 billion in agri-food exports by 2025.” 

 

Canadian cattle exports, and sheep and goat genetics exports will also benefit the Philippine’s ag sector by enhancing its rural economic development.

 

 

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.