Subscribe to the 100% free rdnewsNOW daily newsletter!
Photo 20127590 © Martine De Graaf | Dreamstime.com
Oct. 20-22, 2022

Cattle are MOO-ving to Westerner Park on Thursday for their annual Dairy Showcase

Oct 19, 2022 | 4:14 PM

Cattle will be MOO-ving into Westerner Park on Thursday for the annual Westerner Dairy Showcase.

From October 20-22, exhibitors from across the Western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will be showcasing their cattle at Westerner Park’s Agricentre (1801 46 Ave).

Since it first began in 1954, officials say the Showcase has become a valuable part of the event venue’s agricultural history, attracting approximately 160 cattle for the show and another 60 for the Central Alberta Holstein Club sale.

Calling it “Western Canada’s main dairy show”, Show Committee member Markus Hehli says the event is beneficial for the economies of the dairy industry as well as the local area in general, with visitors even coming from Ontario and Quebec.

“Anytime you have an event, that drives your whole system. You’ve got your producers and you’ve got your hotels; anybody that provides a service benefits and it’s a benefit for all dairy exhibitors here. It just gives us a place to showcase our genetics and make sales and see what works and what doesn’t work,” he said.

“It’s a great place to showcase what we have and for central Alberta to showcase what they have.”

Hehli says the pandemic taught industry members to improve logistics and processing systems to reduce waste of the perishable product.

However, grocery prices are now on the rise, at the fastest rate since August 1981, due to inflation, according to a recent update by Statistics Canada. They reported an 11.4 per cent increase compared to prices one year ago.

Dairy Farmers of Canada also expressed concern in June, citing an increase in the cost of milk due to price increases on goods and services needed to produce milk.

READ MORE:

Inflation rate 6.9 per cent in September as grocery bills climb

Dairy Farmers of Canada seeks second milk price hike this year, citing inflation

Hehli says although consumers want the cheapest prices possible, it comes with challenges to dairy farmers who want to produce the best product.

“I think that Canadian milk is one of the best products in the world. It’s as wholesome as you can get and we have some of the highest quality standards in place in the world. I think people realize it’s a very healthy product and we produce it in the safest way possible. People want high quality foods,” he said.

The event consists of industry seminars, a trade show and the popular Mega-Moola Jackpot.

Held by the Alberta Holstein Association, the Judging School is scheduled to be the Showcase’s first event at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with official judge Nico Bons all the way from Holland.

Other highlights include:

  • The Youth Show (under 21 years old): Thursday from 3 – 6 p.m.
  • The Jersey Show (British breed of small dairy cattle): Friday from 3 – 6 p.m.
  • The Holstein Show: Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The event is free for the public.