Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Monday said it would allow fully vaccinated U.S. tourists into the country starting from Aug. 9 after the COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented 16-month ban that many businesses complained was crippling them. Inoculated visitors from countries other than the United States will be permitted to enter beginning on Sept. […] Read more
Canada to admit vaccinated U.S. tourists
Border to open Aug. 9 after more than 16 months
U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise as pork production estimates cut
Feeder cattle down on rising grain values
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped on Monday as the U.S. Department of Agriculture reduced its domestic pork production estimates for this year and next year. The USDA cut its production estimates because of reduced expectations for commercial hog slaughtering in the second half of the year, according to a […] Read more
Having a field day: Everyone’s excited about return of in-person learning
Remember when you’d leave home to attend events and get together with experts, friends and peers?
Reading Time: 5 minutes After a year of too many Zoom meetings to count, ag organizations across the province are gearing up for a summer of in-field learning. “I’m so excited — there’s only so many online meetings that you can stay engaged with,” said Jamie Puchinger, assistant manager of Farming Smarter. “I cannot wait to get back out […] Read more
Biden seeks to lift limits on U.S. farmer dealings with tractor makers, packers
Executive order to address corporate 'abuses of power'
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Joe Biden wants to give that country’s farmers more power in negotiating the sale of livestock to big processors and in deciding who repairs their tractors, the White House said on Tuesday. The executive order, expected within days, will also address such competitive issues as delayed airline baggage, cellphone […] Read more
Beef 911: Our thinking about vaccinations is evolving for the better
Reading Time: 4 minutes We want to get the best bang for our vaccine buck, and research is looking for ways to do that This article will focus on some recent work on vaccination by Dr. Nathan Erickson and others at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. They basically had different calf groups vaccinated with different respiratory virus products […] Read more
Beekeepers got knocked down but they got up again
Reading Time: 3 minutes Despite many tribulations, beekeepers are optimistic about getting a good honey crop this year After two terrible, no-good, very bad years, Alberta’s beekeepers are feeling a little more optimistic. Poor weather severely reduced production in 2019, then came high overwintering losses, then the pandemic brought a maelstrom of troubles, and then more bad weather. “Last […] Read more
Canada to lift more border restrictions in weeks to come, Trudeau says
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will further relax border restrictions in the weeks to come as long as the science supports such a move, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, suggesting Ottawa would move more quickly than initially announced. Trudeau, under pressure to allow non-essential travel from the U.S., was more categorical than he had […] Read more
Another swine flu variant case appears in Manitoba
Variant of H3N2 confirmed in southern Manitoba resident
A single and apparently isolated case of another influenza variant normally seen in hogs has turned up in a Manitoba resident, the province announced Monday. Manitoba Public Health on Monday said the H3N2 influenza variant (H3N2v) seen in this case is related to flu viruses that circulate in pigs, noting that while such viruses don’t […] Read more
Farm workers qualify for Alberta’s ‘critical worker’ benefit
Employers can apply starting Tuesday
Alberta has expanded the pool of workers eligible for its pandemic-related Critical Worker Benefit to include farm workers starting Tuesday (June 22). The province announced Tuesday that eligibility for the $1,200 payments would expand to more categories of workers who “provided critical services to Albertans, were essential to the supply and movement of goods, and […] Read more
Innovative agricultural societies recognized with award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bezanson Agricultural Society, Millarville Racing & Agricultural Society and the Grande Prairie Regional Agricultural & Exhibition Society are the inaugural recipients of the Alberta Agricultural Society Innovation Award. The award was created to find a way to recognize the innovation and resilience shown by Alberta’s agricultural societies during COVID-19. Bezanson’s Ag Society was commended for […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
