The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it is streamlining the process, but it has an obligation to do its due diligence
An interesting position: that’s the place Avivagen president Cameron Groome says he is in with regard to Canadian registration for a new product. The Ottawa-based company has developed a carotenoid-based feed additive that it says could do the same health protection and growth promotion jobs in livestock that are now done by antibiotics. However, Canadian […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Ag sector critical of carbon levy plan
The carbon tax that is part of Alberta’s “climate leadership” plan released May 24 has some agricultural producers concerned about additional costs. If passed, the new legislation will establish a carbon levy and rebate plan in law, reinvest the revenue into ways that address climate change and establish a new agency designed to develop and […] Read more
UPDATED: PED found on Manitoba farm
UPDATED at 1125 CST – May 30, 2016 – Manitoba’s sixth case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was confirmed May 26 in a batch farrow sow barn on a farm in the southeast. It is the first incident in the province since January 2015, and all previously infected barns had since been rid of the […] Read more
Successful animal rescue starts with plan
Good intentions can go seriously wrong if firefighters and veterinarians are ill equipped to handle emergency situations
TWIN BUTTE, Alta. — Seeing even a smattering of Rebecca Gimenez’s presentation on the rescue of large animals shows how easily things can go wrong due to ignorance, inadequate equipment and panic. A horse dies after a lengthy rescue from deep mud. Another runs from would-be rescuers who don’t understand equine behaviour and later dies […] Read more
For antler buyers, it’s all about the hunt
Company scours the Prairies looking for shed antlers, which it sells mostly to Asia for the traditional medicine market
It’s not uncommon on prairie farms to see deer, elk or moose antlers tacked up on the barn or sitting in flower beds. Luke Perkins of Star City, Sask., who collects antlers for Alberta Antler, sees it all the time. He also sees surprise on the faces of farmers and ranchers when they learn those […] Read moreMembers named to Bill 6 groups
The Alberta government took the next step to implement its controversial farm safety act May 20 by announcing the appointees to its consultation process. Seventy-eight people have been assigned to six groups tasked with developing recommendations on how the government should implement changes to employment standards, occupational health and safety and labour relations relating to […] Read more
Citizen weed spotters wanted
There are quite a few dirty words in the Alberta Invasive Species Council lexicon. Flowering rush. Yellow hawkweed. Spotted knapweed. Those are some choice ones, says Barry Gibbs, the council’s executive director. The council is now enlisting the public to identify invasive species in the province and help clean up the landscape, if not the […] Read more
West on lookout for stripe rust
Stripe rust overwintered in at least two Alberta locations, and recent wet, cool weather could favour development of the disease in prairie wheat crops. Michael Harding, a plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture, said stripe rust development is hard to predict, but current conditions should serve as an alert to watch for the destructive fungus, particularly […] Read more
Plan in place to grow GM alfalfa in West
There is now a western Canadian coexistence plan for genetically modified alfalfa. Released April 29 by the Canadian Seed Trade Association, the plan is a companion to one released for Eastern Canada in 2013. The presence of a plan doesn’t necessarily mean GM alfalfa, with Roundup Ready or low lignin traits, will be commercially released […] Read more
CFIA starts enforcing truck wash rule
Ottawa says it has no choice but to require hog trucks to be washed in the United States, but producers aren’t convinced
Western Canadian hog producer groups say the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is more intent on obeying the letter of the law than on keeping a deadly swine disease from contaminating farms. As of May 2, the CFIA began enforcing regulations that require hog transport trucks returning to Canada to wash on the U.S. side of […] Read more
