Livestock

An Ontario breeding program to help boost dairy goats’ milk production and improve goat meat quality will itself get improvements backed by public funding. Ontario Goat, the Guelph-based provincial body for goat breeders, got a pledge of $700,000 Wednesday from the federal government for its GoGen pilot breeding project. The funds will go toward the […] Read more

Updated Aug. 13 — Canadian beef now has a more competitive rival in the Mexican meat market, with Mexico having ended 10 years of anti-dumping duties on U.S. beef as of Wednesday. The Mexican ministry of the economy’s decision cancels all duties retroactive to April 29, meaning a number of companies bringing U.S. beef into […] Read more

A Vancouver Island farmers’ co-op says its small-scale federally-inspected abattoir is now open to provide needed slaughter capacity for island farmers. The Vancouver Island Heritage Foodservice Co-op said Tuesday it has opened Island Ideal Meats at Valley View Farm, 10 km south of Nanaimo, with capacity to handle 20 head per week. The abattoir will […] Read more

One of the largest shareholders in Maple Leaf Foods says it will sell some of its voting stock and all its non-voting stock in the iconic Canadian food processor. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan said Tuesday it will sell 10.3 million non-voting common shares, 3.4 million voting shares and 2.2 million warrants convertible into voting […] Read more

A company billed as one of the biggest makers of private-label and co-branded canned pet food in the U.S. has signed a deal to buy a beleaguered Canadian player in the same market. Simmons Pet Food, which makes wet and dry pet foods at Siloam Springs in northwestern Arkansas, and steel pet food cans about […] Read more

The Philippines has lifted its BSE-related ban on rendered meat and bone meal (MBM) from Canada, the federal government confirmed Friday. A “concerted effort by government and industry” led to the Philippine government’s agreement to open its market to Canadian rendered animal byproducts including blood meal, poultry meal and fats, effective immediately, the Canadian government […] Read more

Cattle and hog producers who have repayments owing under the federal Advance Payment Program (APP) have been granted a break on their deadlines. “We are providing the extra time that will give producers the breathing room they need to seize market opportunities and improve their bottom line,” federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, speaking in Saskatoon, […] Read more

Mobile field representatives in Alberta with the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency will stay in the field and mobile for another two years. The federal and Alberta governments on Wednesday pledged $2.34 million in total to CCIA to maintain its network of reps helping Alberta beef cattle producers work on age verification and traceability projects such […] Read more

The University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) has tapped a planning consultant and former Saskatchewan college executive to head its Kemptville campus. Dr. Claude Naud was named last week as the director of the Kemptville campus, replacing Dr. Renee Bergeron, who had held the post on an interim basis since last May while also […] Read more