TD 4-H scholarship winners announced Twelve 4-H members have been named recipients of the TD 4-H Agriculture Scholarship valued at $2,500 each. The funds will go toward the student’s post-secondary education in agriculture, agricultural science, or agricultural business this fall. Pauline Ferguson of British Columbia: animal bioscience at the University of Saskatchewan Julie Sharp of […] Read more
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Ag Notes
Vietnam increases pork purchases from Canada
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership reduces Vietnamese tariffs on Canadian agri-food products:
When sales increase by 6,000 percent, it could be a blip or the beginning of a trend. In the first seven months of 2020, Canada exported $37 million in pork to Vietnam. That’s up from $619,470 in the same time period of 2019, a sales increase of 5,980 percent. The export figures are small compared […] Read moreFormer cattle leader takes the helm at NCC in Alberta
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has a new regional vice-president for Alberta. Tom Lynch-Staunton, formerly with Alberta Beef Producers and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, will replace Bob Demulder, who is retiring after 14 years in the role. Lynch-Staunton, who grew up on a southern Alberta ranch near Lundbreck, said the new job meshes well with […] Read more
Altered animals may improve food production
LONDON, U.K. (Reuters) — Scientists have created gene-edited pigs, goats and cattle to produce sperm with traits such as disease resistance and higher meat quality in what they say is a step toward genetically enhancing livestock to improve food production. The animals, created for the first time by researchers in the United States and Britain […] Read more
Meeting delay dampens AgriStability hopes
Provinces and the federal government continue to grapple over improvements to Canada’s business risk management programs, but will have to wait until November to formally discuss changes. An October meeting between the country’s provincial and territorial agriculture ministers and federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has been delayed until November to accommodate an Oct. 26 election […] Read more
Bayer extends CEO’s term
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) — Bayer boss Werner Baumann’s contract has been extended until 2024. The move is considered a show of support from the drug maker’s new chair, just months after the company agreed to a US$11 billion settlement of U.S. lawsuits over Roundup. Baumann unveiled plans to purchase Monsanto just weeks after becoming CEO […] Read more
EU sees climate change action as COVID economic crisis answer
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) — The European Union plans to redouble efforts to meet its green goals to help mitigate the economic havoc wrought by COVID-19, its top climate official said. EU climate chief Frans Timmermans threw cold water on any notion that the pandemic made climate action unaffordable. The EU is gearing up for a […] Read more
Open sow housing deadline extended
Pig producers in Canada may have another nine years to convert their barns to open sow housing. A report from the National Farm Animal Care Council on the codes of practice for raising pigs in Canada has recommended pushing back the deadline from 2024 to 2029. A five year review of the pig code, published […] Read more
Throne speech commits to rural broadband
Canada’s minority Liberal government is promising job creation, better rural internet access and a commitment to combating climate change in its newly revealed legislative plans. In an ambitious Sept. 23 throne speech, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party committed itself to implementing universal child care and extending or enhancing many of the economic measures put in […] Read more
Quebec dominates organic growth
The number of organic farmers and acreage may be flattening in Canada, but not in Quebec. Growth is way up in Quebec, as the province continues to add growers and land that is organically certified. Data from L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) shows that acreage went from 178,980 in 2017 to 243,168 in 2019, a […] Read more
