London | Reuters – The World Health Organization urged farmers on Tuesday to stop using antibiotics to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals because the practice fuels dangerous drug-resistant superbug infections in people. Describing a lack of effective antibiotics for humans as “a security threat” on a par with “a sudden and deadly […] Read more
Stop using antibiotics in healthy animals, WHO urges farmers
Reports highlight strengths, weaknesses of Canadian ag exports
Commodity News Service Canada – There is room for improvement in the Canadian agricultural export market with competition from new markets globally, according to a pair of reports released by Farm Credit Canada. The FCC Ag Economics, Trade Ranking Report: Agriculture and FCC Ag Economics, Trade Ranking Report: Manufactured Food give overviews of Canada’s global […] Read more
Feds announce tax support for farmers
In a news release distributed today linked to Budget 2017, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced tax relief to help farmers who received compensation under the Health of Animals Act from livestock destroyed due to the bovine tuberculosis outbreak in 2016 and 2017 in Alberta and Saskatchewan. The federal government also released its 2017 list of designated regions for livestock […] Read more
Don’t write NAFTA’s obituary just yet
‘Absurd’ demands have heightened fears that President Trump aims to kill the trade pact, but experts say that’s premature
Reading Time: 4 minutes Stay calm and keep negotiating’ seems to be the mantra of Canadian farm groups even as a growing number of experts warn NAFTA may be doomed. U.S. negotiators dropped a series of bombshells in the fourth round of talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement — demands that Canada and Mexico had said […] Read more
Saputo woos Australia farmers in Murray Goulburn rebuild
Winnipeg | Reuters — Saputo, one of Canada’s largest dairy producers, aims to return Australia’s Murray Goulburn Co-operative to profit by aggressively pursuing more of the country’s milk supply, its CEO said on Thursday. The Montreal-based company agreed last week to buy the co-operative for C$1.3 billion including debt, and has already planned 15 meetings […] Read more
TPP talks without U.S. near final stretch
Urayasu, Japan | Reuters — The 11 remaining nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States edged toward sealing a comprehensive free trade pact after New Zealand agreed to amend laws that are not subject to TPP, to enable its ban on foreign home purchases. The pact aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial […] Read more
Saputo to buy Australian dairy co-op Murray Goulburn
Reuters — Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Australia’s largest milk processor, on Friday said it agreed to a buyout from Canadian dairy company Saputo worth up to A$637.8 million (C$627.5 million). Murray Goulburn (MG) said Saputo would pay between A$1.10-$1.15 per share, compared to its A$2.10 issue price when it listed in 2015. A total buyout value […] Read more
Xplornet to buy NetSet
A rural broadband provider serving over 500 Manitoba municipalities and communities is set to be absorbed into one of Canada’s biggest rural operators. Xplornet Communications announced Monday it has signed a deal to buy the internet access business of Brandon-based NetSet Communications. Financial terms of the deal for the privately-held Manitoba company weren’t disclosed, except […] Read more
Fences can cause issues — but there’s an act for that
There are at least four provincial acts which deal with fencing matters such as strays, maintenance, and location
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Stray Animals Act, Line Fence Act, Public Lands Act, and Surveys Act all affect how farmland fencing issues are handled in Alberta. “Under the Stray Animals Act, a landowner is responsible for keeping his livestock properly fenced and contained,” said Jeana Schuurman of the Farmers’ Advocate Office. “If damage is caused by cattle trespassing […] Read more
Vets decry province’s plan to redirect school funding to Calgary
Province will pull funding from Saskatoon’s veterinary college to expand its Calgary counterpart
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association says the province is making a mistake by pulling its $8 million in annual funding from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine to expand the vet school at the University of Calgary. The association said it supports the expansion of U of C’s veterinary medicine program to […] Read more