Livestock
An E. coli-related recall of ground beef from a shuttered Saskatoon burger processing plant has been widened to over 135 products made between last July and mid-February this year. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday rolled out an expanded list of products including retail brands such as PC, Western Family, Best Value, Calgary Stampede, […] Read more
CFIA widens burger recall from Saskatoon plant
Alberta’s AFSC to offer revolving loan program
Alberta’s provincial ag lending agency is set to offer farmers a new revolving credit facility beginning next month. Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC) on Monday announced its new Revolving Loan Program, which it said will provide eligible farmers with "access to funds in a more flexible way." Specifically, the program is meant to give AFSC […] Read more
Klassen: Feeder cattle market softens
Western Canadian feeder cattle prices were $2-$3 per hundredweight lower last week. Fed cattle prices came under pressure and barley prices surged higher, resulting in a negative tone for the feeder market. In central Alberta, mixed feeder steers averaging 584 pounds brought back $186/cwt, which was considered high compared to other auction barns. Angus-cross medium […] Read more
Sask. farmers to see fee hikes for provincial services
Livestock brand inspection fees, pesticide applicator license fees and other provincial fees for service in Saskatchewan will see increases in 2012-13. The province on Friday laid out a list of fees scheduled to rise in various departments, including the agriculture ministry. Livestock brand inspection fees are to rise by 20 cents per head, for a […] Read more
Montana hog plant envisioned near Alta. border
Montana pork producers are taking a wait-and-see approach in regard to a new pork-processing plant at Shelby that could draw large numbers of Canadian hogs. Governor Brian Schweitzer announced in February that Chinese investors were interested in developing a facility capable of processing 800,000 pigs. But additional details are scarce. "At this point there’s no […] Read more
EU vote ends scrap with Canada, U.S. on hormones in beef
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved a deal between the European Union and both Canada and the U.S. on hormone-treated beef, ending one of the trading powers’ oldest disputes. The case dates back to 1988 when the EU banned all imports of beef from cattle treated with growth hormones, a move that prompted U.S. and […] Read more
Ontario to boost fees for farm plates
Putting plates on farm vehicles in Ontario is going to get a bit more expensive each year starting in 2013. The province on Tuesday announced it will begin to boost the annual fees for vehicle licence validations across various categories, as well as driver’s license renewal fees and driver exam fees. Included among those, as […] Read more
Ont. to halt horse racing industry’s slots program
In a move which has the province’s horse breeders fearing a meltdown, the Ontario government has told its gaming agency to shut down the Slots for Racetracks program by the end of March next year. The program, a revenue-sharing agreement in place since 1998 between the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG), the province’s racetracks […] Read more
U.S. to adopt OIE beef import standards on BSE
Aiming to improve its bargaining position with countries now closed to U.S. beef and cattle, the U.S. government plans to adopt the accepted world animal health guidelines on imports from countries where BSE has been found. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Friday published a proposed rule for […] Read more
Manitoba cow-calf producer to head CCA
A cow-calf producer and former head of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association has been named as the new head of the national cattle producers’ organization. Martin Unrau of MacGregor, Man. was acclaimed as president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association during the organization’s annual meeting last week in Ottawa. Dave Solverson of Camrose, Alta., a vice-chairman […] Read more
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