A Calgary company has announced the world’s first live test for BSE. Bill Hogan of the newly formed Vacci-Test Corp. is confident the test will pass international scrutiny so the product can go on the market this fall. “We have political hurdles to overcome … we don’t have any more scientific hurdles. We have the […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Surging rivers flood farms, homes in Alta.
Unprecedented rainfall over two weekends has turned Alberta rivers into torrents of water that drag away trees and property and flood homes. Those living along the swollen rivers say this is the worst they have seen. “They’re saying this is a 200 year flood,” said Kim Nielson, rancher and agriculture fieldman with Clearwater County in […] Read more
Pest birds trapped out of B.C.’s orchards
OLIVER, B.C. – Robert Quaedvlieg is a professional fur trapper turned starling control specialist. Approached by the British Columbia Fruit Growers Association in 2003, Quaedvlieg developed a bird control program where he and a small team of trappers captured 60,650 starlings in the Okanagan Valley in the first year. It is estimated the birds do […] Read more
Livestock in road accidents require special assistance
Road wrecks involving livestock are more common than people realize and whether it is camels or chickens, precise rescue procedures are required. Jennifer Woods, an Alberta livestock transportation consultant, trains emergency response teams on rescuing livestock after an accident. One of her most recent training sessions involved sawing apart a cattle liner to assess the […] Read more
B.C. cattle producers reaffirm horn tax
OSOYOOS, B.C. – A horn tax is one issue ranchers cannot seem to wrestle to the ground. The British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association debated the fate of the horn levy at length during the annual meeting in Osoyoos May 28, with a narrow majority finally agreeing to keep the tax on horned cattle. The increase to […] Read more
Testing bolsters Canada’s BSE image
OSOYOOS, B.C. – Every BSE test that exceeds Canada’s target of 30,000 samples in 2005 improves the country’s case internationally as a low risk area for the brain wasting disease, says Cornelius Kiley, a veterinarian with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. With testing and compliance with a feed ban that prohibits ruminant animal remains from […] Read more
B.C. studies disposal methods for specified risk materials
OSOYOOS, B.C. – Slaughterhouse waste disposal has become an expensive problem in Canada and governments may be forced to ensure regulations don’t leave the meat processor at a competitive disadvantage, says British Columbia agriculture minister John van Dongen. “We need to prioritize finding answers for small plants because if we are not careful … we […] Read more
B.C. ranchers want program extended
OSOYOOS, B.C. – After a successful run of three years, British Columbia ranchers want a provincial predator control program extended. The control and compensation program ended March 31. The province has agreed to continue it for another year but the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association wants the program to run another three years with adequate funding and […] Read more
Pilot project keeps wildlife at bay
OSOYOOS, B.C. – Faye Street leapt out of bed one night in the early morning hours, grabbed a shotgun and still in her nightgown, jumped on her all-terrain vehicle. Her mission: chase 150 elk out of her hay fields before they chewed the crop to the ground. Her scare tactic didn’t work well because the […] Read more
Border appeal court date set
A date of July 13 has been set to appeal a Montana court decision to close the United States border to Canadian cattle. A three judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Seattle, Washington will hear oral arguments from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Meat Association […] Read more
