DRESDEN, Ont. — Dairy producers will be paid roughly one percent less for their milk this year, which the Dairy Commission of Canada says may show that supply management is working. “Nobody who usually criticizes supply management made a comment,” said commission spokesperson Chantal Paul. The planned reduction is a response to a survey by […] Read more
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Smaller production costs see dairy farmers take price cut
Organic prices expected to remain high for years
The general manager of one of North America’s largest organic certifiers makes the case for switching to organic ag
GUELPH, Ont. — Record prices for organic grain and oilseeds could stick around for another five years, says an organic agriculture leader from Saskatchewan. Organic commodities hit unheard of highs in the last 24 months, with flax topping $35 per bushel and milling wheat exceeding $25 a bu. in Western Canada. Wally Hamm, general manager […] Read moreCanadian pork processing plants operating below capacity
BANFF, Alta. — Canadian pork packing plants have lost 150,000 head per week, which has resulted in plant closures and consolidation. Prairie packers were running at 95 percent capacity in 2010, but that fell to barely 80 percent last year. As well, five owners control 40 percent of sows, and 40 percent of slaughter on […] Read more
Bird bites costly for prairie farmers
Shelley Ireland is tired of her cattle being picked on. Ireland, who is known for breeding miniature bulls near Delisle, Sask., said magpies have been responsible for the deaths of four bucking bulls and four bred cows over the previous three winters. “The first year we lost four by them. The next year we lost […] Read more
U.S. inspectors increase oversight of chicken production
CHICAGO (Reuters) — U.S. meat inspectors are set to toughen their poultry production standards in March in a bid to reduce food-borne illnesses, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture. The department plans to begin testing raw chicken parts for salmonella after an 18-month outbreak of the bacteria linked to Foster Poultry Farms ended last year. […] Read more
Cattle group beginning to see tide turn on COOL
Like chipping away ice from a frozen water hole, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association believes its persistent discussions with American farm groups and politicians about country-of-origin labelling are finally paying off. CCA president Dave Solverson recently met with delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting and found that the message seems to be sinking […] Read more
Policy changes could end African hunger by 2025
ROME, Italy (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — Africa could eliminate hunger by 2025 if countries embraced effective policies on job creation, political stability and social protection, says a United Nations official. “Countries in Africa are making significant progress (toward ending hunger),” said James Tefft, a senior policy officer with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Some […] Read more
Pork sector growth will come from exports
BANFF, Alta. — North Americans are not likely to put more pork on their forks, which means industry growth must rely on exports. “Our consumption in the United States is static, as it is in Canada. We really look to export markets to really grow our business,” National Pork Producers Council president Howard Hill told […] Read more
Ag group pushing for labour changes
Last year’s controversy and resulting changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program have delayed efforts to address the major labour shortage in the agriculture industry. Mark Chambers, chair of the labour task force policy and programs working group, said the TFWP became such a hot button issue that MPs and government officials were reluctant to […] Read more
Marketing tool opens doors for producers
Grain producers will soon have access to a new web based tool aimed at improving market transparency and assisting farmers with grain marketing decisions. The Crop Data and Price Reporting project, launched by the Alberta Wheat Commission, will gather and publish market information on a website designed for primary producers, grain brokers, market advisers and […] Read more
