Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture scrapped proposed rules on Monday that for the first time would have mandated specific space requirements for hens laying organic eggs and spelled out what it means for the birds to have access to the outdoors. USDA determined it did not have the authority to impose […] Read more
USDA pulls plan to stiffen rules for organic egg farms
Missouri turkeys turn up with low-path bird flu
A commercial flock of about 20,000 turkeys in southwestern Missouri has turned up with low-pathogenicity (“low-path”) H7N1 avian flu, marking the first such case in the U.S. this year. The flock was on a turkey farm in Jasper County, about 140 km northwest of Branson. Missouri is on the Mississippi flyway for migratory birds, which […] Read more
KFC closes most U.K. stores due to chicken shortage
London | Reuters — Fast-food chain KFC said on Monday it had been forced to close hundreds of its British stores because of a shortage of chicken. The problem arose at the weekend after the chain switched its delivery contract to DHL, forcing the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain to shut. “We’ve brought […] Read more
Chicken, dairy farmers rip TPP concessions
Updated, Jan. 25, 2018 — Canada’s supply-managed producer groups warn that the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade deal stands to chip away unnecessarily at their markets. Chicken Farmers of Canada on Wednesday said the CPTPP deal, on which Canada pledged Tuesday it will sign in March, still includes concessions on market access […] Read more
Lethbridge egg processor gets cracking with safety certification
The five-year-old co-operative expects its new HACCP status to open the door to new markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes When you think of Alberta eggs going to market, you might think of consumers in the grocery store putting a dozen or two in their cart and heading home. But most of the eggs at the grocery store are the large or extra-large grades, which leaves a significant surplus of lower-demand eggs in the small- […] Read more
Alberta rejoins the flock with new national chicken quota deal
A decade-old dispute over quota allocation is finally settled, and producers are already expanding facilities
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta is back in the federal-provincial agreement for allocating broiler chicken quota after exiting it in 2013. “I’m thinking they should hire us for NAFTA now,” Alberta Chicken Producers’ chair Erna Ference said with a laugh. “This was a huge effort. We started back in 2008 with this, and it took a lot of producers […] Read more
Olymel plugs over $52M into poultry processing
The meat packing and processing arm of Quebec’s biggest agrifood co-operative has earmarked over $52 million for poultry plant upgrades and construction in Ontario and Quebec. La Coop federee’s Olymel division in the past week has announced over $30 million for plant upgrades and the purchase of a second facility at Brampton, Ont., $14 million […] Read more
Alberta back in national chicken quota arrangement
A new federal-provincial agreement for allocating broiler chicken quota will formally include Alberta Chicken Producers for the first time since 2013. Chicken Farmers of Canada announced Thursday it has a new federal-provincial agreement (FPA) in hand, including a new quota allocation methodology. The new deal was concluded Tuesday, CFC said, when the Farm Products Council […] Read more
McDonald’s sets new welfare standards for chicken suppliers
Chicago | Reuters — McDonald’s Corp. will require suppliers to improve the living conditions and slaughter process for chickens raised to be served in its restaurants, the company said on Friday, the latest changes affecting popular menu items such as McNuggets. Under new guidelines for animal welfare, suppliers such as Tyson Foods and Cargill must […] Read more
VIDEO: Researchers aim to turn bird feathers into food
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters – Biotechnologists have identified and refined a micro-organism that can convert bird feathers and other forms of organic waste into food products and cosmetics, as Jim Drury reports.
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
