Margins will be tighter next year, but most facets of farming will still be using the black ink cartridge, says Farm Credit Canada. J.P. Gervais, FCC’s chief agricultural economist, told Agri-Trend’s 2014 Farm Forum Event that grain and oilseed prices are down and input costs are up, but there is still money to be made […] Read more
News
Avian flu in Britain may be linked to other countries
LONDON, U.K. (Reuters) — Avian flu found on a duck farm in northern England might be linked to a highly contagious strain of the disease found recently on a poultry farm in the Netherlands. It is also linked to a case early this month in Germany. The head of the World Organization for Animal Health […] Read more
Limit barley in bison feed
Balancing act | Animals need healthy ratio of forage and barley
Bison finishers should make sure they don’t go overboard feeding barley, says a researcher from Thompson Rivers University. John Church told the Canadian Bison Association annual convention that health conscious consumers are looking for the nutritional attributes in bison meat. However, those qualities fade if bison aren’t fed the right diet. “One of the strengths […] Read moreRelationships beat facts in food debate
Farmers can present all the facts they want on a particular issue but still won’t necessarily change consumers’ minds, says the director of the Missouri-based Centre for Food Integrity. “Facts don’t rule the day for consumers,” Roxi Beck told the Canadian Bison Association annual convention. She said consumers are drawn to ideas of people they […] Read more
Welfare concerns aren’t isolated to fringe groups
Farm practices | University of Guelph survey suggests concerns about livestock production are a mainstream issue
Canadians worried about the welfare of chickens, pigs and cows are not granola-crunching vegans who want to eradicate animal agriculture, says a University of Guelph economist. “There’s no doubt, there is a group of the population that is hard core vegan,” Michael von Massow told the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba conference held in Winnipeg Dec. […] Read moreOzone treatment kills bee pests, reduces pesticides
Electrified oxygen | Ozone is already used in water treatment and to control disease in potatoes
MARKHAM, Ont. — Ozone sterilization may be coming to North America’s honey industry, thanks to a Burlington, Ont., company, an Ontario beekeeper and the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association’s technology transfer team. “When we get this finished, it will be groundbreaking work,” said Jim Simpson with Simpson Environmental. He said ozone sterilization is already widely used in […] Read moreSask. increases inspection fees, dealer licences
Brand inspection fees in Saskatchewan are going up Jan. 2. Inspection costs will rise 75 cents per head to $2.75, while registering or renewing a brand will increase to $50 from $25 for a four-year registration and to $600 from $200 for lifetime registration. Livestock dealer licences are doubling to $200 from $100. Livestock Services […] Read more
Budget to balance
(Reuters) — The sharp decline in oil prices should not prevent Canada’s Conservative government from balancing its budget next fiscal year, prime minister Stephen Harper said Dec. 4. He noted that the federal government does not get direct royalties from oil companies, though it does receive corporate taxes, and he said finance minister Joe Oliver […] Read more
Canada’s push for more market access may backfire
Dairy protections on hot seat | Chicken Farmers of Canada say supply management and international trade are ‘absolutely compatible’
An aggressive trade agenda that has improved market access for Canadian beef and pork producers has also prompted some exporting nations to eye the country’s supply managed dairy sector. However, officials in Canada’s supply managed sectors contend that greater access into Canada’s dairy, poultry and egg markets aren’t imperative to ongoing trade talks. “Supply management […] Read morePED found on Ont. farm
OTTAWA — The 65th farm infected with porcine epidemic diarrhea in Ontario was confirmed Nov. 20. It was the second of only two cases confirmed since July. Greg Douglas, Ontario’s chief veterinarian, is nevertheless reluctant to enthuse over control measures. “With a lot of these viruses, I think you’ve got to be very careful about […] Read more
