Later this week, it will be an offence under Ontario law to "stop, obstruct, hinder or otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals." Ontario's government has proclaimed Section 6(1) and three other related sections of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020. These proclamations will ensure the safety... Read More
Category: Livestock
It’s time for Day 4 of the virtual Ontario Diagnostic Days! This week we focus on soil snippets — a series of soil management insights delivered by a host of Ontario soil researchers, agronomists, and extension specialists. The lineup includes Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists Anne Verhallen and Sebastian... Read More
The Canadian Pork Council (CPC), on behalf of pork producers, is asking the federal government to consider "targeted enhancements" to AgriStability. In a departure from the ask put forward by most in the agriculture industry, the CPC has sent a letter to the federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) agriculture ministers asking them to consider leaving... Read More
Good fences make good neighbours, but better fences stop hogs from becoming feral. Unfortunately, across Canada, feral hogs have become an increasing issue. In Ontario, pork producers are asking anyone who sees a pig out of place to report the sighting. Feral hogs eat crops, ruin fences, could spread disease (such as PEDv or African... Read More
Back in February, the opportunity for pork and beef protein exports from North America to China was so promising. The potential vacuum of demand for proteins after African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in the Chinese pork industry could have been filled by North America, but COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in the whole prospect. "The... Read More
I know I'm not alone when I say the recent decision by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) surprised me. I'm also likely not alone when I say the decision made me incredibly angry. And angry for a few reasons, I might add. Angry, because I assumed (wrongly) that my name... Read More
The Maple Leaf Foods hog plant at Brandon, Man., has temporarily suspended pork exports to China on a voluntary basis. China has recently instituted new rules where any plant reporting COVID-19 cases is required to suspend exports. The Brandon plant has seen over 50 cases of COVID-19 among employees in the last few weeks, accounting... Read More
The national youth initiative of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), has announced its 16 finalists for the Cattlemen's Young Leaders (CYL) 2020-2021 program. Finalists were announced after a virtual, judged, roundtable discussion that took place during the Canadian Beef Industry Conference, with 24 semi-finalists in the competition. Smaller roundtable judging sessions were judged by representatives... Read More
From working through the backlog of fat cattle, to the set aside program, and on to market demand, Bob Lowe, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA), is cautiously optimistic about the cattle value chain recovery from the lows of April and May. Looking back to spring and early summer, there was a backlog of... Read More
The National Farmed Animal Health and Welfare Council has updated the Canadian Livestock Transport (CLT) program to reflect the latest changes to federal livestock transport regulations. The CLT program is a comprehensive training course and support service for livestock truckers, shippers, and receivers. The program offers certification that is recognized throughout Canada and United States.... Read More