E-Newsletter E-Newsletter
MANITOBA YOUTH BEEF
ROUND-UP Full coverage and results on page 4
NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS High-Speed Internet Coming to Underserviced Manitoba Homes
Manitoba Government Releases New Net Zero Action Plan
A multi-year expansion project will bring high-speed internet access to more than 10,000 rural and northern Manitoba homes through a partnership involving the governments of Canada and Manitoba, municipalities ...
On September 9 the Manitoba government unveiled its first Net Zero Action Plan, a document outlining 90 specific actions and first steps on Manitoba’s path to net-zero emissions ...
Engagement Launched on Canada’s National Water Security Strategy
Canada extends federal fuel excise tax relief on gasoline, diesel, & aviation fuels
The Government of Canada is inviting Canadians to share their views to inform the development of a National Water Security Strategy via an online platform accessible through the Canada Water Agency website.
The federal government is extending the temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax until January 31, 2027, and applying 50% of the regular excise tax rate from February 1 ...
AgriStability Reminder for Producers Hit by Weather Events & Flooding To help Manitoba producers impacted by significant early summer rains and resulting flooding in June and July (2026), the governments of Canada and Manitoba have agreed to the following targeted AgriStability ...
September 11, 2026
Agricultural Crown Lands Leases and Permits Regulation Engagement Source: https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/landmanagement/crown-land/ Manitoba Agriculture is asking for feedback on proposed changes to the Agricultural Crown Lands Program. These changes would update the Agricultural Crown Lands Leases and Permits Regulation under The Crown Lands Act. In fall 2025, Manitoba Agriculture asked producers, Indigenous governments and organizations, industry partners, and the public for input through the ACL Program Review. This feedback helped shape the proposed changes. The changes focus on how leases are awarded, how much land one leaseholder can hold, and how modern leases can be renewed. Based on what we heard, the proposed changes would strengthen the Agricultural Crown Lands Program by: Improving How Leases Are Awarded: Moving from an auction-based process to an application-based process. This would give new and emerging producers a better chance to access land.
an Animal Unit Month limit so agricultural Crown lands are available to more producers and are not held by only a few large leaseholders. Allowing Modern Leases to Be Renewed: Allowing modern leases to be renewed for additional 15year terms, where requirements such as Treaty Land Entitlement and Duty to Consult are met. This would give producers more certainty for long-term planning. More information about these proposed changes can be found in the Manitoba Agriculture Crown Lands Lease and Permits Regulation Proposed Changes. How to Participate All Manitobans are invited to provide feedback on the proposed changes. Comments can be submitted through the Manitoba Regulatory Consultation Portal at http://reg.gov.mb.ca/home until October 2, 2026. Your feedback will help shape future updates to the regulation and improve the program. For more information, please contact Manitoba Agriculture at agcrownlands@gov.mb.ca.
Limiting Total Leaseholder Holdings: Bringing back
October 8 deadline to Apply for Disaster Financial Assistance for June 2026 Heavy Rains Manitoba has established a DFA program for the 2026 June Heavy Rains. • Program Announcement Date: July 10, 2026 • Deadline to request DFA: October 8, 2026 Primary residences, farms, businesses and nonprofit organizations with impacts related to the heavy rains may apply to the DFA program. Insurable damages are not eligible for DFA. Secondary properties such as cottages are never
eligible for DFA. In addition, DFA does not assist with loss of income, revenue, wages, market share or opportunity. Refer to the DFA webpage for more details. Apply for DFA • Deadline to submit invoices and event related expenses: July 12, 2027 You can also download the application form and print it, call to have one mailed to you, or visit your municipal office.
