Milan | Reuters — Parmalat activist investor Amber Capital believes the price of a buyout offer by France’s Lactalis undervalues the Italian dairy group and won’t be tendering its three per cent stake. Lactalis, which won control of Parmalat in 2011 amid failed efforts in Italy to mount a domestic counter bid, has launched an […] Read more
Lactalis offer for Italy’s Parmalat seen too low
Ontario dairy sector optimistic with expanding demand
Ontario’s dairy industry is in a period of unprecedented growth, with over 15 per cent more quota going to dairy farmers in less than two years. There are almost certainly more quota increases to come, in order to increase milk production to displace significant volumes of butter now being imported. “It’s an absolutely great time […] Read more
Bocock Brothers receive top dairy award
Reading Time: < 1 minute John and Bill Bocock are the 2016 recipients of the Alberta Milk’s Dairy Industry Achievement Award. The brothers are trendsetters whose dairy careers have spanned decades, and among their contributions to the industry is a donation of 777 acres to the University of Alberta to create the St. Albert Research Station. The station is used […] Read more
Watch to see if cattle eating cobs when grazing standing corn
There’s a high incidence of mouldy corn this year and if cattle aren’t eating the cobs, they need supplemental feeding
Reading Time: 2 minutes Providing supplemental protein and grain is one option if cattle are grazing mouldy standing corn. “Some corn crops left for late-season grazing have been damaged by the fall weather,” said provincial beef and forage specialist Barry Yaremcio. “High humidity, frequent rainfall, and frosts have created ideal conditions for moulds to form. Saprophytic moulds that cause […] Read more
New leaders at Alberta Barley, Alberta Milk, and Grain Growers of Canada
New Year brings new faces on the boards and executives of farm groups
Reading Time: 2 minutes With a new year dawning, a host of producers are assuming farm leadership roles or taking on new ones. At Alberta Barley, Jason Lenz has stepped up to chair (from vice-chair) after Sylvan Lake producer and past chair Mike Ammeter “termed out” after serving on the board of directors for the last six years. “It’s […] Read more
New OVC vet rotation focuses on dairy animal welfare
The Ontario Veterinary College has added a dairy animal welfare rotation to its fourth-year curriculum, as part of an increased focus on animal well-being. The rotation is offered through the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare at the University of Guelph, where research has been conducted on animal welfare for 25 years. Montreal-based […] Read more
Explosion leaves U.S. ready-made whipped cream in short supply
New York | Reuters — American sweet tooths may suffer this holiday season as a ready-made whipped cream shortage could leave such favorites as apple pie or a mug of hot chocolate without a little extra on top. The creamy dessert topping is in short supply after an August explosion at an Airgas Inc. facility […] Read more
Major dairy farm gets six-figure fines in cruelty case
British Columbia’s largest dairy farm has been slapped with a reported $300,000 in fines after entering guilty pleas to charges of animal cruelty, stemming from covert video shot in 2014. Chilliwack Cattle Sales (CCS) and co-owner Wesley Kooyman were convicted Friday in Provincial Court over violations of the province’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. […] Read more
‘Non-GMO’ label to land on Canadian cheese
A Manitoba cheesemaker is poised to be the first in Canada to offer a “Non-GMO Verified” cheese line, using milk from cows fed non-GMO crops. Bothwell Cheese announced Tuesday it plans to be the first in the country to offer cheeses made with milk that comes from dairy farms verified by the Non-GMO Project, a […] Read more
Greig: Salmonella strain hard to treat in livestock
A strain of salmonella resistant to multiple antimicrobials is spreading in Ontario and Quebec cattle herds. There have been 23 cases of Salmonella Dublin in 15 herds reported in Ontario since 2012, but the numbers have been increasing each year. There were eight cases reported in 2015 and four in 2016 through August. Dr. Dave […] Read more