With the New Year just around the corner, nominations for various awards will start to roll out. If you know someone who strives for the best in beef and is an advocate for the industry, nominations are now open for the Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) lifetime achievement award. “(The lifetime achievement award) is awarded every… Read More
The Canadian Prairies are exactly that — prairie. Rich soil supports incredible crop production now, but the climate, soil, and plants that have mingled and grown here long before agriculture moved in were all about permanent ground cover. Annual cropping leaves soil exposed or even bare if tillage is part of the equation, and while… Read More
What’s the most important agronomic resource Ontario farmers could hold in their possession? How about the new Soil Fertility Handbook? You’ll hear all about it on this episode of the RealAg Bookclub podcast as handbook editor, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil fertility specialist Jake Munroe, tells us why there should be… Read More
The news The federal government has announced $1.5 million in funding to support animal health and disease surveillance in the hog sector. The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) will use the funds to adopt a virus detection system to support animal health. Funded under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership’s AgriAssurance Program, the virus detection system will enable… Read More
Costco Wholesale announced it is updating company animal welfare standards to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in its meat and poultry supply chains. Announced earlier this week on the same day as McDonald’s own policy commitment, Costco’s new direction follows similar lines to the seller of Big Macs. “Our policy is to limit… Read More
Heavy lamb prices across Ontario sale barns have dipped steeply lower in the last three weeks, with year-over-year drops at some auctions over $0.30 (or more) a pound for the same weight class. While some seasonal dips are expected at this time of year, Ontario sheep farmers are also up against a much higher than… Read More
McDonald’s has announced a new policy aimed at reducing the overall use of antibiotics important to human health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), across its global beef supply chain. According to the WHO, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. McDonald’s says instituting… Read More
The second phase of the Dairy Farm Investment program will start accepting applications in the New Year. The federal program is a five-year, $250-million program to “help Canadian cow’s milk producers improve productivity through upgrades to their equipment.” The government says the program is designed to assist dairy producers adapt to the anticipated impacts of… Read More
The Canadian Bison Association (CBA) has chosen a familiar face for its president and board chair position for next year. At a board meeting held this past week, the CBA announced they’re re-electing Sharif Fahmy for the pair of positions. Fahmy has served as both president and board chair for the past three years. “It… Read More
The Canadian Food Price Report for 2019 was unveiled this week, and the findings raised the eyebrows of many, including those within the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). The report was put out by the University of Guelph and the University of Dalhousie. The two schools cite the price of meat is set to decline as more people are… Read More
Ontario grain farmers dealing with high DON (vomitoxin) levels in their corn crop can now apply for funding to cover DON testing. The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) has announced a new intake for cost-share opportunities to support DON testing under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). The initiative will support producers whose corn crop or corn products… Read More
Although Agribition has come and gone, there’s still much talk around town about Jim Reeves, the the Texas longhorn steer that graced the show for the first time in 2018. Owner Kris Johnson says about the longhorns: “They’re a very very docile breed, which is what’s so special about Jim Reeves, he’s a big massive… Read More
Although it’s still in the early stages of results, the plebiscite vote in regards to the service charge model for Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) show 51.3 per cent are in favour of a refundable check-off model. The vote took place between October 19th to November 27th, and, of the 1,874 votes, only four ballots were… Read More
For the first time in more than a decade, alpaca producers were able to show their prized animals off at the 48th annual Canadian Western Agribition. Happy to be back for the Premier Alpaca Halter Event this year was Loretta Peters of Dreamin’ Alpacas. She says it was an easy choice to get into the alpaca… Read More
The Ontario government is proposing changes to the previous government’s recent overhaul of the rabies immunization rules as they apply to livestock headed to agricultural fairs. Ernie Hardeman, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, says the proposed amendments to the Health Protection and Promotion Act are intended to reduce “unnecessary red tape and… Read More