Livestock
“Substantial recovery” in its packaged meats business has helped Maple Leaf Foods return to black ink in its third quarter. The Toronto-based food processing firm on Wednesday posted a profit of $22.46 million on $1.297 billion in sales for its Q3 ending Sept. 30, up from a $12.92 million loss on $1.344 billion in sales […] Read more
Maple Leaf swings back to profit in Q3
Holstein Canada chief retiring
Holstein Canada plans to set up a hiring committee to find a replacement for Keith Flaman, the organization’s long-time secretary-manager. Flaman, who has worked for the Holstein breed organization for about 30 years, including 17 as its manager, said in a release Tuesday that the timing is right for his departure. “Over the next few […] Read more
Cost/benefit to be studied for auction-level RFID
Eleven cattle auction markets in four provinces will test different models of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems to come up with a cost/benefit analysis for industry and governments. The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) on Monday announced its Auction Market Applied Research Project to analyze RFID systems for implementation “to enable traceability at the speed […] Read more
Sask. offers rebate on RFID gear for livestock
Saskatchewan will put up $5 million for its livestock producers to get cash back on the cost of radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment for animal traceability. The province on Tuesday launched a Voluntary Livestock Traceability Rebate, which will provide rebates of up to 70 per cent of eligible costs for buying and/or leasing RFID hand-held […] Read more
First tender delayed for hog transition program
Originally scheduled for Wednesday (Oct. 28), the deadline for the first tender under the federal Hog Farm Transition Program has been moved to Nov. 4. 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. The move “will […] Read more
Feds back expansion at Levinoff-Colbex beef plant
The first project up for funding under the federal Slaughter Improvement Program will be a new beef processing facility next to the producer-owned Levinoff-Colbex beef packing plant in central Quebec. The packer has been “conditionally approved” for the federal loan of $9.6 million to build the new facility next to the company’s slaughterhouse at St-Cyrille-de-Wendover, […] Read more
Man. hog farms offered cash flow through TAP
Hog producers in Manitoba will now be able to get 75 per cent of their estimated AgriStability payment for 2009 through new targeted advance payments (TAP). The new TAP will give hog producers in the province access to another $70 million in cash flow assistance, the provincial and federal governments said in a release Monday. […] Read more
Alta. lamb industry presses for increased production
Alberta Lamb Producers has mounted a new campaign to increase lamb production in the province, aimed at filling a greater share of domestic demand with domestic supply. The campaign, rolled out last week at the Alberta Sheep Symposium at Leduc, is aimed not only at bringing new producers into the industry, but also at enticing […] Read more
Dealing With Those Chronic-Bloating Cattle
Reading Time: 3 minutes A chronic bloater is by definition a free gas bloat which keeps reoccurring. Every cattle producer is plagued by the odd chronic bloater and the dilemma is often what to do with them. A chronic bloater is by definition a free gas bloat which keeps reoccurring. The gas can readily be let off with a […] Read more
First U.S. Case Of H1N1 In A U.S. Hog
Reading Time: 2 minutes The pandemic H1N1 flu virus was confirmed for the first time last Monday in a U.S. hog, which was exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair where four teenagers became sick, the Agriculture Department said. USDA said the discovery does not suggest infection of commercial pig herds raised for slaughter. Health officials say the virus, originally […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
