An old saying advises never to look a gift horse in the mouth. However, a sheep researcher from Quebec says sheep with bad teeth are never a bargain, no matter what the asking price. Johanne Cameron, who has a 600-head flock and works for CEPOQ, Quebec’s centre for excellence in sheep production, said because of […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Ethnic preferences change with seasons
Producers seeking to tap the growing ethnic market for lamb have been encouraged to cater to their customers’ particular preferences. Mamoon Rashid, a sheep and goat business development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says these preferences may vary widely from one community to the next and from one time of year to another. Also, because festive […] Read more
Program to improve sheep profits
Hog and dairy producers have long benefited from extensive genetic records and databases that provide information to buyers seeking improved sires. Sheep producers may be a little late arriving at the same game, but now a program jointly managed by the Quebec and Ontario agricultural ministries called GenOvis is offering them a leg up toward […] Read more
Ham radios still making waves
Technological progress in communications has made stunning gains in the last few decades, especially with the internet and cellular phones, but amateur radio devotees still enjoy chatting with other crackling voices over the ether. Dave Snydal, a ham radio operator for more than 40 years, has a full radio set in one corner of the […] Read more
Heavy wax barley in trials
Researchers want to know if a North African barley variety’s heavily waxy stems give it greater staying power in the swath for late season grazing. Brought to Canada about 100 years ago, the experimental forage line dubbed EX733, which was originally used to feed goats in Morocco, could offer producers advantages of millet’s waxy stems […] Read more
Unfertilized alfalfa best way to establish pasture
A decades-long study has found seeding pastures to alfalfa is the best path to profitability for cattle producers. From 1994 to 2004, researchers at Agriculture Canada’s Brandon Research Centre investigated the viability of converting marginal cropland to pasture. Options included seeding pastures to create two paddocks of only meadow bromegrass and mixed meadow bromegrass-alfalfa, and […] Read more
Manitoba hemp fibre plant gets gov’t boost
Plans for a hemp fibre processing plant in Manitoba have moved closer to fruition with a $1 million capital grant from the provincial government. The grant from the province’s rural economic development program comes on top of $3 million in conditional loans pledged earlier for Parkland BioFibre, which plans to make natural fibre hemp insulation, […] Read more
Interlake help on fast track
Flood-affected producers in Manitoba’s Interlake region, who are facing immediate financial challenges are being offered a streamlined application process for a higher advance on their AgriStability payment. “We have met and listened to affected producers and are taking additional steps to help farmers whose land is under water,” said Manitoba agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk. “More […] Read more
Health Canada approves new food additives
Health Canada has recommended that Canadian food and drug laws be amended to allow the use of sodium diacetate and sodium acetate as preservatives in ready-to-eat meat products. The rules allow interim use of such preservatives in preparations of meat, meat byproducts, poultry meat, poultry meat byproducts and prepared and preserved fish products at a […] Read more
Higher honey prices make up for lower yields
Beekeepers in Western Canada are more optimistic about profitability this year as prices look set to nearly double from last year. Even those with less to sell this fall because of bad summer weather are looking forward to the higher prices as a way to help ease their pain. Prices have already risen to more […] Read more
