An west-central Manitoba hog producer is said to have turned down assistance from the provincial agriculture ministry in the lead-up to the eventual euthanizing of 1,300 young hogs. "We had discussed options with this producer about other steps he could have taken," Dr. Wayne Lees, Manitoba’s chief veterinarian, said of the situation at the farm […] Read more
Province offered aid before pigs shot at Manitoba barn
Hold the antibiotics, pass the mustard
Alternative Antibiotic use in livestock production is increasingly coming under fire as a cause of antimicrobial resistance
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plant-based peptides could offer alternatives to antibiotics currently used in livestock production, if research at Prairie Plant Systems pans out. The Saskatoon-based company is examining the possible applications of peptides possessing antibacterial properties. “It’s pretty preliminary research, but the idea behind it is to see if it’s possible to have feed amendments that could prevent […] Read moreThe human toll of animal euthanasia
Unpleasant work Humane euthanasia methods are just as important for those who do the deed
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re going to raise livestock, you inevitably must deal with deadstock — and sometimes you have to put it out of its misery. While euthanasia is an accepted reality of animal production, its human toll is often ignored, industry observers say. “I think in the last few years we have realized the importance of […] Read moreRitz rejects aid for hog producers
Contract protection Ontario pig producers are faring better than those in the West, says FCC’s Lyndon Carlson
Reading Time: 3 minutes Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz is monitoring the financial problems facing hog producers, but he’s not prepared to offer the ad hoc assistance some are seeking for the industry. “Well, I’m not a big proponent of ad hoc programs,” Ritz told reporters Sept. 22 after speaking at the Canadian Farm Writers Federation’s (CFWF) annual meeting […] Read morePressure grows on livestock industry to reduce use of antibiotics
Hot potato The federal government licenses the drugs, but has no authority to control how they are used
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canadian livestock producers who fear a U.S.-style clampdown on their use of antibiotics don’t have to worry — for now. Ottawa is sidestepping the issue and most provinces are only reluctantly beginning to fill the regulatory gap. But tougher rules that would more closely monitor, and possibly restrict, antibiotic use in livestock operations appear to […] Read moreThink you know what the future holds? Think again
Equine hazard Crop-guzzling horses once posed serious risk to human health in major city
Reading Time: 2 minutes Next time someone tells you what the future holds, think manure. Literally. That’s the advice of writer Stephen Dubner, who used the tale of a century-old manure crisis to illustrate the folly of predicting what lies ahead. “Human beings are terrible at predicting the future,” the journalist and co-author of Freakonomics told attendees at the […] Read moreMarket access to China key to expanding Canadian canola exports
Tarrifs Blackleg concerns set aside as Canada works to negotiate better access to China’s growing market
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re thinking of heading into the canola markets, it might be time to brush up on your Mandarin and Cantonese. China and its growing economic influence featured prominently during discussion on growing export markets at the Canola Council of Canada’s (CCC) convention in the American capital, largely because it is expected to feature prominently […] Read moreTaking canola markets to the next level
Premium brands Just being good isn’t enough. Being special can elevate products like canola oil to new levels
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canola oil, low in saturated fat and high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, offers clear health benefits to consumers. But marketers can’t expect the product to sell itself — they need to grease the wheels, speakers told attendees at the Canola Council of Canada’s convention here earlier this month. “(Canola oil) is very basic, although […] Read moreMan. workers’ shooting of pigs in ‘distress’ questioned
Manitoba provincial workers took a full day to shoot 1,300 hogs in a barn that is now under investigation for inhumane treatment of its animals, according to a former employee who claims to have witnessed the event. The weanlings were shot using 22-calibre rifles and some were shot "three or four times" before dying, said […] Read more
Staples Canada picks up straw-based paper
Manitoba farmers could see a lucrative new market for straw emerge, as the province moves closer to becoming the site of North America’s first pulp and paper mill using straw. Prairie Pulp + Paper Inc. launched a new printer paper containing 80 per cent straw this summer, and if the product is a hit with […] Read more
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