Difficult to measure | At least $50 million worth of meat will be destroyed starting this week
It can’t be seen and it’s easily killed at high temperatures, but E. coli O157:H7 can have a devastating impact. “E. coli is a scourge,” said Kevin Grier, senior market analyst with the George Morris Centre. Few people would have believed after the first recall of tainted beef from XL Food’s slaughter plant in September […] Read moreNews
Luck has everything to do with RM election race in Sask.
Two candidates running for a council seat in the Rural Municipality of Swift Current saw their campaigns end with an act of random chance. When the final votes were tallied in Wednesday’s election, Chad Salter and Chad Tait, running in Division 5, were tied with 54 votes each. Election regulations in the province dictate that […] Read more
Disease outbreak simulation provides chance to learn
A simulation of a poultry disease outbreak offered a chance for animal health experts to gain some hands-on experience. Thirty-five animal health practitioners participated in the simulation, held at the University of Alberta research farm. They included personnel from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Alberta Agriculture. Brad Andres, emergency program manager for Alberta Agriculture, […] Read more
Conservatives back down on portions of omnibus bill
In a significant concession, the Conservative government has agreed that portions of its mammoth budget implementation bill will be sent to specialized House of Commons committees for detailed study. It means that budget bill inclusion of significant changes to the Canada Grain Act affecting the operation of the Canadian Grain Commission will be sent to […] Read more
Farm groups question who pays after grain commission changes enacted
The federal government says changes it is proposing to the Canadian Grain Commission should save Ottawa tens of million of dollars annually. That has some farm organizations questioning who will pick up the slack. Terry Boehm, president of the National Farmers Union, said it is unclear how farmers will be affected but he suspects farmers […] Read more
Ritz gaffe on XL compensation goes uncorrected
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz raised some eyebrows on Parliament Hill yesterday when he suggested XL Foods has negotiated an out-of-court compensation settlement with the families affected by E. coli-contaminated beef. He was answering a question at a House of Commons agriculture committee meeting from New Democrat Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty about potential liability […] Read more
JBS confident XL plant can produce safe food
There is no reason the XL Foods plant at the centre of the largest E. coli recall in Canada can’t produce safe food, said the president of the company taking over management of the plant. Bill Rupp, president of JBS USA, said his staff has scoured the plant from top to bottom and doesn’t believe […] Read more
Sask. throne speech emphasizes agriculture
Agricultural research and innovation will remain priorities for the Saskatchewan government, said the throne speech delivered this afternoon by lieutenant governor Vaughn Solomon Scofield. The speech to begin the legislative session highlighted initiatives documented in the recently announced growth plan, such as the goal to see agricultural exports rise from $10 billion in 2011 to […] Read more
Keeping the spirit of flight alive
Pam Bergen recently heard that personnel from the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre had released Swainsons hawks into the wild and she cried. The tears of joy came months after she had shed tears of sadness over the widespread destruction she saw July 26. A storm bearing golf ball-sized hail struck Pam and Allen Bergen’s […] Read more
Hearings start on food safety legislation
A government bill designed to strengthen food safety rules goes to public hearings today when the House of Commons agriculture committee opens its consideration of Bill S-11. The first witness will be federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz, who faced a day of opposition calls last week for his resignation over the government handling of the […] Read more
