Plans to bring beekeepers in on income deferrals available to certain livestock breeders, and to further expand rural broadband, are among the pre-Valentine’s Day candies for farmers in Tuesday’s federal budget. Federal budgets in recent years have been relatively light on line items meant directly for farmers, as ag program funding is largely locked into […] Read more
Flaherty’s budget to expand livestock tax deferrals to bees
Feed firm purging hog-based ingredients over PED risk
A southern Ontario feed processor wants customers to stop feeding its nursery feeds to young hogs, over concerns that feeds made with hog-based ingredients can be a “potential vector” for the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). PEDv, a contagious disease leading to death rates of up to 100 per cent in young piglets and is […] Read more
Wireworm action added to cereal seed treatment
Bayer CropScience has installed a neonicotinoid wireworm defense in the latest version of its Raxil cereal seed treatment. The company last week launched Raxil PRO Shield, which includes the active fungicides from Bayer’s Raxil PRO formulation, tebuconazole, prothioconazole and metalaxyl. The new product, however, also includes imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide, in a new “Stress Shield” […] Read more
Coop Federee to close Que. hardware distribution centre
Agricultural co-operative La Coop federee plans to close the distribution centre supplying “hardware and material” to its Unimat chain of ag supply and hardware retail stores by early next year. The Quebec co-op giant, whose operations also include fuel company Sonic and meat packer Olymel, said Friday it will gradually shut down those distribution operations […] Read more
Alberta insect forecasts for 2014
Maps indicate where insects could be a problem for growing season
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development has posted its annual insect forecast maps online. The maps indicate where insects could be an issue during the growing season and can help in formulating plans for seeding and pest control. “The biggest new insect issue is wheat midge in the Fahler area of the Peace area as well […] Read more
Alta. declares PEDv a reportable disease
Mindful of its potentially devastating effect on farrowing operations, and its recent arrival in Canada, Alberta has moved to declare the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) a reportable disease. Dr. Gerald Hauer, the province’s chief veterinarian, announced the change in PEDv’s status effective Jan. 20, citing “the economic harm that it could cause to the […] Read more
A+W ‘pleased with progress’ from no-hormone burger push
The year-end financials for Canada’s second-biggest burger chain find its recasting of its beef as produced with “no added hormones or steroids” has so far been “positively received” by diners. The A+W Revenue Royalties Income Fund and A+W Food Services of Canada announced their fourth-quarter and year-end results Thursday, booking sales of $278.1 million for […] Read more
Dead cattle found near Killam, SPCA investigation underway
Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reminds cattle owners to provide supplemental feed and water
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dave Prichard says its the worst thing he’s seen in a lifetime of farming — 17 dead cattle on his summer pasture. “It was not a very nice scene,” said Prichard, who has his own polled Herefords and registered red Angus on his ranch near Killam, about 70 kilometres southeast of Camrose. The cattle belonged […] Read more
Alberta pork producers on high alert after PEDv reaches Ontario
Alberta Pork rolls out action plan, calls on producers to plug any gaps in their biosecurity procedures
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many of Alberta’s pork producers were gathered at the Banff Pork Seminar when news broke that Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) had been found on a farm in Ontario. But there was also good news — Alberta Pork has a battle plan in place and the province’s 350 commercial producers have a couple of things […] Read more
New seed flow lubricant to be only one allowed on corn, soy
With bees and other pollinators in mind, corn and soybean growers who’ve used seed flow lubricants when planting seed treated with neonicotinoid pesticides will have only one option this spring. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has rolled out new guidelines for corn and soybean planting which will permit only the use of Bayer […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
