Brasilia | Reuters — Brazil’s right-wing government under President Jair Bolsonaro will seek to classify invasions of farmland by landless workers movements as akin to terrorism, with harsher penalties for perpetrators, an agriculture ministry official said on Monday. Nabhan Garcia, land issues secretary at the ministry, said the government must convince the National Congress to […] Read more
Brazil plans to fight invasions by landless workers
Pacific pact spurs Canadian ag sales to Japan as U.S. watches
Winnipeg | Reuters — At the Canadian embassy in Tokyo last month, beef promoters flew in a chef from Canada to cook New York strip steaks for hungry Japanese importers and restaurant suppliers. The annual Canadian beef buffet reception attracted 126 people, up sharply from the usual 30 to 40. A trade deal among Pacific […] Read more
EU trade chief says U.S. talks won’t include agriculture
Washington | Reuters — The European Union and United States have not yet agreed on the scope of trade negotiations, but the bloc will not include agriculture in the talks, its trade commissioner said on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump has sought better terms of trade with the EU, as well as China, Japan, Canada […] Read more
Bovine TB strain in latest outbreak new to Canada
Canada’s latest outbreak of bovine tuberculosis in domestic cattle involves a strain of TB bacteria not related to any previously seen in Canadian livestock or wildlife. Culture testing of bacteria taken from a cow confirmed as TB-positive in November shows it’s “not related to past cases of bovine TB in Alberta or British Columbia or […] Read more
U.S. top court won’t hear Quebec farmers over foie gras ban
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected the latest challenge to California’s ban on foie gras, a delicacy produced from the enlarged livers of ducks and geese that have been force-fed corn. The court declined to hear an appeal by producers of foie gras, including the Association des Eleveurs de Canards […] Read more
Amazon reported planning to expand Whole Foods chain
Reuters — Amazon.com is planning to expand its Whole Foods Market portfolio by adding more stores to put more customers within its two-hour delivery service range, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources. Whole Foods employees have visited regions of western North America for potential retail spaces in parts of Idaho, southern Utah […] Read more
Bovine TB probe expands to Saskatchewan
Updated, Dec. 24 — Some cattle in Saskatchewan are now under federally imposed movement controls as testing for bovine tuberculosis expands to 14 domestic herds in three provinces. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced Friday the tracing of a single case of bovine TB in a beef cow from a farm in British Columbia’s southern […] Read more
There’s a learning curve with new rules on medication
Now is the time to get up to speed on the ins and outs of the regulations on medicated feed and additives
Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes to Health Canada’s policy on medically important antimicrobials, which came into effect Dec. 1, include those medications administered in water and in feed. This change is in response to antimicrobial resistance and the assurance of a safe food supply. It will also, I feel, be a positive step to further assure accuracy in milled […] Read more
Gabert family given 50-year membership award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rick and Sharon Gabert of Crooked Creek Angus Ranch were honoured for 50 years of consecutive family membership in the Canadian Angus Association at this year’s Farmfair. The Fort Saskatchewan-area ranch began as a dairy and grain operation, started a herd of commercial Angus in 1964, and purchased its first registered Angus cows in 1968. […] Read more
U.S. House approves farm bill without tighter food stamps criteria
Washington | Reuters — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the farm bill on Wednesday, capping months of acrimonious debate to finalize the legislation funding the nation’s US$867 billion food and agriculture programs. The bill, which passed by a vote of 369 to 47, will be submitted to President Donald Trump for his signature into […] Read more
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