A hog virus watched closely in North America for its strong family resemblance to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has turned up in hogs in Ontario. Officials with hog industry body Ontario Pork reported Monday that senecavirus A, formerly called Seneca Valley virus or SVV, has been confirmed in the province. Neighbouring industry body Manitoba Pork said […] Read more

Ontario hogs confirmed with senecavirus

Avian flu quarantine ends for Ontario duck farm
A federal quarantine has been lifted for a duck farm near St. Catharines, Ont. where birds were confirmed in July with low-pathogenicity (“low-path”) avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported the quarantine was lifted effective Sept. 20, at the end of a 21-day waiting period after the commercial-scale farm was depopulated, cleaned and […] Read more

Switzerland to recognize Canada’s organic wine, processed foods
Canada and Switzerland have reached a deal to recognize each other’s organic certifications on wine and “multi-ingredient” foods. The two countries on Thursday announced expansions of their previous organic arrangement, which deems their respective certification systems to be equivalent for organic ag commodities and agrifood products. The amended deal takes effect Saturday (Oct. 1). The […] Read more

Systems set to ship Canadian wild rice to China
Canadian wild rice producers, warehousers and processors interested in exporting to China now have a certification system in place to do so, clearing the way for Chinese market access. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday released details of a new certification program in which the agency can approve Canadian wild rice processing, warehousing and […] Read more

Another close call for Alberta’s hog sector
The deadly virus was recently found in a transport trailer that was supposed to have been disinfected before crossing the border
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta hog producers are being warned to stay vigilant following the recent discovery of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in a livestock trailer. The “weak” positive sample was found in a trailer during routine monitoring several weeks ago. “What it means for us is that we are still being exposed to the PED virus through […] Read more

Fines now an option for pig traceability enforcement
Canadian hog producers who don’t follow the federal requirements for animal identification and tracking of animal movements could now be fined for non-compliance, though it’s expected such fines would be a “last resort.” The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Wednesday announced new amendments to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations, allowing CFIA-designated officials […] Read more

Canada, China meet to solve canola spat as deadline looms
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian officials are in Beijing this week to try to convince China to back off a plan to toughen its standard for Canada’s canola shipments, which has stalled $2 billion in trade, government and industry officials said on Wednesday. China’s quarantine authority AQSIQ told Ottawa in February that it would impose a […] Read more

Last avian flu-related block on U.S. poultry lifted
The last of Canada’s temporary avian flu-related rules against cross-border travellers bringing in poultry and/or eggs from the U.S. has been lifted. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, live birds, raw poultry, eggs and certain other raw or less-than-cooked poultry products originating in Indiana may again be brought into Canada. Lifted effective June 27, […] Read more

Bird flu control zone set up around Ontario duck farm
About 14,000 commercial ducks at a farm west of St. Catharines, Ont. are being euthanized following confirmation of a low-pathogenic strain of H5N2 avian flu in the flock. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Friday confirmed the influenza subtype, the day after announcing the low-path H5 flu outbreak, the resulting quarantine and the plans for […] Read more
Ontario duck farm catches low-path avian flu
All the birds on a commercial duck farm in southern Ontario’s Niagara region are about to be euthanized after some were confirmed with a less severe form of avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Thursday said the strain of avian influenza found in the birds on the farm is a low-pathogenic (“low-path”) […] Read more