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success
(September 1, 2026 media release) Ninety-three
enthusiastic juniors from Saskatchewan and Manitoba — plus a Japanese 4-H exchange member — and 118 head of cattle converged at the Stride Exhibition Grounds from July 31 to August 2 for the 19th annual Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up. The weekend kicked off with hands-on educational breakout sessions, including: • • • • •
Cuts of meat with Blair McRae & Garth Jarvis Animal Intuitive Method with Kim Matthews Networking & podcasting with Kurtis Reid Grooming and animal safety with Gracie Falconer-Bertholet Showmanship with Madisyn Robertson and Tanya Airey
From there, members jumped into the always-popular Ag Challenge games — fast-paced stations featuring games like name-that-item, beach ball relay, clipping chute setup, vaccination, hot wire gate assembly, dummy roping, tattooing, clipper blade changes, and relay races. After chores were wrapped up, everyone cooled off on the slip-and-slide. Saturday began with individual judging, where members evaluated bred heifers, market steers,
sheep, forage, and hats, followed by oral reasons. Team grooming and team judging rounded out the afternoon before the highly anticipated cook-off competition. Teams were provided two steaks, limited seasonings, and basic supplies, then tasked with creating a themed table, cold sides, drinks, and perfectly prepared steaks for two judges. Every group embraced the theme “Looking Ahead” with creative costumes and décor. A sincere thank-you to our cook-off judges: Dr. Liz Ostendoorf, Ron McDonald, Ken & Christine Waddell, Noah Njegovan, Albert Rimke, Melissa McRae, and Andre Steppler. The evening wrapped up with juniors visiting, building new friendships, or a friendly game of ball. Sunday featured showmanship and the conformation show, judged by Kurtis Reid of Martensville, SK, and Phil & Catherine Brown of Springside, SK. We are grateful for their time, expertise, and commitment to youth development. Results from the weekend: Senior Showmanship Champion: Brock Sigurdson Reserve Champion senior Showmanship: Carson Baker Intermediate showmanship Champion: Brynn Steppler Reserve Champion Intermediate showmanship: Lillian Seward Junior Showmanship Champion: Paisley Baron Reserve Champion Junior Showmanship: Brayden Steppler Pee-Wee Showmanship Champion: Declan Steppler Reserve Champion Pee-Wee Showmanship: Chett Grose
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success ANGUS Angus Heifer Calf: 1. Kate Hinsburg – KCH Annie K 611; 2. Nadia Dekeyeser – RRW Ellen 634P; 3. Hagan Dekeyser – RRW Lady 649P; 4. Carson Baker – Greenbush Lady Pride 20P Champion Angus Heifer Calf: Kate Hinsburg Reserve Champion Angus Heifer Calf: Nadia Dekeyser Angus Yearling Female Split 1 1. Kate Hinsburg – KCH Annie K 525N; 2. Casper Veldhuis – Boss Lake Ms Dixie Erica 547N; 3. Reid Duguid – Red Kenray Callie 29N; 4. Aloyse Good – Par Delta 34N Angus Yearling Female Split 2 1. Oliver Kyle – Red Mar Mac Bonita 39N; 2. Carson Baker – NCC Juanda 19N; 3. Brynn Chapman – Red Rooke Sunflower 63N Angus Yearling Female Split 3 1. Brayden Steppler – KT Tibbie 5017N; 2. Rhett Sigurdson – Earley Enamel 24N; 3. Brycen Frecon – RRW Lady 501N; 4. Paisley Baron – MAK Noelle 5N Champion Angus Yearling Female: Brayden Steppler Reserve Champion Angus Yearling Female: Kate Hinsburg Angus Female Born in 2024 with calf 1. Kate Hinsburg – KCH Annie K 12M (calf – KCH Annie K 11P); 2. Brycen Frecon – RRW Kandy 409M (calf – RRW Testament 610P); 3. Elijah Ginter – BASKM Elba 16M (calf – BASKM Magnum 30P) Champion Angus Female Born in 2024 with calf: Kate Hinsburg Reserve Champion Angus Female Born in 2024 with calf: Brycen Frecon
