Pulling their weight and more | Washington horse enthusiast follows a long line of horse pullers into the arena
EDMONTON — Richard Cameron brought his pair of shires to the heavy horse competition in Edmonton from Washington to see how they would fare against a new group of horses. “I always wanted to play with the big kids. I wanted to compete against people who I don’t usually pull against,” said Cameron before the […] Read moreNews
Alta. dairy farmers vow pizza kit war
Supply management | The imported kits use cheese amounts that circumvent tariffs
Alberta dairy producers like pizza because of its generous use of cheese. But they aren’t fans of pizza made from “pizza kits” that contain imported cheese and are used by Canadian companies to make pies for retail sale. In September, Dairy Farmers of Canada launched a challenge through the Canadian International Trade Tribunal seeking a […] Read moreGenetic discovery may help control varroa mites in bees
A gene linked to autism in humans and obsessive grooming in mice may help bees fight back against varroa mites, say scientists at Purdue University. Within a bee colony, certain bees have the innate ability to thwart varroa mites by grooming or detecting the presence of mites. In a paper published in Plos One, an […] Read more
Genome testing pays off at Sale of Stars
TORONTO, Ont. — Big money was paid for youthful genome-tested dairy heifers at the 60th annual Sale of Stars at the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair in Toronto Nov. 8. “We are on the threshold of some great things,” said sale organizer Donald Johnston at the start of the sale. “We went through a period where […] Read more
Farmers look to recoup Puratone losses
Some Manitoba farmers who sold grain to Puratone, before the hog production company entered creditor protection in September, are considering a lawsuit because they haven’t received payment for their grain. In late November, Maple Leaf Foods announced it would spend $42 million to buy Puratone, a company based in Niverville, Man., that produces 500,000 hogs […] Read more
House passes Panama trade deal
More than two years after the agreement was signed, the House of Commons has approved a free trade deal with Panama, sending the bill to the Senate for final approval. With the New Democratic Party, Bloc Québecois and Green Party leader Elizabeth May voting against it, the bill was approved Nov. 7 by a vote […] Read more
Sask. gov’t boosts funding for flood control
The Saskatchewan government has added $500,000 to a program that funds channel clearing and flood control. The Water Control Assistance Program now has allocated more than $1.2 million to help municipalities deal with water-related issues after two years of excess rain and high moisture levels. The program provides up to half the cost of the […] Read more
Manitoba pork producers in line for loans
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. – After several months of brainstorming, the Manitoba Pork Council has devised a scheme to preserve the province’s hog industry. As 175 producers listened intently inside a Portage la Prairie theatre Wednesday, Council chairman Karl Kynoch unveiled the details of a stabilization program for Manitoba hog producers. In simple terms, the […] Read more
Ag committee approves food safety bill
The government’s proposal for a significant food safety legislative overhaul sailed through the House of Commons agriculture committee Nov. 6 with almost no debate as Conservative MPs rejected all proposed amendments. Bill S-11, the Safe Food for Canadians Act, now heads to the Commons for final debate and approval, possibly next week. The bill would […] Read more
Governments commit funding to HayEast
The federal and Ontario governments have agreed to cover some of the costs of moving prairie hay to areas of Ontario affected by the 2012 drought. The announcement of public help for HayEast follows weeks of lobbying to have governments provide the same level of support they did for HayWest organized a decade ago to […] Read more
