DRESDEN, Ont. — Most people know cranberries go with Christmas dinner. Now, an Agriculture Canada researcher has found that the tart fruit boosts immunity when fed to young birds. Mortality was decreased 50 percent when Moussa S. Diarra and his research team fed small amounts of cranberry extract to broiler chickens during their first 10 […] Read more
News
Wheat genome mapping project takes major step forward
Scientists have taken another significant step toward producing a complete map of the complex bread wheat genome. The project is expected to shed new light on the genetic resources contained in one of the world’s most widely grown crops. The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) announced Jan. 6 that a “whole genome assembly” of […] Read more
CME live cattle futures tumble 3-cent/lb price limit
CHICAGO, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts ended Thursday’s session down by their 3-cents per lb daily price limit, rattled by lower preliminary cash prices and deteriorating U.S. stock futures amid China’s economic woes, traders said. February live cattle and April ended at 133.525 cents and 134.300 cents, respectively. Live cattle’s […] Read more
Bees deliver crop protection product to plants
An Ontario company figures out how bumblebees can be used to deliver a naturally occurring fungus to a variety of crops
A Mississauga, Ont., company has developed a unique method for defeating crop pests. BVT, which specializes in bee vectoring technology, has developed a system that uses bumblebees to deliver microbial agents to crops. The company uses a naturally occurring fungus, branded BVT-CR7, which can protect crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, apples, canola and sunflowers from […] Read moreGrain shipments flow smoothly
The amount of grain that has moved from prairie farms to export terminals so far this year is well-above average, according to figures from Canada’s federal Grain Monitoring Program. The data show total grain car unloads at port of 14.2 million tonnes so far in the 2015-16 shipping season, including nearly 3.9 million tonnes at […] Read more
Red Spring class again dominates insured wheat acres
Western Canadian grain farmers insured more than 17.7 million acres of wheat last year, up slightly from 17.6 million in 2014. About 11.4 million were Canada Western Red Spring varieties, 4.1 million were Canada Western Amber Durum, 800,000 were Canada Prairie Spring and 1.3 million were varieties from minor classes. The numbers are contained in […] Read more
Special compensation gives dairy sector ‘bad image’
Canadian dairy farmers will receive approximately $2.9 billion for domestic market losses associated with the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. A Manitoba farmer says the optics of the federal compensation package send the “wrong message” to consumers. Steven Boerchers, a dairy farmer from Beausejour, Man., is worried the compensation looks like a government handout. He believes […] Read more
Flour-sifting machine earns farmer top prize
LONDON, Ont. — An Ontario farmer’s flour sifter has won a competition that was looking for right-sized and cost-effective technology. Ahren Hughes’s invention was selected by people attending the recent Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario conference. Hughes, who runs Blackshire Gardens near Neustadt, won the top prize of $1,000. “This sifter saved us a lot […] Read more
South Korea lifts ban on Canadian beef
South Korea lifted its ban on Canadian beef Dec. 30, which it imposed when Canada reported a case of BSE in a cow tested last February. An investigation of the BSE case, which was Canada’s 19th, indicated it was likely due to old contaminated feed and was considered an isolated incident. Federal agriculture minister Lawrence […] Read more
Farmers may feel new climate change focus
Producers and researchers argue that the agricultural industry has already taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Farmers might soon have to deal with a worldwide political push to take more action on climate change. The recent climate change summit in Paris, and a new Liberal government in Ottawa that has vowed to make it a priority, has brought added urgency to an issue long considered less important by the previous Conservative […] Read more