Champion Mature Angus Female with calf: Carson Baker – Greenbush Lady Pride 5K (calf – Greenbush Lady Pride 20P) Grand Champion Angus Female: Kate Hinsburg – KCH Annie K 12M Reserve Grand Champion Angus Female: Carson Baker – Greenbush Lady Pride 5K Champion Angus Bull Calf: Elijah Ginter BASKM Magnum 30P Reserve Champion Angus Bull Calf: Brycen Frecon – RRW Testament 610P CHAROLAIS Champion Charolais Heifer Calf: Chase Airey – HTA Wyonna 627P Charolais Yearling Female 1. Declynn Allum – Longview Birkin 30N; 2. Chase Airey – HTA Wyonna 593N; 3. Kendra Hinsburg – KCH Sugar Cookie 524N; 4. Peyton McLean – Hidden Lake Nova 504N Champion Charolais Yearling Female: Declynn Allum – Longview Birkin 30N Reserve Champion Charolais Yearling Female: Chase Airey – HTA Wyonna 593N Champion Charolais Female Born in 2024 with calf: Declynn Allum – Longview Blush 65M (calf – FAL Two Savage 1P) Reserve Champion Charolais Female Born in 2024 with calf: Blake Airey – HTA Purity 450M (calf – HTA Cyclone 617P) Champion Charolais Mature Female with calf: Chase Airey – HTA Wyonna 13H (calf – HTA Wyonna 627P) Grand Champion Charolais Female: Declynn Allum – Longview Birkin 30N Reserve Grand Champion Charolais Female: Chase Airey – HTA Wyonna 593N
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success Champion Charolais Bull Calf: Declynn Allum – FAL Two Savage 1P Reserve Champion Charolais Bull Calf: Blake Airey – HTA Cyclone 617P
Champion Commercial Female Born in 2024 with calf: Brock Sigurdson Reserve Champion Commercial Female Born in 2024 with calf: Nathan Armstrong
COMMERCIAL
Champion Mature Commercial Female with calf: Keira Duguid – Hope (calf – Polly) Reserve Champion Mature Commercial Female with calf: Aloyse Good – Polly (calf – Puddin)
Commercial Heifer Calf 1. Brock Sigurdson – BSCC Ms Reward 1P; 2. Keira Duguid – Polly; 3. Otto Veldhuis – Veldhuis Ms Instinct 604P; 4. Aloyse Good - Puddin Champion Commercial Heifer Calf: Brock Sigurdson Reserve Champion Commercial Heifer Calf: Keira Duguid Commercial Yearling Heifer Split 1 1. Karen Cuthill – Caramel; 2. Orla Duguid – Patches; 3. Shelby Kowbel – Nora; 4. Abigale Jackson – Monster Commercial Yearling Heifer Split 2 1. Rhett Sigurdson – BSCC Hailey; 2. William Cuthill – Veronica; 3. Jagger Allum – Chevy; 4. Orla Duguid – Nilla; 5. Hanley Fehr – Nilly 509N Commercial Yearling Heifer Split 3 1. Khloe Stocki – Jade; 2. Averi Jury – Little J Nibbs; 3. Camryn Armstrong – Nova; 4. Emery Griffin – Night Slipper; 5. Sigga Vigfusson – Mosside Miss Baby Blue 120N
Grand Champion Commercial Female: Brock Sigurdson – RF Miss Reward 427 Reserve Grand Champion Commercial Female: Rhett Sigurdson – BSCC Hailey Champion Commercial Male Calf: Nathan Armstrong – Armstrong Power Play 3P Reserve Champion Commercial Male Calf: Shayle Botterill – Sam Winchester 15P HEREFORD Hereford Heifer Calf 1. Madeline McCauley – Sinnibars 1J Prairie Lady 107P Champion Hereford Heifer Calf: Madeline McCauley Hereford Yearling Heifer 1. Keira Duguid – GRH 029H Ladysport 1N; 2. Chett Franken - ROCH 806 105L Riese 500N; 3. Steina Vigfusson – FUNK 72J 18J Norma 10N
Champion Commercial Yearling Female: Rhett Sigurdson Reserve Champion Commercial Yearling Female: Khloe Stocki
Champion Hereford Yearling Female: Keira Duguid Reserve Champion Hereford Yearling Female: Chett Franken
Commercial Female Born in 2024 with calf 1. Brock Sigurdson – RF Miss Reward 427 (calf – BSCC Ms Reward 1P); 2. Nathan Armstrong – Montie (calf – Armstrong Power Play 3P); 3. Shayle Botteril – SHAY Maple 3M (calf – SAM Winchester 15P); 4. Otto Veldhuis – Boss Lake Ms Instinct 430M (calf – Veldhuis Ms Instinct 604P)
