New system in development stage | Feed savings could average $8 per pig
BANFF, Alta. —Feeding pigs individually formulated diets could help them grow better and save money, but the practice of precision feeding is not yet a reality. Canadian and Spanish scientists are working to develop a computerized feeding system that can assess how much each animal needs to eat as it grows. Agriculture Canada researcher Candido […] Read moreNews — page 2501
Computerized feed system improves bottom line
Natural pesticide protects African cattle from biting ticks
LINDELL BEACH, B.C. — Poor farmers in East Africa have traditionally used the leaves from a woody shrub to control fevers. They have now found that they can also help their cattle cope with ticks by soaking and pulping those leaves to produce an extract that they can spray on their livestock. Biting insects can […] Read more
More beef, lower quality can still make the grade
Tenderness versus faster weight gain | There is a market for lower grade beef and producers must weigh the pros and cons
The benefits of implants on cattle weight gain are well known in the feeding industry, but it’s also known that implants can toughen meat, making it less desirable to consumers. Those two facts don’t necessarily conflict when it comes to beef marketing, said Elanco meat scientist Sandra Gruber. There is a market for lower grade […] Read moreCWB aims to retain staff, win farmers’ confidence in new era
Pro-monopoly directors and senior managers argued strenuously for years that the Canadian Wheat Board could not survive without a monopoly. In fact, they argued that the board had no point without a monopoly. Those arguments were passionately embraced by many who saw the wheat board debate as an economic and ideological cause celebre, as a […] Read more
Timing right for northern terminal sale
Just like the television game show, “the price was right” for the sale of Great Northern Grain Terminal’s Nampa, Alta., facility to grain giant Richardson International. Bruce Horner, chief executive officer of Great Northern Grain, said Richardson would likely have built its own terminal down the road if the smaller company didn’t sell, which would […] Read more
Crop research projects get record ADF funding
Saskatchewan crop researchers qualified for $8.3 million in government funding through the province’s Agriculture Development Fund in 2012. It was the highest amount ever approved by the ADF in a single funding year. The money, which is usually distributed over several years, will help pay for research that could result in higher yielding crops, better […] Read more
Food sector gets marketing money
SPRUCE GROVE, Alta. — Federal funding to help promote Canadian food and beverages abroad gives a real boost to Canadian companies, says a director of the Canadian Honey Council. Bernie Rousseau said the $600,000 funding would help companies such as Bee Maid Honey expand exports. “The funding program is tremendously valuable. It really helps,” said […] Read more
Program urges switch to biomass
Coal users in Manitoba are being offered funding assistance to encourage them to switch to biomass energy products. The Manitoba Biomass Energy Support Program provides $400,000 in funds to help coal users switch and to support the expansion of the biomass energy production industry. Biomass can be produced from residue such as straw, oat hulls […] Read more
Budget cuts may hit Ag Canada
A left-leaning Ottawa research centre is warning that impending government cuts in an expected March budget could mean the loss of hundreds of Agriculture Canada jobs and deep spending cuts. In a Jan. 23 report, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives projected that more than 600 Agriculture Canada positions could be eliminated and $220 million […] Read more
Cargill expands beef storage
Cargill’s beef slaughter plant in High River, Alta., is upgrading its facilities to increase boxed beef storage and use its own waste products to produce electricity. Steve Molitor of Cargill said the plant can store 45,000 boxes of beef but produces 35,000 boxes daily. That has required it to ship and store boxed beef in […] Read more
