First, an apology. Eagle-eyed RealAgriculture readers will note that this column was absent last week. After three days at FarmTech '14 there was more than enough to share, but no time to do it, so I'll work some of last week into this, if you don't mind. It's no secret I like trains. Furthermore, I... Read More
Category: Livestock
Anyone that has ever fed cattle has targeted a hole in the market to get a better price at some point. Sometimes the hole develops as predicted and sometimes the market adjusts and the hole is no more than a dent. In the first four weeks of January, cattle packers in the US found themselves... Read More
Taiwan and Canada have signed an arrangement to expand market access to include Canadian bone-in beef and other specified beef products from animals under 30 months of age (UTM), according to an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada press release. The arrangement will level the playing field for Canadian beef producers and generate export opportunities to the... Read More
As news of the sixth and seventh confirmed on-farm case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was announced (as of February 5, 2014), the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association is urging farmers to make use of a special biosecurity intake for farmers impacted by the devastating disease.... Read More
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has now been confirmed on five pig farms in Ontario. Testing by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food has also confirmed presence of the virus at a trucking yard, an assembly yard and a processing plant. The federal government is now working to make more tools available to help... Read More
With an expected Stats Can report maintain the status quo in the cow herd numbers next month, the current state of tight cattle inventory isn’t going away any time soon. Low cattle stocks, a sinking loonie and cheaper feed all spell opportunity for Canada’s beef industry, but it’s not all green grass and juicy steaks.... Read More
When new farm animal diseases rear their heads, one of the first questions asked is how they were discovered. Overwhelmingly, the sleuth turns out to be a rural veterinarian, summoned by the farm’s concerned owner or operator. Although our society is becoming much more urbanized, rural veterinarians play a critical role. In Ontario, the Ontario... Read More
If there's one crop that's been generating buzz this month, it's oats, followed closely by flax. A plugged supply chain for our export markets has several farmers exploring other viable crop options for the 2014 growing seasons. Hot on the heels of this, the federal government recently announced funding for the oat market to re-build... Read More
Where is US ag policy headed? I guess that's the question of the day....or more accurately, that's the question that's been asked since 2010. Where is US ag policy headed? We've had some bi-polar insights into that direction with initiatives like MCOOL, which, from what we've seen and heard, do not have majority industry support... Read More
By Bernard Tobin, Ontario field editor This story was originally published on January 28, 2014. For continually updated information click here. Ontario's second case of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) has been confirmed at a Chatham-Kent region farm and a third farm is being investigated in the same area. (Editor's note: The number now sits... Read More