Top experts to speak at Manitoba Beef and Forage event

The Manitoba Beef and Forage Conference is set to take place Wednesday at the William Glesby Centre in Portage La Prairie, where a full range of Agri business booths will be on hand for producers across the prairies to explore. 

The conference is a popular event to hear from local producers and industry experts across the region discussing the application of research on the farm.  Forage and livestock specialist Shawn Cabak is one of the speakers and notes the venue will be full of agribusiness booths for producers to visit. 

"We have a high-calibre schedule of speakers presenting, including Dr. Frank Mitloehner from the University of California, Davis. He’ll be talking about Climate-Smart Livestock: Separating Science from Scare Tactics. Following Mitloehner, we have Patty Durand from Brighttrack Consulting discussing Strategies for Low-Stress Handling of Family Succession Planning Conversations. Dr. Cheryl Walter from the University of Saskatchewan will present on Investigating Effective Strategies for the Control of Johne's Disease in Western Canadian Cow-Calf Herds. We also have Ben Hamm from Manitoba Agriculture speaking on Safeguarding Your Profit and Incorporating Business Risk Management Tools into Everyday Chores."

Cabak notes many speakers have partnered with producers, including Tyler Fulton from Birtle, who is the vice-president of the Canadian Cattle Association.

"He will also be discussing a similar topic. Dr. Stephanie Hansen from Iowa State University will talk about Smart Minerals and Vitamins for Nutrition for Stronger Beef Herds. Another session, 'Keeping the Wolf from the Door,' will focus on tools and techniques for reducing wolf damage, presented by a Minnesota expert. Wrapping up the conference, Dr. John Basarab from the University of Alberta will discuss genomic strategies for improving beef cattle efficiency in a changing environment."

Cabak says the topics are highly relevant for beef and cattle producers and says the information will be relevant for ranchers across the province and the prairies.

"We're starting to see roundups take place. A lot of cattle are coming off pasture now, cows are being weaned and either sold directly or backgrounded. We have a really strong cattle market right now. We saw record prices in the spring for feeders, fats, and cull cows. The market remains strong, maybe not as hot as in the spring, but still very good prices. This has brought some positivity to the industry, which is nice to see."

Cabak adds there were plenty of feed supplies in Manitoba this year, thanks to above-average moisture in much of the province.

"We have a lot of feed on hand for producers. Some of it may not be the best quality, so we encourage producers to look at feed testing to balance their rations. Many different feeds can be used for cows, as long as the nutrients are properly balanced."

The one-day events begins at 8:00 a.m.