Reading Time: < 1 minute The province’s decision to fund a major expansion of the U of Calgary’s vet school is a major step forward, but not a quick fix for the shortage of large-animal vets, says the outgoing president of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. Addressing the shortage was a key goal for Pat Burrage, who spent most of […] Read more
Veterinarian shortage a ‘complex issue’
Expansion of Alberta’s vet college hailed as ‘bold investment’
Pledge to give U of Calgary $59 million for expansion is a major ag item in provincial budget
Reading Time: 2 minutes The province is giving more money to train large-animal vets, standing pat on its funding of ag research, and apparently making big gains in cutting red tape. The most eye-catching ag-related item in the Alberta government’s Feb. 24 budget was the pledge of $59 million over three years for “infrastructure to expand the veterinary medicine school […] Read more
Second Nova Scotia poultry operation hit with avian flu
U.S. also books outbreaks in two states
A second farm in western Nova Scotia has been hit with highly pathogenic avian influenza in commercial birds, further expanding containment measures in that province. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Monday it confirmed high-path H5N1 on Wednesday last week in birds at a mixed farm in the area, where operations include poultry and poultry […] Read more
Hunt is on for a vaccine to halt fast-spreading chronic wasting disease
About 15 per cent of mule deer are infected and it’s feared the disease could jump to livestock
Reading Time: 2 minutes Five Alberta researchers have been awarded $2 million “to tackle the growing threat” of chronic wasting disease in the province. Two of the projects focus on developing vaccines, including one to prevent the potential spread of CWD to caribou. Three other projects are on transmissibility: The threat of cervids (such as deer and elk) transmitting […] Read more
Learn to manage disease threats in livestock
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Animal Health Emergency Management project and its industry partners are offering a series of workshops on emergency responses to animal diseases. The three-part workshop series are based on handbooks created by the organization on topics such as “Emergency Management 101” and proactive disease management. “The one-hour sessions progressively build out important animal disease management […] Read more
Greek farmers stage tractor protest against soaring energy costs
Larissa | Reuters — Farmers in central Greece on Friday protested with hundreds of tractors against soaring energy costs, dismissing government support measures as inadequate and demanding more help to cope with rising prices. The farmers parked tractors on a national highway near the town of Larissa in central Greece, where they faced off with […] Read more
When a predator attacks, wildlife officers need to solve the whodunit
Compensation is available for livestock producers but first some detective work needs to be done
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s always stressful when a predator injures or kills livestock, and the process for getting compensation can be stressful, too. But attendees at a recent webinar by a provincial wildlife officer got a look at the process from the investigator’s point of view. One of the key points made by Alex Bolland is that the […] Read more
Second high-path avian flu case appears in Newfoundland
Case involves non-commercial 'small flock' farm in same area
A new appearance of highly pathogenic avian flu in birds at another farm on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula isn’t expected to affect Canada’s status as free of avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported Tuesday it had confirmed ‘high-path’ H5N1 avian influenza (AI) on Sunday in birds at an “additional” farm in the region. It […] Read more
Biden unveils plan to boost competition in U.S. meat industry
Reuters — The United States will issue new rules and US$1 billion in funding this year to support independent meat processors and ranchers as part of a plan to address a lack of “meaningful competition” in the meat sector, President Joe Biden said Monday. The initiative comes amid rising concerns that a handful of big […] Read more
Revamping carbon credits could boost regenerative agriculture
Alberta organization says paying producers for actual carbon stored would boost soil health practices
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A carbon offset program could boost adoption of regenerative farming but it can’t use cookie-cutter protocols, says the head of an Alberta organization that promotes the practice. “To try to standardize something that is fundamentally adaptive and site specific, and also based on a lot of innovation, it’s going to put a […] Read more
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