At the recent International Livestock Congress in Houston, Texas, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays had the chance to talk with the Executive Vice President of the Canadian Cattle Association, Dennis Laycraft.
“We actually have a great story in the North American cattle industry,” Laycraft said. “We are amongst the most efficient cattle producers in the world, which means we have the lowest greenhouse gas footprint in the world.”
Canada and the United States, Laycraft said, have been working together to ensure that animal agriculture is better understood in sustainability conversations.
“Attending meetings like this where we are sharing the best possible information, I think helps all of us when we engage in that bigger conversation,” Laycraft said.
Laycraft also talked about how the cattle industry in the U.S. and Canada is very similar in terms of genetics, feeding methods and more.
“We have been seeing cattle move back and forth for probably 150 years, so it is not surprising we would be very similar,” Laycraft said.
Like in the United States, Laycraft said cattle producers in Canada are also dealing with higher input costs.
“We are seeing higher prices as we are heading into this year, and a lot is going to depend on the weather,” Laycraft said. “Last year we had a good growing year for most of Canada. The year before we had a terrible drought, so if we get good growing conditions and move through the year, then I think we are looking at a fairly reasonable year for 2023.”
In regards to the international marketplace, Laycraft also talked about what Canada has to offer to their international customers.
“Interesting enough, particularly in Asia, there is this huge demand for grain-fed beef,” Laycraft said.
The U.S. and Canada have both been able to satisfy that demand for high quality beef, Laycraft said, as the demand continues to grow each year.
“The only thing that is really limiting our exports right now is our own supplies,” Laycraft said. “That is how strong the demand is.”
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
