If you saw the 2011 movie Contagion, you know how bird flu can be vilified. Movie goers left the theatre scared senseless that any traveller they encountered could be a ticking time bomb, as a result of a virus that appeared to spread from the close association between poultry and humans on some Asian farms.... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
From the worrying H5N2 avian flu confirmation in Ontario to the April supply/demand report from the USDA, and much more — here’s this week’s ag news podcast: The TWORA podcast is recorded every Thursday. You can find past episodes here. Subscribe: iTunes | Android | RSS
Only 53% of women have the confidence to invest money, while 82% of their male counterparts are confident investing money, Gwen Paddock, national manager, agriculture and agribusiness, client and business strategy at RBC Royal Bank, told delegates at this year's Advancing Women Conference in Calgary. Yet, Paddock explained, women tend to be better investors than... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed the avian influenza virus found in a turkey flock near Woodstock, Ontario is the same subtype identified in British Columbia in December and in several states in the US Midwest over the last month. "The CFIA's testing at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Diseases has confirmed the... Read More
Top-end speed for tractors has climbed over the years, as farmers look for ways to reduce the amount of time spent transporting equipment. Faster road gears have become more valuable as farms grow in size, with longer distances between fields. While it might exceed what's practical on most North American farms, a new Guiness World... Read More
Newspapers of late seem to be drenched with neonicotinoids, often blaming the now well-known active ingredient for declining bee populations. Related: Canola School – Bees & Beneficials – Defining Terms, Protecting Habitat and Recognizing Benefits Here in Canada, between 2013 and 2014, the beekeeping industry actually experienced some impressive growth, with increases in beekeepers, colonies,... Read More
In the hustle and bustle of our everyday, it can be easy to forget about the abundance that surrounds us. Abundant and nutritious foods, good schools, bright futures for us and our kids — all of it — are things we enjoy, but sometimes take for granted in North America. Would you leave it all... Read More
Tough conditions last fall resulted in fewer acres of wheat being planted than planned in Ontario. Some of those fields could end up defaulting back to soybeans for 2015. In this Soybean School episode, Dave Hooker, field crop agronomist and assistant professor at the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, and Bernard Tobin discuss the implications of back-to-back... Read More
North American hog prices have tumbled dramatically from the record highs seen last summer, pushed by a reduced impact from disease, a growing breeding herd and lagging U.S. pork exports. “It’s amazing how quickly things can change, but it does accent how high we were last year as well,” says Tyler Fulton, director of risk... Read More
The debate over whether or not it is a good idea to have your children vaccinated is one that every person in agriculture needs to pay attention to. I use the word debate not because there is any argument — the value and safety of vaccines has been proven time and again. I would fall... Read More