Livestock
Any barns raised or farm buildings put up in Manitoba after Nov. 1 will have to meet a new farm building code coming into effect that day. Provincial Labour Minister Jennifer Howard on Friday announced the new safety standards for farm buildings along with amendments to the province’s general building and plumbing codes, also to […] Read more
Building code effective Nov. 1 on new Man. barns
Alta. biosecurity support program gets rolling
A three-year federal/provincial grant program aimed at helping or encouraging Alberta livestock operations to set up biosecurity measures is now taking applications. Alberta’s Growing Foward Biosecurity program, which will accept applications up until Sept. 30, 2012, will cover 50 per cent of eligible expenses for approved biosecurity work by farmers, non-profit farmer groups and “farm […] Read more
Newborn pigs clear out C. difficile over time: Study
A two-month study of how an infamous bacterium fared in a group of Ontario piglets may lead to a rethinking of future studies on the bacteria’s behaviour in pigs. Researchers in pathobiology and population medicine at the University of Guelph this month published the results of their longitudinal study (that is, a study of a […] Read more
Feds add funds for B.C. beef market development
Beef market development projects recommended by British Columbia’s recent Ranching Task Force will get up to $3 million in federal support on top of $2 million the province pledged earlier this year. Kamloops MP Cathy McLeod on Tuesday announced the federal funding from the AgriFlexibility program for work on “new market opportunities and research projects” […] Read more
Cattlemen’s marketing arms to merge: MCO
Faced with declining checkoff dollars to fund them, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association is looking to merge two of its marketing arms, according to Thursday’s Manitoba Co-operator. The roles of the Canadian Beef Export Federation (CBEF) and the Beef Information Centre (BIC) are currently under review with an eye on cutting costs, according to former CCA […] Read more
N.B. to sweeten Ag Development Board programs
The New Brunswick government plans to pump up four Agricultural Development Board (ADB) programs for new and/or established farmers with more favourable terms and, in some cases, access to more financing. The province announced Wednesday it has introduced amendments to the related regulations under its Agricultural Development Act and Livestock Incentives Act. The ADB’s New […] Read more
N.S. launches resource project for new farmers
Nova Scotia’s ag department has launched a program aimed at connecting the province’s new farmers with support, services and other available resources. The four-year program, dubbed Thinkfarm, includes a co-ordinator working on resources for new farmers. It also offers a guidebook, resource fact sheets and a website as a “one-stop location for all information,” the […] Read more
BIXS cattle ID system soon to go live
After extensive beta-testing by computer-savvy ranchers this summer, the online record-keeping system called the BIXS, or Beef InfoXchange System, will be ready for launch for the cow-calf sector by September of this year, says Larry Thomas, national co-ordinator for the CCA’s Canadian Beef Advantage program. “The countdown to the BIXS launch has begun,” said Thomas […] Read more
Klassen: Stronger fed prices lead feeder cattle higher
Feeder cattle prices in Alberta and Saskatchewan were steady to $1 higher last week; U.S. values were $1 to $3 higher for yearlings while lighter calves traded $2 higher to $2 lower. Most of the auction market activity occurred before the surge in U.S. fed cattle prices. Nebraska steers jumped $5 to $7 last week, […] Read more
Cattle, hog, sheep numbers all decline: StatsCan
Inventories of major livestock on Canadian farms all declined between July 1, 2009 and July 1, 2010, Statistics Canada reports. The Canadian cattle herd fell by 4.9 per cent to 14 million and has been in a steady decline since its peak of 16.9 million in 2005, the federal statistics agency said in releasing its […] Read more
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