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Canadian meat industry pleased to see exemption for ground meats in Health Canada’s final Front-of-Package labelling regulations

Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health announced the finalized Front-of-Package labelling regulations, part of the Government of Canada’s Healthy Eating Strategy. In the finalized regulations, ground beef and pork are exempt from the requirement of having a front-of-package warning label.

We are pleased that the Government of Canada listened to our sector’s concerns and reversed the policy proposal on ground beef and pork–nutrient-dense, affordable proteins. Thank you to all beef and pork producers and consumers across the country for raising the issue with elected representatives.

Almost 50 per cent of beef consumed in Canada is ground beef and more than 90 per cent of Canadians consume ground beef on a weekly basis. Ground beef is one of the most popular and trusted sources of protein and an incredibly important source of revenue for the beef industry. The finalized regulations demonstrate a recognition of what consumers, farmers and ranchers know well, beef and pork are wholesome sources of high-quality protein that are important staples in Canadians’ diet.

We thank the Government of Canada, including the Prime Minister, Minister Duclos and Minister Bibeau for recognizing the nutrient value of ground beef and pork, and for listening to our concerns. To the many leaders who advocated on our behalf both publicly and with colleagues, thank you for your tireless efforts—notably John Barlow, Conservative Agriculture Critic; Yves Perron, Bloc Quebecois Agriculture Critic; Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to Agriculture and Agri-Food; Kody Blois, MP and AGRI Chair; and Senators Rob Black, Don Plett, and Paula Simons.

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Back On The Fields | Cutting Alfalfa Hay| Crop Talk

Video: Back On The Fields | Cutting Alfalfa Hay| Crop Talk

We are cutting our second-cut alfalfa hay! Our machinery hasn't been repaired, but the weather is clear, so we take our opportunity to get back on the fields making hay. The alfalfa crop was ready to harvest, and any delays would result in poor quality feed for our sheep, so we decided to go ahead and get that mower rolling. We have a little crop talk about how we cut the hay with our John Deere hydrostatic mower, how we lay the hay out flat in rows to help it dry quicker, and how the two different plantings in that hay field have developed at varying rates and densities. We discuss the quality of the alfalfa hay and show how differing percentages of grasses mixed in with the alfalfa make a difference in the volume of the hay harvested. Hay is the primary feed source on our sheep farm. Getting it done just right is imperative for sheep farming, sheep health, and sheep care. Quality feed sets the stage for producing productive and profitable sheep and allows for feeding throughout the winter season when pasture grazing is no longer an option for those farmers raising sheep in cold climates such as Canada. While in the hay field, we also have a look at the adjacent corn crop and marvel at how well it has developed in such a short period of time.