Hereford Female Born in 2024 with calf 1. Harley McCauley – Sinnibars RB Goldie ET 102M (calf – Sinnibars 3274 Presley 108P) Champion Hereford Female Born in 2024 with calf: Harley McCauley – innibars RB Goldie ET 102M (calf – Sinnibars 3274 Presley 108P)
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success Grand Champion Hereford Female: Harley McCauley – Sinnibars RB Goldie ET 102M (calf – Sinnibars 3274 Presley 108P) Reserve Grand Champion Hereford Female: Keira Duguid - GRH 029H Ladysport 1N Champion Hereford Bull Calf: Harley McCauley – Sinnibars 3274 Presley 108P SIMMENTAL Simmental Heifer Calf 1. Adalyn McIntosh – MRK Everest 651P; 2. Brynn Steppler – Steppler Lemon 125P; 3. Brooke Collins – Oakview Paisley 246P; 4. Kendra Hinsburg – KCH/Gurr Soda Crush 604P; 5. Kara-Lea de Rocquigny – Berts Ms Paisley 51P; 6. Cooper Lafreniere – 2L Peaches 922P; 7. Hayden Collins – Oakview Prodigy 192P; 8. Abby de Rocquigny – Roc’N Ms Pandora 4P Champion Simmental Heifer Calf: Adalynn McIntosh Reserve Champion Simmental Heifer Calf: Brynn Steppler Simmental Yearling Female Split 1 1. Averi Jury – SYD Brandy 352N; 2. Presley Warburton – Striker Ms Cookie 198N; 3. Blake Griffin – GRFN Nina Supreme Simmental Yearling Female Split 2 1. Carmen Thorgilsson – JFRS Ms Nellie 6N; 2. Declan Steppler – Erixon Darlin’ 156N; 3. Tristin Rea – KCH Shaboozy 512N; 4. Dugan Franken – Longview Emma 22N; 5. Emily Murray – WILC Narla 115N Simmental Yearling Female Split 3 1. Brock Sigurdson – Grass Roots Emmy 523; 2. Brynn Steppler – NGDB/GW Image 173N; 3. Kendra Hinsburg -KCH Soda Crush 508N; 4. Brooke Collins – Crosroad Nashville 153N; 5. Karson Davey – TWD Nova 3N
Simmental Yearling Female Split 4 1. Abby de Rocquigny – NAC Ellie 19N; 2. Chet Grose – Rocky Ms Snowy 33N; 3. Bexley McIntosh – MRK Dove 530N; 4. Copper Lafreniere – 2L Nixxy 786N; 5. Kara-Lea de Rocquigny – SRH Miss Caliber 2N; 6. Keirsten Davey – TWD Nala 68N; 7. Carmen Thorgilsson – JNR Seraphina 574M Champion Simmental Yearling Female: Brock Sigurdson – Grass Roots Emmy 523 Reserve Champion Simmental Yearling Female: Brynn Steppler - NGDB/GW Image 173N Champion Simmental Born in 2024 with calf: Brynn Steppler – McIntosh Lulu 12M (calf – Steppler Lemon 125P) Reserve Champion Simmental Born in 2024 with calf: Kara-Lea De Rocquigny – Berts Ms Miracle 56M (calf – Berts Ms Paisley 51P) Mature Simmental Female with calf 1. Kendra Hinsburg – CMS Cream Soda 050H (calf – KCH/Gurr Soda Crush 604P); 2. Brooke Collins – Oakview Jayda 159J (calf – Oakview Paisley 246P); 3. Cooper Lafreniere – Triple T Jules 911J (calf – 2L Peaches 922P); 4. Abby de Rocquigny – Berts Ms Louisa 22L (calf – Roc’N Ms Pandora 4P); 5. Hayden Collins – Oakview Karen 51K (calf – Oakview Prodigy 192P) Champion Simmental Mature Female with calf: 1. Kendra Hinsburg – CMS Cream Soda 050H Reserve Champion Simmental Matuer Female with calf: Brooke Collins – Oakview Jayda 159J Grand Champion Simmental Female: Brock Sigurdson – Grass Roots Emmy 523 Reserve Grand Champion Simmental Female: Brynn Steppler - NGDB/GW Image 173N ALL OTHER BREEDS Champion All Other Breeds Heifer Calf: Lillian Seward (Limousin) – Amaglen Polly Pockey 49P
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success All Other Breeds Female Born 2024/2025 Split 1 1. Bryler Franken – Double Bar D Maria 802N (Shorthorn); 2. Brynn Scott – Double Coulee Claudia (Shorthorn); 3. Gracey Wilkinson – Narwhal of Bullrush Acres (Highland) All Other Breeds Female Born 2024/2025 Split 2 1. Laura Seward – Amaglen Nellie Jo (Limousin); 2. Lillian Seward – Amaglen Miss Nyla 7 (Limousin); 3. Gracey Wilkinson – My Girl of Bullrush Acres (Highland) Champion All Other Breeds Yearling Female: Laura Seward – Amaglen Nellie Jo (Limousin) Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Yealing Female: