Canadian governments and livestock sectors are on track to meet national traceability goals that ministers set last year, says a senior Agriculture Canada official.In July 2009, federal and provincial agriculture ministers committed at their annual summer meeting to establish a mandatory comprehensive national system for livestock by 2011.“I believe I will be able to stand […] Read more
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National traceback on track
Ag Canada studies livestock transport
LETHBRIDGE – A livestock transportation study is designed to improve animal welfare and increase producer profits.Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, a beef welfare and behaviour specialist at Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Lethbridge, said Canada’s livestock transport regulations are 30 years old and about to be changed.As a result, the industry and regulators decided it was time to […] Read more
Rain leaves 30 percent of Sask. unseeded
Saskatchewan farmers are packing away their seeding equipment for another year and will begin assessing the fallout from a frustrating, rain-soaked planting season.Estimates vary widely, but it is believed that as many as six to eight million acres could go unseeded in the province this year.To make matters worse, many of the crops that have […] Read more
Hint of COOL expansion adds to Canadian fears
DES MOINES, Iowa – Dangers to the U.S. hog industry lurk in the shadows of Capitol Hill in Washington, threatening to leap into legislation and cost producers lots of money.One of the dangers also menaces Canadian farmers: an extension of country-of-origin labelling to processed meat products made in the United States.”It was in the notes,” […] Read more
Pork producers’ moods lifting at world expo
DES MOINES, Iowa – As he stood on the main street of the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Claude Vielfaure wore a smile.That was evidence of a huge shift in farmer mood at the World Pork Expo, as people like Vielfaure, a Manitoban who is Canada’s largest independent producer of pigs, were able to enjoy good times […] Read more
B.C. farm group lobbies provincial gov’t for stable funding
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – The British Columbia Agriculture Council wants a stable income.”There is an increasing need to have an established fund of industry dollars that can be sourced and leveraged for the benefit of B.C. agriculture,” said council chair Garnett Etsell, who made the case for more money at the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association annual […] Read more
Lending practices under fire
The National Farmers Union is calling on Ottawa to review lending guidelines at Farm Credit Canada.Darrin Qualman, director of research with the NFU, says Farm Credit Canada – a taxpayer owned, federally controlled agricultural lending agency – should not be financing the acquisition of Canadian farmland by investment companies.On June 4, the NFU released a […] Read more
Raising livestock on island has its challenges
SATURNA ISLAND, B.C. – Getting to Campbell Farm on Saturna Island involves an hour-long ferry ride from Vancouver Island followed by a slow drive on a single lane road.Once there, however, the view from the 500 acre farm nestled between mountains and the Pacific Ocean make the trek worthwhile.This is where Jacques (pronounced Jackie) Campbell […] Read more
Grain bins decorated to show off Rider Pride
There’s a rumor on the Prairies that if a Saskatchewan farmer nicks his finger on a swather knife, he bleeds dark green. It’s the same dark green as a squashed grasshopper on the front of a pickup truck or the colours of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.Mike Cey, marketing director for Federated Co-operatives Limited, believes farmers will […] Read more
Unseeded acres require trip to lender
Farmers unable to seed but relying on this year’s crop to make payments should plan to sit down soon with their lenders.The full effect of this spring’s excessive moisture in parts of the Prairies is not yet known, but some farmers have run out of time to plant and beat the fall frost.Lenders say they […] Read more
