Livestock
It was a gift with strings attached, but that was just fine with Bekelech Basa. The single mother of six children from this small community about five hours southwest of Addis Ababa was given a goat on the condition that she give up its first-born kid. It’s just one example of how aid is changing. […] Read more
From Ethiopia: Aid agencies focus on helping others to help themselves
Klassen: Feeder cattle climb starts again
Feeder cattle prices in Western Canada were steady to $3 per hundredweight higher last week after stagnating in the first half of February. A small group of medium-flesh Angus-cross steers averaging 548 pounds reached over $180/cwt at a presort sale in central Alberta. A large group of exotic steers weighing 855 pounds sold for $141 […] Read more
Negligible risks to humans from new animal virus: OIE
The Schmallenberg virus that infected animals in five European countries and prompted Russia to ban some livestock imports from these countries poses negligible risks to humans, the world animal health body OIE said on Thursday. The virus, named after the German town where it was first discovered in November, has infected cattle, sheep, and goats […] Read more
Olymel in talks over Colbex beef plant
Quebec pork and poultry packing giant Olymel says no deal has been reached for it to take an partnership stake in the producer-owned Levinoff-Colbex cull cow slaughter plant. However, a company spokesperson said Wednesday, the company has been in talks since last spring, and remains in talks, with both the Quebec government and the provincial […] Read more
Viterra goes off livestock feed
Canada’s biggest grain handler is getting out of the North American livestock feed business. Viterra on Wednesday announced it will sell all its Canadian and U.S. feed operations, including mills and other facilities in three provinces and three states, to a new partnership of the feed operations’ management and Birch Hill Equity Partners, a Toronto-based […] Read more
Chicken farmer committee to steer Sask. industry fund
A committee of the Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan is now formally in charge of a fund supporting development of the province’s poultry sector. The Saskatchewan Chicken Industry Development Fund (SCIDF), set up by the CFS and provincial Agri-Food Council in 1999, has until now operated as a not-for-profit corporation to back poultry research and market […] Read more
Klassen: Mixed tone for feeder cattle
Western Canadian feeder cattle were steady to $2 per hundredweight weaker while heavier feeder cattle were down $2-$4/cwt. Fed cattle in Alberta sold for $112/cwt, also down $2 from the previous week, which spilled over into shortkeep replacement cattle. Larger groups of quality cattle continue to hold value but buyers are more willing to discount […] Read more
Ont. to sell LCBO HQ, takes aim at horseracing funds
The Ontario government’s deficit-cutting measures will now include the sale of the Crown-owned liquor marketer’s headquarters and, possibly, deep cuts to its subsidies for the horseracing sector. Provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said Monday the government will sell the head office of LCBO and redevelop the land where the building now sits. LCBO’s office, at […] Read more
McDonald’s to move toward stall-free U.S. pork
U.S. suppliers of pork to fast-food giant McDonald’s have been given four months to present plans to phase out the use of sow gestation stalls in their hog barns. “McDonald’s believes gestation stalls are not a sustainable production system for the future,” Dan Gorsky, the senior vice-president of North America supply chain management for the […] Read more
Robot milker firm, Ont. builder partner on dairy barns
A southwestern Ontario construction and design firm specializing in ag buildings has struck a partnership with a major milking equipment supplier to offer a full-service dairy barn package. Post Farm Structures, based at Alma, Ont., and Dutch dairy equipment and robotics firm Lely on Thursday announced the launch of Integrated Agritect, a partnership offering custom-designed […] Read more
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