Lillian Seward – Amaglen Miss Nyla 7 (Limousin) Champion All Other Breeds Female Born in 2024 with calf: Lillian Seward (Limousin) – Amaglen Miss Molly 12N (calf – Amaglen Polly Pocket 49P) Reserve Champion All Other Breeds Female Born in 2024 with calf: Sigga Vigfusson (Shorthorn) – Head For The Hills Polka Dot (calf – SJV Pablo Escobar 9P) Grand Champion All Other Breeds Female: Lillian Seward– Amaglen Miss Molly 12N (Limousin) Reserve Grand Champion All Other Breeds Female: Laura Seward – Amaglen Nellie Jo (Limousin) Champion All Other Breeds Bull Calf: Sigga Vigfusson (Shorthorn) – SJV Pablo Escobar 9P Fat Steer 1. Kerri Walker – TNT; 2. Britton Canart – Winnie the Pooh; 3. McCoy Glasman – Ol’son; 4. Ivy Allen - Patrick
Champion Fat Steer: Kerri Walker Reserve Champion Fat Steer: Britton Canart Champion 4-H Yearling Female: Declan Steppler, Miami 4-H Beef Club Reserve Champion 4-H Yearling Female: Declynn Allum, Carnduff & Area 4-H Beef Club Supreme Champion Female: Brock Sigurdson – Grass Roots Emmy 523 Individual Judging: Junion: Brayden Steppler Intermediate: Chase Airey Senior: Sigga Vigfusson Pee-Wee Sales Talk: Aleah Glasman Junior Sales Talk: Reid Duguid Intermediate Team Judging: Kate Hinsburg & Kati Mott Senior Team Judging: Carson Baker & Laura Seward Bob Gordon Memorial Award for the Top Overall Judge: Chase Airey Photography: Pee-Wee: Adalyn McIntosh Junior: Blake Griffin Intermediate: Camryn Armstrong Senior: Carson Baker Graphic Design: Pee-Wee: Adalyn McIntosh Junior: Paisley Baron Intermediate: Orla Duguid Senior: Laura Seward Art: Pee-Wee: Adalyn McIntosh Junior: Paisley Baron Intermediate: Lillian Seward Senior: Laura Seward Scrapbook: Pee-Wee: Adalyn McIntosh
19th Manitoba Youth Beef Round-Up a huge success Junior: Bexley McIntosh Intermediate: Orla Duguid Senior: Kara-Lea de Rocquigny
Mar Mac “Share The Herd” sale credit Aleah Glsaman
Cookoff: Team 12 – Declynn Allum, Nathan White, Hayden Collins, Gracey Wilkinson, Dexter White, Paisley Baron, Calder Thorgilsson, Chase Suderman Team Grooming: Pee-Wee/Junior: Khloe Stocki, Brynn Scott, Rachelle Madill & Karter Webb Intermediate & Senior: Kendra Hinsburg, Emily Murray, Bryler Franken & Orla Duguid Ag Challenge: Team 7 – Brock Sigurdson, Carmen Thorgilsson, Camryn Armstrong, Britton Canart, Reid Duguid, Bexley McIntosh, Nadia Dekeyser, Declan Steppler All Star Team: Team 2 – Kara-Lea de Rocquigny, Abigale Jackson, Brynn Steppler, Braxton Fehr, Castleton Scott, Shelby Kowbel, Karson Davey Digger Award: Britton Canart Young Handler Award: Elijah Ginter Herdsman Award: de Rocquigny, Griffin, Steppler & Armstrong families Leadership Award: Carson Baker Round-Up Scholarship: Kara-Lea de Rocquigny ($1500), Madisyn Robertson ($1000) Aggregate Awards: Pee-Wee: Adalyn McIntosh Junior: Brayden Steppler Intermediate: Lillian Seward Senior: Laura Seward Manitoba Magic Red Angus sale credit Oliver Kyle
A huge thank-you to everyone who helped make this weekend a success — Lois McRae (Chairperson); Ken Dalgleish & Justin Cicholski (Stride Exhibition Grounds); Ken Hinsburg & Blair McRae (Facility and Barn Bosses); and our dedicated committee members: Rilla Hunter, Dalyse Robertson, Cora Baker, Lana Kraus, Bobbi Jo Foster, Kerri Hinsburg, Megan Kemp, Jolie Bootsman, Kara Thompson, Danna Collins, Albert & Michelle Rimke, Sadie McCauley, Mary Jane Orr, Gracie Falconer-Bertholet, Laura Horner, Jake Rawluk, and Madisyn Robertson. To every parent, guardian, and grandparent who volunteered — your support is truly appreciated. Round-Up is an action-packed weekend, and it takes many hands, generous hearts, and a whole lot of teamwork to keep everything running smoothly. And last, but not least – our amazing and dedicated sponsors.
