Leader-Post: Provincial funding announced for Canadian beef research

 A beef genetics research project is receiving $375,000 from the provincial government, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced at Agribition on Wednesday.

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Additional comments from Rick McIntyre, a cattleman from Churchbridge and past president of the Canadian Simmental Association

McIntyre said the Canadian Simmental Association became the leader of this project because of seed money given to the association by one of its members.

"We were able to come up front with our own money to kick start the whole thing," said McIntyre. "Our members have made significant contributions to the start of the projects."

He said the research project will target specific segments of DNA.



"We’re going to be looking for genomically-enhanced EPDs (expected progeny differences) that will, in short, allow us as breeders to identify superior genetics at a younger age," said McIntyre.



Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced
on Wednesday that the provincial government will provide
$375,000 to the Enhancing Canadian Beef Production through
Genomic Innovation project.

Photograph by: Roy Antal, Regina Leader-Post files



"They do some genomic mapping of our total DNA respective over our whole pedigree and through the data we have built and through the data that’s going to be gathered in this project, they’re going to identify animals through DNA snips that have the genes we want to select for."

Additional comments from Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud

"(The project) just improves the genetic breeding of the cattle and you know, when you put them in a feed lot, if you can cut it back by a couple of weeks, even, in the feeding process, it makes more dollars for everybody concerned," said Bjornerud.

"That’s really what it’s all about: a better product, but also at the same time brings efficiencies to the raising and the feeding of the cattle."

Bjornerud said he has met with several foreign delegations during his Agribition visit.

"We met a Ukrainian delegation (Tuesday) morning and everybody’s a lot more optimistic than they were even a couple years ago. Right around the world it’s surprising," said Bjornerud.

He said the Ukrainian delegation was mostly looking for machinery.

“I was amazed at the size of the farms that they have there in the Ukraine and some of the machinery that they’re looking at and they’re growing over there. Their farms are getting bigger just as they are here," said Bjornerud.

"We have a lot of similarities with them and they were just a good group to have over here picking tires and taking a look at the livestock that we have and things like that," he said.

He added that he met with some Americans as well.

"We met with a number of the American cattle associations (Tuesday) and there’s more optimism down there and they’ve got some dry areas down there in Texas, but the guys that we met yesterday are pretty optimistic,” said Bjornerud.

Bjornerud said that while talking to the group from the U.S., the country of origin labeling wasn’t a major issue and never was.

"I think part of the problem was nobody paid all that much attention down there to some of the things down that were going on," said Bjornerud. "These meetings were important when we can put across our point about how it hurt our industry up here and I think they realized then that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea after all."

Wednesday was Bjornerud’s third day at Agribition and he said he thinks it will be a good week for attendance.

"I think Mother Nature’s been the best thing we’ve had going for us outside of these walls. It’s been just great out there," said Bjornerud. "They started off the beginning of the week with the younger generation with the rodeo and that and I think that was a real plus this year.

"That’s even good, but I think the crowds by the end of the week are really going to be good."