Livestock

Imports of live birds, bird products, byproducts and feathers from Switzerland are once again allowed into Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency put restrictions in place last month following confirmation of Newcastle disease Oct. 8 on a farm south of Bern. Only two animals on the farm, a pair of pigeons from a hobby flock, […] Read more

Veterinarians and the British Columbia public have until Dec. 2 to comment on proposals that could create different classes of registered vets working in the province. The provincial government is asking for input on possible changes to its 102-year-old, infrequently-amended Veterinarians Act. The proposals come in response to requests from vets and the B.C. Veterinary Medical Association […] Read more

Ex-Manitoba premier Gary Doer’s conservation minister is now Premier Greg Selinger’s first agriculture minister. Stan Struthers, the MLA for the rural, northwestern Manitoba constituency of Dauphin-Roblin, was named the province’s minister of agriculture, food and rural initiatives on Tuesday, replacing Rosann Wowchuk. Wowchuk, a farmer and MLA for the neighbouring Swan River constituency, was appointed […] Read more

A farmer-owned beef packer in Winnipeg has conditional approval for a $10 million federal loan and $7.5 million levy-backed investment toward upgrading its plant to federal inspection standards. Federally-inspected slaughter capacity, long lacking within Manitoba, would allow Keystone Processors to ship their product to the U.S. and overseas. Through its planned improvements, the company also […] Read more

The deadline for the second tender under the federal Hog Farm Transition Program has been set for Wednesday, Nov. 18. All bids received by 2 p.m. EST on that date will be included in that date’s tender, according to the Canadian Pork Council, which administers the program. Producers who aren’t already registered are encouraged to […] Read more

New Brunswick’s hog farmers can get advances of up to 75 per cent of their expected 2009 AgriStability payments in an expansion of the targeted advance payments (TAPs) announced earlier this year. Eligible hog producers have access to a total of $3.3 million in TAPs for 2009, including $2.1 million offered earlier in the year […] Read more

Though its checkoff is now refundable, Alberta Beef Producers’ planned refund process seems set up to “maximize paperwork and minimize the number of farmers and ranchers likely to seek refunds,” according to the National Farmers Union. “Under the proposed process, farmers and ranchers would have to apply for refunds six or more times per year,” […] Read more

Elanco Canada has picked up approval for what it describes as a more flexible range of doses for its swine feed additive Paylean. Paylean was already approved for doses of five parts per million (ppm) to improve hogs’ weight gain and feed efficiency, and 10 ppm for increased carcass leanness and dressing per cent. The […] Read more