(Reuters) — Tyson Foods Inc. said on Friday the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus will decrease pork production by two percent to four percent. Tyson made the comments during its quarterly earning conference call. PED is a fatal pig virus that is spreading across the United States and Canada. Tyson Foods, based in Springdale, Arkansas, is […] Read more
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Tyson Foods says PED virus to cut pork production by two to four percent
Railways post record year-end revenue
Canada’s major rail companies generated record-breaking revenues in 2013 in spite of a downturn in business caused by cold weather in December. Last week, Canadian Pacific Railway reported year-end 2013 revenues of $6.1 billion, up eight percent from 2012 and a company record. Adjusted net income was $1.1 billion, up 48 percent over 2012. Canadian […] Read more
Shipper, railway service agreements slow in coming
A law passed last year designed to improve service for railway customers has delivered no noticeable benefits for Canada’s agricultural shippers, says an executive with the Western Grain Elevators Association. That’s because no major grain companies have attempted to negotiate service agreements with Canada’s major railway companies since the Fair Rail Freight Service Act was […] Read more
Easing up on gas pedal boosts germination, emergence
BRANDON — Many Manitoba farmers have a lead foot when they’re seeding, and a canola specialist is telling them to ease back on the accelerator. “Apparently, Manitobans have the need for speed when it comes to seeding,” Angela Brackenreed, the Canola Council of Canada’s agronomy specialist for Manitoba, said during a session at Manitoba Ag […] Read more
Ka-Bar Becker Campanion jack-of-all-trades, master of none
The Ka-Bar Becker Campanion is a medium to large knife manufactured in the United States. The all black, 10.5 inch tool was designed by Ethan Becker and is made from 1095 Cro-Van high carbon steel with a 5.25 by two inch blade that is 1/4 inch thick along the spine and weighs one pound. Becker, […] Read more
Control measures urged to keep diseases from spreading
LETHBRIDGE — Bumper crops made headlines across the Prairies last year, but plant diseases also reared their smutty heads. “The single most important factor that affects the development of infectious diseases is the weather,” said Ron Howard of the Alberta Crop Development Centre in Brooks, Alta. Mike Harding, a plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture, warned […] Read more
Confection sunflowers promise profits this year
Production contracts above 30 cents per pound should make confection sunflowers one of Manitoba’s most profitable crops this year. Confecs were priced 10 cents higher than black oil sunflowers in the third week of January, said Mike Durand, sales and purchasing manager with Nestibo Agra, a sunflower processor in Deloraine, Man. Old crop confectionary sunflowers […] Read more
Learn to decipher data on product claims: expert
Terry Buss struggles to contain his contempt when he sees the phrase “positive yield response.” Buss, a Manitoba Agriculture soybean specialist in Beausejour, Man., said “positive yield response” regularly appears in literature promoting foliar sprays and soil fertility products. He said those claims are often meaningless because they’re rarely supported by valid data. “Positive yield […] Read more
Consumers eventually return after meat recall: study
Consumer confidence is shaken every time there is a meat recall, but they usually start eating meat again once they receive the all clear, at least in North America. “People tend to return to their past consumption,” said agriculture economist John Cranfield from the University of Guelph, who examined the effects on demand following Canadian […] Read more
Livestock producers get insurance
Risk management | New program available to hog and cattle producers provides stability
A price insurance program that has proved popular with Alberta livestock producers is now available to cattle and hog producers in all four western provinces. The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program is designed to protect against roller coaster prices by allowing producers to lock in a minimum price, similar to crop insurance. Canadian Cattlemen’s Association […] Read more
