Prairie lamb producers have found themselves in a position where they must ship their animals to Ontario before fulfilling ambitious export plans. The Canadian Lamb Producers Co-operative has developed lamb burgers, sausages, meatballs and kabobs and plans to market them abroad under its “Lamb” brand. However, the lamb for these products must be processed at […] Read more
Stories by Dan Yates
Western Canada takes hit on TFWP changes
A prairie think-tank says changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers program disproportionately affect the region
Changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program are disproportionately affecting western Canadian employers, says a Calgary think-tank. The federal government introduced the restrictions last year, bringing caps that limit the use of low wage, unskilled temporary foreign workers. The announcement followed highly publicized cases that critics said showed misuse of the program. Since then, the […] Read moreLamb slaughter laws restrict domestic, international trade
Animals processed in provincial facilities have to be consumed in that province
Major grocery chains are reluctant to carry meat products processed in provincially licensed facilities, say officials in the sheep industry. Regulations require that those products be consumed in the same province where the animals were killed, but that can cause problems for large distribution centres that ship products across several provinces. In the case of […] Read more
VIDEO: Animals treated better, but issues still exist
Calm down and stop screaming at cattle, says expert
Animal welfare has improved since the 1990s, but there’s still room for improvement, says a world renowned animal behaviourist. “Slaughterhouses were easy. They were easy fixes. We didn’t have to rebuild these plants to fix them,” Temple Grandin said of her pioneering work with major meat processors and buyers that brought improved handling, curved chutes […] Read moreU.S. avian flu outbreak halts Canadian producers’ bird, egg supply
A case of avian influenza in the United States has shut down imports from a key state for the Canadian poultry industry. On March 11, officials confirmed a case of H5N2 in Arkansas, an important source of broiler hatching eggs and genetics. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency had already prohibited imports of live birds, […] Read more
New quota deal means slower growth for some
Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan is supporting a new national quota allocation agreement, even though it means foregoing future growth. The new deal doesn’t mean chicken producers in the province won’t see new quota allocation, but expansion in the supply managed business might not come as fast as it has in the past. “Over the course […] Read more
U.S. avian flu outbreak chokes Canadian producers’ bird, egg supply
A case of avian influenza in the United States has shut down imports from a key state for the Canadian poultry industry. On Wednesday, officials confirmed a case of H5N2 in Arkansas, an important source of broiler hatching eggs and genetics. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency had already prohibited imports of live birds, eggs and […] Read more
Trade talks change supply management debate
While change won’t come tomorrow, Canada’s supply management system is vulnerable, says professor
Supply management’s critics used to talk about the price of milk. Now they talk about the cost of trade. This change leaves the system that governs Canada’s dairy, poultry and egg industries vulnerable to change, says a University of Saskatchewan professor. “Some of us were kicking around the idea last night. One guy said it’s […] Read moreNASA satellite to improve global soil moisture monitoring, flood forecasting
Western Canadian agriculture will benefit from NASA’s new eye in the sky, says a University of Manitoba professor. Launched in California at the end of January, the U.S. government agency’s soil moisture active passive (SMAP) research satellite is the result of an international effort to improve soil moisture monitoring. Officials say the high resolution images […] Read more
NASA satellite launched to measure soil moisture
Western Canadian agriculture will benefit from NASA’s new eye in the sky, says a University of Manitoba professor. Launched in California at the end of January, the U.S. government agency’s soil moisture active passive (SMAP) research satellite is the result of an international effort to improve soil moisture monitoring. Officials say the high resolution images […] Read more
