WELLINGTON (Reuters) — A New Zealand inquiry into a food safety scare involving the Fonterra dairy co-operative has found that both the government and the world’s largest dairy exporter were unprepared to deal with a 2013 global recall which turned out to be a false alarm. The government released on Tuesday the results of its […] Read more
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New Zealand government, Fonterra ill-prepared for 2013 dairy recall
Heifer sale raises money for charity
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — The Arnal Boys Memorial Bursary for Young Farmers begins on strong financial footing after three donated bred heifers sold for a total of $35,500 at the Rock Solid Bred Heifer sale here Dec. 8. The heifers consigned by Wayne Bircham and Bircham Ranch kicked off the 10th annual sale at which […] Read more
Beef industry launches new traceability program
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has gone into partnership with a private traceability company to beef up its database of cattle records. The newly-announced Beef Information Exchange system (BIXs) and ViewTrak Technologies of Edmonton will form a new company capable of providing information on millions of cattle from birth to the consumer. All information is attached to […] Read more
Several thousand cattle quarantined near Yellowstone National Park
(Reuters) — Several thousand head of cattle have been quarantined in Montana after a cow near Yellowstone National Park tested positive for brucellosis, the livestock disease much feared by ranchers and also carried by elk and bison, state livestock officials said on Friday. The disruption comes at a crucial moment for the region’s beef producers, […] Read more
Province pours cold water on NFU proposal
The Saskatchewan government has no intention of buying the CWB’s assets or acquiring a stake in the prairie grain handling industry. The province is aware of a National Farmers Union proposal that encourages Saskatchewan and other western provinces to become “actively engaged” in the federal government’s plan to privatize the CWB. But deputy agriculture minister […] Read more
Open letter from CWB
Open Letter – December 5, 2014 Following changes to the Canadian Wheat Board Act in 2012 by the Federal Government, CWB has always stated its intention to build a strong and viable CWB in the open market. CWB wants to provide farmers with greater choice, increased competition resulting in better prices, secure access to new […] Read more
China looking to curb fertilizer, pesticide use
BEIJING (Reuters) — China, the world’s top producer of rice and wheat, is seeking to cap the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that have helped to contaminate large swathes of its arable land and threaten its ability to keep up with domestic food demand. More than 19 percent of soil samples taken from Chinese […] Read more
Dairy breeders combine looks, performance
COATICOOK, Que. —Thierry Jaton’s family looked for the cheapest land possible to buy when they moved from Switzerland to Quebec 34 years ago. What they found was a dairy farm with an old barn, fields full of stones, old machinery, no artificial insemination or dairy testing program and a barn full of grade cows. They […] Read more
Own or lease: weighing options
Risk versus stability | Buying land is ‘real world serious,’ warns expert. ‘It’s not a game.’
Opinion at a recent farm management conference was divided over whether farmers can justify buying land at sky-high prices. Or to put it another way, can farmers justify not buying land that they need to form a coherent farming operation? Those conflicting factors were kicked back and forth during a debate at Farm Management Canada’s […] Read more
Highest priced horse wins ranch competition
It was clearly Ranaldo Pablo’s day. The four-year-old bay gelding earned $5,000 after winning the ranch horse competition at Canadian Western Agribition and then brought the highest price in the sale, going for $15,900. Trained by Dale Clearwater of Hanley, Sask., a perennial winner at Agribition, the gelding was consigned by Dave Freeland of Edmonton […] Read more
