Livestock Management
WHEN Stephen Lewis spoke to a Saskatoon audience recently, he voiced wariness about corporate initiatives to supply foreign aid. The former United Nations ambassador and spokesperson for humanitarian causes said he is “paranoid” about the Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa being fuelled by the private sector. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as […] Read more
Livestock Management
All hands on deck to feed the world – WP editorial
If it had been a cow – Editorial Notebook
If it had been a cow, we would have been all over it. But a six-year -old boy in a helium balloon? Please. We were too busy reporting on markets for hulless oats, proper treatment of bovine uterine prolapses and interprovincial amendments to agricultural trade. Such subjects don’t have the breathless quality of television news […] Read more
H1N1 found in turkey flock
WINNIPEG – (Reuters) – Turkeys in Ontario have become infected with the H1N1 flu virus, but no birds or eggs from the affected farm entered the food supply, provincial government officials said. The infection poses minimal risk to human health, Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, said in a news conference in […] Read more
Animal research to help farmers improve methods
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. – New research is providing dairy producers with an insight into the value of cow comforts. “(Understanding) the repertoire of behaviour of dairy cattle is really important,” said Marina von Keyserlingk, associate professor in the animal welfare program of the University of British Columbia’s land and food systems faculty. “We looked at […] Read more
Business as usual for PMU industry: Pfizer
Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth should have no impact on Canadian producers of pregnant mare’s urine, said a spokesperson for the PMU industry. “We’re not looking for any drastic changes. If fact we’re excited about it,” said Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council, an organization that represents 64 PMU producers […] Read more
Small cow less costly, better milk producer
AIRDRIE, Alta. – Size matters when it comes to efficient cows. A smaller cow is often more productive because it eats less than its larger herd mates and is likely to wean a good- sized calf, said Cargill beef consultant Bryan McMurry. “Fat cows may be pretty, but they don’t put any of that energy […] Read more
Bayer cracks canola code
Bayer CropScience has cracked canola’s genetic code, which means growers will get their hands on new varieties faster. “It will allow us to accelerate all of our trait development,” said Stewart Brandt, Bayer’s manager for canola breeding operations in North America. The German crop science company announced Oct. 9 that it had sequenced the canola […] Read more
Western Producer Livestock Report – for Oct. 22, 2009
U.S. cash hogs steady Cash hog prices in the United States were stable last week, but the futures rally continued, giving Chicago a large premium over the cash market. After a large slaughter two weeks ago, the U.S. sow kill dropped below last year’s level. Except for the Labour Day weekend, it was the smallest […] Read more
Manitoba to restrict manure spreading
The Manitoba government plans to ban winter manure spreading starting in 2013. The new regulation is part of an effort to reduce nutrient loading in Manitoba’s rivers and lakes, a campaign that provincial officials are now describing as a war on phosphorus. “When we entered office, we recognized that decades of poor planning, abuse and […] Read more
Russia to take beef, sheep
Canadian livestock exporters are praising a deal that will pry open the Russian border, creating close to $50 million in export opportunities for beef and sheep. On Oct. 13 during a trip to Moscow, federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz announced that the Russian market is now open to beef from cattle younger than 30 months. […] Read more
