Reading Time: 2 minutes Bird flu hasn’t yet hit Alberta’s poultry industry but it’s a real threat for provincial egg farmers, and one the federal government needs to manage. Avian influenza has killed nearly 50 million chickens and turkeys in the U.S. and hit a handful of Ontario and B.C. operations earlier this year. “We saw what a big […] Read more
Supply management wants the federal government in its corner
Farm Vote: The feds should be supporting supply management, says the chair of Egg Farmers of Alberta
Farmers, upset over TPP talks, take cows to Parliament
Ottawa | Reuters — Unhappy Canadian dairy farmers parked dozens of tractors in central Ottawa and walked their cows down the main street opposite Parliament on Tuesday to protest trade talks they said could cripple them. Canada is one of 12 Pacific Rim countries trying to nail down a trade deal in Atlanta this week. […] Read more
COOL saga winding down, but not over yet
CNS Canada –– The seven-year saga of U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) rules and their adverse impact on Canada’s livestock sector may be nearing its final chapter, but the conclusion still needs to be written. After numerous complaints and appeals with the World Trade Organization, the COOL regulations in place since 2008 have been […] Read more
duBreton to boost output of crate-free pigs
Reuters — Private Canadian pork producer duBreton said Thursday it plans to raise 300,000 additional pigs during the next three years without housing them in crates, as it seeks premium prices from food stores and restaurants for meat raised humanely. Larger Canadian rivals Olymel and Maple Leaf Foods are already converting all of their own […] Read more
Guelph animal science department rebrands
The Ontario Agricultural College’s department of animal and poultry science has hatched a new name meant to better take in the scope of its work. The new name, the Department of Animal Biosciences, “helps describe the department’s evolution from a livestock husbandry department in the 1870s to the highly dynamic and integrated department it is […] Read more
Biocontainment plan can be a lifesaver during a disease outbreak
The to-do list is a long one in a crisis — and it’s better to have it all set down in writing
Reading Time: 2 minutes No one wants an infectious animal disease outbreak on their farm — but every producer should be ready for one, says an expert on biocontainment plans. “When we get into crisis mode, we tend to forget the important steps and communications pieces that need to be there — by having it all documented ahead of […] Read more
McDonald’s cage-free egg pledge pressures farmers
Reuters — This month’s pledge by McDonald’s Corp. to phase out eggs laid by caged hens in its North American restaurants will increase competition for limited supplies of cage-free eggs. The ban, which follows similar moves by Burger King and food services company Sodexo, carries higher costs that may, at least initially, sting farmers. For […] Read more
JBS to expand in processed foods, eyes Europe
Sao Paulo | Reuters –– Brazil’s JBS, the world’s largest beef exporter, is looking to enlarge its processed foods operations and expand in Europe, CEO Wesley Batista said in an interview with Valor Economico published Friday. The company, which in recent months has made billion-dollar acquisitions in the U.K. and U.S., is also looking to […] Read more
U.S. may kill poultry with heat stress to stop bird flu
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. agriculture officials seeking ways to control deadly bird flu have approved the use of a method to kill poultry by turning up the heat in their barns and shutting off ventilation systems. The Agriculture Department will consider using the method, condemned by animal rights groups as cruel, if there are […] Read more
McDonald’s investor wants it to cut antibiotics in all meats
Los Angeles | Reuters –– A McDonald’s Corp. shareholder group is renewing its call for the fast-food chain to stop buying any meat from animals raised with antibiotics vital to fighting human infections. The move from the Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of Boerne, Texas, comes amid growing concern from public health experts that the overuse […] Read more