#25-3 September 2026
Whole-Farm Financial Benchmarks: Set the profit goal first Record cattle prices can make almost any operation look profitable. But high prices can also hide inefficiencies. As the cattle cycle moves into its next phase, protecting equity and building a strong financial position will become more important. Farm Management Canada’s 2015 Dollars and Sense study found a clear link between farm financial performance and good business management practices regardless of producer and production demographics. Having a written business plan, monitoring the cost of production, and keeping an updated budget and financial plan were found to increase profitability between $10,000 and $160,000. This means that management is the key to success. The first step is to set a financial goal. Then work backwards to determine what the operation needs to do to reach it.
Know what you are aiming for Looking back at your financial performance can be difficult, especially if you are not where you want to be. The good news is that you can change the direction of your business.
What is the COP Network? The Canadian Cow-calf Cost of Production Network (COP Network) uses standardized data collection which allows for comparison both within and between provinces, and internationally. Since launching in 2021, the COP Network has collected data from over 200 producers contributing to 60 cow-calf benchmark farms that represent various production systems. Each benchmark is based on data from 3-7 producers. Data collection occurs every 5 years with annual indexing of input and output prices, as well as crop and forage yields, in subsequent years. Individual benchmark farm summaries can be found at: https://canfax.ca/resources/cost-ofproduction/cop-results.html
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” “Goals are like magnets. They’ll attract the things that make them come true.”
Start with the end in mind. Set a profit goal first, then work backwards. What changes will your operation need to make to reach that goal? The path will look different for every farm. It may mean making major changes to your cost structure or enterprise mix. Or, it may mean taking small, steady steps toward a stronger business. The choice is yours. Set a clear goal, take deliberate action and adjust along the way. Do not let setbacks stop you. Find mentors and peers who can help you stay accountable, learn from challenges and keep moving forward.
A Whole-Farm View Every farm is different. The COP Network includes operations with different herd sizes, enterprise mixes and levels of off-farm income. Many operations also use diversified income sources as a risk-management tool. Because of this diversity, whole-farm financial benchmarks provide a broader view of financial performance. This reflects the ability to earn revenue relative to operating costs and asset base. The COP Network works backwards from a target of 30% net income as a share of total farm revenue: •
50% for input costs
•
10% for depreciation
•
10% for overhead
•
30% for net income
Inputs are direct or variable costs that change with the size of the enterprise. Depreciation reflects the loss in value of assets such as machinery and buildings over time. Overhead includes ongoing business costs needed to keep the operation running but not directly tied to producing a specific product. Why a 30% net income target? The 30% net income target is intended to provide a return to land, labour and internal capital. While opportunity costs are included at the enterprise level in the COP Network, they are not at the whole-farm level. This requires a profit target at the whole farm level to account for the return to assets.
Benchmark Against the Best, Not the Average One important point: COP Network benchmarks are not based on the most productive farms. They are based on the most profitable farms. Financial benchmarks come from the top one-third of farms based on medium-term profit, not the average. The bottom two-thirds had average net income equal to 17% of total farm revenue in 2025. These farms were still making money on average, but some continued to struggle because depreciation and overhead costs were much higher than on top-third farms. The higher percentage of input costs for the top-third farms was driven by the crop and retained ownership enterprises, reflecting the greater diversity of onfarm income sources. Financial Benchmarks Input Costs % of Total Farm Revenue
Total AVG
Bottom 2/3
Top 1/3
Difference
43%
43%
42%
-3%
Depreciation % of Total Farm Revenue
9%
10%
7%
-27.5%
Overheads % of Total Farm Revenue
11%
13%
8%
-43.7%
Net Income % of Total Farm Revenue
39%
17%
46%
173%
The biggest opportunities are not always in production. Depreciation and overhead can have a major impact on the bottom line.
