Reuters — Australia and New Zealand say they’ve stepped up protections against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) at their international airports following an outbreak of the disease in Indonesia. Travellers arriving in Australia from Indonesia will now be asked to walk across sanitation foot mats at airports, the latest measure to ramp up Australia’s biosecurity measures, the […] Read more
Indonesia’s foot-and-mouth outbreak prompts international measures
'Viral fragments' detected in meats brought into Australia
Vacancies put vet clinics in ‘near crisis’ situation
More funding, more vet and vet technologist training won’t fix problem overnight, warns the AVMA
Reading Time: 3 minutes There’s a major shortage of veterinary professionals in Alberta causing long wait times for routine livestock medical procedures. There are more than 840 veterinarian and veterinary technologist vacancies in Alberta — a “near-crisis” situation that poses a risk in terms of animal welfare, livestock production and public health, the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association said in […] Read more
Total ban on killing grizzly bears isn’t working, say cattle producers
ABP wants government to issue permits to kill bears that repeatedly kill cattle and damage property
Reading Time: 5 minutes The province’s main cattle group says producers should be able to get a permit to kill grizzly bears that repeatedly kill livestock and damage property. “Alberta Beef Producers has resolved to lobby the government to provide livestock owners and landowners with permits, allowing them to kill a dangerous grizzly without being charged,” said Brad Dubeau, […] Read more
U.S. sheep herders’ suit alleges cartel-like wage suppression
Reuters –– Sheep herders in the U.S. West have banded together to sue their employers, accusing them of operating an illegal cartel that artificially suppresses their wages, according to court documents filed Wednesday in Nevada. The case could have implications for how antitrust laws are applied to labour markets, according to legal experts, as the […] Read more
More money helps, but fixing rural vet shortage a daunting task
U of Calgary vet school is doubling enrolment but also working on ways to make rural practices more attractive
Reading Time: 3 minutes The shortage of rural vets is no secret to any livestock producer, but there is fresh hope that may change in the years ahead. Flush with major new provincial funding, officials at the province’s vet school say they have a plan to address the long-standing problem. It will start with a slight increase in veterinary […] Read more
No poop for you: Manure supplies run short as fertilizer prices soar
Ontario honeywagon maker all sold out
Chicago | Reuters — For nearly two decades, Abe Sandquist has used every marketing tool he can think of to sell the back end of a cow. Poop, after all, needs to go somewhere. The Midwestern entrepreneur has worked hard to woo farmers on its benefits for their crops. Now, facing a global shortage of […] Read more
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
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
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
U.S. packer profit margins jumped 300 per cent during pandemic, economists say
Increased costs don't explain higher profits, White House advisors say
Washington | Reuters — Four of the biggest meat-processing companies, using their market power in the highly consolidated U.S. market to drive up meat prices and underpay farmers, have tripled their own net profit margins since the pandemic started, White House economics advisers said. Financial statements of the meat-processing companies — which control 55 to […] Read more