Canfax Research Services

The Eastern Price Insurance project started in June 2020 with Phase 1 finding that price discovery was robust enough to support an Eastern Price Insurance index when using data from Ontario and Quebec for calves and feeder cattle. Historical lot data is being sourced from Ontario auction markets and indices being developed by March 2021.

The Canadian Beef Cost of Production Network provides a collaboration with provincial coordinators to establish regional benchmarks in every province that reflect specific ecoregions and production systems. There will be 26 to 30 typical farms established with benchmarks, future farms that explore the adoption of different management and production practices, and the accompanying Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to establish where there are opportunities to both reduce GHG emissions while also supporting cow-calf competitiveness. This will provide the foundation for the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB) updated Economic Assessment. Data collection is taking place in the first quarter of 2021.

Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef: CRS is providing staff support for the Science Advisory Committee and Chair’s the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) GHG Science Committee examining Global Warming Potential (GWP) and the compilation of a standardized beef methodology document summarizing Food and Agriculture (FAO) Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) methodology documents related to the beef industry on a variety of environmental topics.

Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC): Blog articles and decision-making tools continue to be produced to support adoption and extension communications. The development of a Core Question document for future Canadian Cow-Calf surveys was published in March 2020 and distributed to provincial collaborators. CRS has contributed to the BCRC internal record keeping project and Eastern Content project’s working group. CRS provides technical comments on the Scientific Review Body on the Technology Transfer and Production Economic Call.

Canada Beef: Additional reports are being provided including a quarterly Domestic Market Intelligence Report launched in May 2020, monthly U.S. articles for the Global Market Intelligence Report and oversight of a student providing monthly beef trade articles.