How do you compare? Benchmarks are not meant to put every farm into the same box. They are a starting point for identifying opportunities to become more competitive and financially resilient. Start by asking three questions: 1. Are you happy with your net income as a percentage of total farm revenue? If yes, congratulations. You have a strong starting point. 2. If not, where are your costs different from the benchmark? If depreciation or overhead is well above the 10% benchmark, ask whether your farm structure supports those costs. Are they necessary investments, or are they expenses the current business cannot support over the long term? If input costs are well above the 50% benchmark, ask why. Do those costs support higher productivity, or are they hiding deeper problems? 3. If your costs are under control, is revenue the opportunity? If the cost structure is working, look at whether better marketing could increase income.
Set a Financial Goal There is no single financial plan that works for every farm. Start with the result you want and work backwards. Ask yourself: • • • • •
How much income do I need to meet my financial goals? What am I producing—calves, yearlings, breeding stock or something else—and at what price? How many head do I need to produce to reach my “One reason so few of us achieve goal? what we truly want is that we never Is the goal realistic for my operation? direct our focus; we never What is my plan to get there? concentrate our power.”
The Take-Home Message Set the profit goal first. Then make the operation fit the goal. Know your numbers, compare them with the right benchmarks and identify where change will have the biggest impact. You do not need to change everything at once. Small, deliberate improvements can move the whole farm in the right direction. For more information, see the Beef Cattle Research Council's, Financial Record Keeping modules.
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Canada regains market access for beef exports to the Dominican Republic Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that the Dominican Republic (DR) has approved imports of Canadian beef and beef products, including offal, from cattle of all ages. This decision restores access to an important Caribbean market for the first time since 2003, when the DR imposed restrictions following Canada’s initial case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The DR reopened its market following an audit of Canada’s beef inspection system conducted by the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate of Medicines, Food and Health Products (DIGEMAPS) and the General Directorate of Livestock (DIGEGA). The audit confirmed the strength and reliability of Canada’s food safety, inspection, and animal-health controls, leading DR authorities to remove long-standing restrictions on Canadian beef. Canada holds a negligible risk status for BSE, reflecting the strength of its science-based animal health and food safety framework. This internationally recognized designation supports Canada’s efforts to expand market access, strengthen global food security and provide consumers worldwide with high-quality Canadian beef. The Government of Canada continues to secure new international opportunities for Canadian agriculture and agri-food products. By expanding access to key export markets, the government is helping producers grow their businesses, create jobs, and contribute to economic prosperity across the country.
MBP Accepting Applications for The Environmental Stewardship Award Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) is accepting applications until Friday, December 18, 2026 for consideration for the local awarding of The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA). Since 1996, TESA has recognized producers who go above and beyond standard industry conservation practices and set positive examples for other cattle producers and the general public. As stewards of a vast portion of the Canadian landscape, Canada’s beef cattle producers play a significant role in protecting and enhancing the environment. They continuously strive to improve existing stewardship conservation practices to create a sustainable future – always farming for tomorrow. At the local level, a producer receives provincial recognition for their outstanding environmental contributions. In Manitoba, this occurs in conjunction with MBP’s annual general meeting in February. All provincial award recipients then move forward to compete for national recognition from the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA). The national TESA recipient is announced during the CCA’s semi-annual meeting held in mid-summer or early fall. Each nominee exemplifies significant innovation and attention to a wide range of environmental stewardship aspects in their farm or ranch operation. Such innovations extend beneficially to areas far beyond their land, including water, wildlife and air. How to Nominate All beef cattle operations in Canada are eligible to apply for consideration for TESA. Interested producers can either nominate themselves, or be nominated by another individual or an organization. All methods are equally encouraged. More details and the application form can be found at: TESA Information Note: If you are a producer who is considering self-nomination, MBP can provide you with guidance and suggestions on completing the application process. The completed application form, along with all supporting documentation (such as letters of support, photos and/or videos), is to be submitted to Manitoba Beef Producers by email to info@mbbeef.ca no later than Friday, December 18, 2026. If you have questions, please contact the MBP office at 204-772-4542.