Donald Trump may not like NAFTA, but his new agriculture secretary doesn’t seem too fussed about it
Reading Time: 3 minutes When Canadian, American and Mexican agriculture ministers got together last month in Savannah, Georgia, they weren’t there to discuss what U.S. President Donald Trump has described as “worst trade deal in the history of the world.” On the contrary, they talked about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as though it was about the […] Read more
Ag ministers on NAFTA: ‘If it ain’t broke…’
BCCA connecting ranchers, haulers in wildfire areas
Livestock producers needing to move animals out of wildfire zones in British Columbia’s Interior are being asked to contact the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association. The BCCA, on its website, said it’s helping to co-ordinate haulers with producers who need to evacuate livestock. “With closures of highways and evacuation orders, permits are needed to re-enter evacuated areas […] Read more
Saskatchewan sets new cougar, bear trapping seasons
Saskatchewan has set up a new cougar season for trappers, plus a southern expansion of its black bear trapping season, in part to help limit livestock predation. The province on Wednesday announced a new “trapping-only” cougar season will open Oct. 15, 2017 and close March 15, 2018. It also announced a new “black bear opportunity” […] Read more
McCain grant supports ag education program
Reading Time: < 1 minute The McCain Foundation has donated $10,000 to support an agriculture education tool kit developed by Ag for Life. The tool kit was created for use in schools, and includes information such as provincial statistics, facts and F&Qs, agricultural terminology, learning activities, and key contacts (such as producer groups and agriculture educational programs) that are available […] Read more
Canada, other countries raise meat inspection bar for Brazil
Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — Meat-importing countries from North America to Europe and Asia have tightened inspection standards for shipments from Brazil in a bid to protect consumers, following a probe into possible corruption involving inspectors. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said on Wednesday that the tighter inspection standards it enacted in April have resulted […] Read more
Tim Hortons parent updates antibiotic policy for chicken
The parent company for the Tim Hortons and Burger King chains has tightened up its pledge to curb the use of antibiotics by its chicken suppliers. Restaurant Brands International on Thursday released its first “Sustainability Report,” outlining its work during 2016 in support of “sustainable practices that promote positive change.” Back in late December, Oakville, […] Read more
Tyson to test new method to stun chickens
Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods will test a new way to render chickens unconscious before slaughter, the company said Wednesday, in the latest sign that heightened concerns about animal welfare are affecting U.S. meat processors. Within the next year, Tyson, the biggest U.S. chicken company, will launch a pilot program at two processing plants […] Read more
JBS aims to shed Alberta feedlot in divestment plan
Sao Paulo/Chicago | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA revealed a major divestment plan Tuesday, putting its Alberta cattle feeding assets and others on the block to cut debt after a corruption scandal raised concerns about its financing costs. JBS, whose controlling shareholder recently agreed to pay a massive leniency fine after becoming embroiled in […] Read more
Report sees Canadian meat prices rising at faster pace
CNS Canada — Canadians will be paying more for meat than earlier thought in 2017, according to a new report from Dalhousie University. Expected price declines for other foods, however, will limit the impact on the total grocery bill in the country. In the mid-year update for Canada’s Food Price Report, researchers at Dalhousie in […] Read more
Abu Dhabi fund not eyeing bid for JBS, source says
Abu Dhabi/Sao Paulo | Reuters — Shares of JBS SA erased gains on Friday after a source denied that Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Development Co. PJSC was arranging partners to make a bid for control of the world’s largest meatpacker. A person with direct knowledge of Mubadala’s strategy told Reuters that, despite a […] Read more