U.S. farmers are increasing pressure to allow vaccinations for chickens, turkeys and cows to protect them from bird flu infections that have devastated flocks for three years,

U.S. farmers call for vaccine option to fight bird flu as wildfowl migration begins

China agriculture ministry to steady beef and dairy output, aid farmers
China's agriculture ministry said on Thursday it would stabilize beef and dairy production, shore up consumption and assist farmers as falling prices force small producers out of business.

French farmers fear for dairy herd as Lactalis cuts milk purchases
Paris | Reuters – Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy company, is to reduce the volume of milk it processes in France, a move it said is aimed at reducing its exposure to international commodity prices but which caused alarm among farmers about a declining dairy herd. Lactalis plans to cut the amount of milk it […] Read more

Labour savings only the beginning with automated calf feeders
Labour savings are the main reason dairy and veal producers express interest in automated calf feeding systems. But once installed, producers find the systems have other benefits too.

Farm connections flagged in U.S. dairy bird flu spread
Shared equipment, workers may play roles in interstate spread
Reading Time: 3 minutes USDA investigation into U.S. bird flu in dairy cows suggests shared equipment and shared workers may have helped HPAI cross state lines.

Celebration day for Dairy Innovation West
Handful of stakeholders get glimpse of 'unique' Alberta milk plant
Reading Time: 3 minutes Western Milk Pool chair Henry Holtmann said a recent “hard hat” tour of the under-construction Dairy Innovation West facility made for a “day of celebration.” Those behind the unique milk processing plant in central Alberta’s Lacombe County have much to celebrate. Over the past five years, the five provincial organizations under the Western Milk Pool […] Read more

Dairy bird flu cases creep closer to Canada
Michigan and Idaho become fourth and fifth state to confirm virus in dairy cattle
Idaho has become the newest U.S. states to identify highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy cattle operation, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (IDSA) confirmed March 30.

Bill C-282 is an awful idea
Bill risks holding other economic sectors hostage to safeguard the interests of a small, privileged group of farmers
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bill C-282 sits in the Canadian Senate and stands on the precipice of becoming law in a matter of weeks. Essentially, this bill seeks to bestow immunity upon supply management from any potential future trade negotiations, without offering increased market access to potential trade partners. In simpler terms, it risks holding all other economic sectors […] Read more

Feds plan to invest in processing projects
The money comes from a fund earmarked to help supply managed sectors hurt by trade deal
The federal government will invest $89 million in 49 processing projects in the supply managed sector. Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay was in Ingleside, Ont., at the Lactalis Canada cheese plant to make the Feb. 5 announcement. The projects are through the six-year, $397.5-million Supply Management Processing Investment Fund, which is part of Ottawa's commitment to help sectors that lost market share due to trade agreements.

“Animal-free” milk gets green light in Canada
Company touts synthetic dairy as more environmentally friendly, healthy
In a news release today, Israeli startup Remilk, which uses the tagline "Real Dairy. No Milk," announced it had received a 'No Objection Letter' from Health Canada. This will "open the door for use of Remilk's protein in a variety of products with the same taste and texture as milk, ice cream, yogurt, cream cheese, and more," the company said.