Statistics Canada says that the cow herd and ewe flock have declined as of January 1, 2021, year-over-year, while hog numbers are up slightly. As of the first of the year, StatsCan says the hog herd increased by less than one per cent — just 0.4% year-over-year — while cattle numbers dropped one per cent… Read More
A national coalition of industry-wide farm organizations have launched the Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA). The goal of the alliance is to ensure that “Canadian farmers’ sustainable practices are recognized through a policy environment that maintains their competitiveness, supports their livelihoods, and leverages their critical role as stewards of the land,” the organization says. As of March… Read More
In a story that only seems to get more contentious and downright odd the longer it goes on, Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is now asking dairy farmers to consider eliminating the use of palm oil by-product supplements in dairy rations, until new research is completed. Earlier this month, RealAgriculture explored reports by some Canadians… Read More
An enterprising farmer is one that, in finding a gap in available equipment, decides simply to build their own. Such is the case with Korb Whale of Clovermead Farms and the biodigester setup on his farm. When the farm decided to pursue building a digester, there really wasn’t a turn-key option in Canada. Instead, Whale… Read More
Custom hay operators and large hay producers can add higher baling capacity with Krone North America’s three new Generation 5 BiG Pack large square balers. This latest generation of large square balers from Krone come with several new features and benefits, such as improved Variable Fill System (VFS) which the company says allows for easier… Read More
Paul Lofgren has been appointed president and CEO of DeLaval by the Tetra Laval Group. The decision follows Joakim Rosengren stepping down from the position after 18 years with DeLaval, and 35 years with the Tetra Laval Group. Lofgren, served as the executive vice president for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa clusters of DeLaval,… Read More
While there are people on social media trying to cast a shadow on the quality and safety of Canadian butter due to a perceived change in its melting point, industry experts say butter consistency, cheese texture, and the composition of milk change every year — and throughout the year — based on ration changes of the… Read More
You’ve maybe heard of, or like our host Shaun Haney have had the chance to visit an anaerobic biodigester facility, but generally the information out there is few and far between. Coming at the livestock and manure management from another angle, our guest for today’s RealAg LIVE! is Jennifer Green of the Canadian Biogas Association…. Read More
The theories range from “evil” American milk making its way into Canada, to mistreatment of cows or mysterious supplements fed to cows, to enzyme activity; but any sort of factual explanation for why some Canadians are saying butter has either changed consistency at room temperature or changed in flavour since August 2020 remains a mystery…. Read More
Meet Paul Klaesi of Fepro Farms near Cobden, Ont., a pioneer in cold weather biogas generation. Klaesi and his family came to a Canadian dairy farm from Switzerland in 1990. At the time, Klaesi had been looking into biogas generation, but shelved the idea while he built the farm in Canada. By 2000, he felt the… Read More
The federal and Saskatchewan governments announced $7.5 million in funding for livestock and forage research in 2021 through the Saskatchewan Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) on Wednesday. The $7.5 figure includes more than $4.1 million for 24 livestock and forage-related research projects, and nearly $3.5 million in operational funding for the Prairie Swine Centre and the Vaccine… Read More
Rob McKinlay runs a 70-cow dairy near Woodstock, Ont., and has fully incorporated biogas capture into the farm’s feeding and energy system. Using manure and refused or spoiled feed as a feedstock, McKinlay’s biogas digester fully captures the energy produced on farm and uses it to keep the lights on and dairy farm humming with… Read More
Dairy farmers can check the mailbox soon for directions on how to access the next payment under the Dairy Direct Payment Program. The federal government announced last week that dairy farmers will receive cash payments on the basis of milk quota. The total payouts will equal $468 million in 2020-21, $469 million in 2021-22, and $468 million in 2022-23. In order… Read More
Two of the largest dairy processors in Canada have announced a deal that will see several yogurt brands change hands. Lactalis Canada, the company formerly known as Parmalat, has signed an agreement to acquire Agropur Cooperative’s Canadian yogurt business, which includes the Iögo and Iögo Nanö yogourt brands, as well as the Olympic yogurt, sour… Read More
Dairy has become the first issue under the new NAFTA to be challenged with potential enforcement action. As expected, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday announced it is seeking consultations with Canada regarding the allocation of the dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for market access negotiated in the USMCA. “Canada’s measures violate its commitments… Read More