Adherence to testing protocols for scrapie and correct identification of an animal have been called into question during a court case involving individuals who are charged with taking and hiding quarantined heritage breed sheep destined to be destroyed as part of Canada's scrapie eradication program. The protocols and identification in question stem from a 2009... Read More
Category: News
A high pressure ridge centred over western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta will likely have a major influence on weather during the upcoming growing season in Western Canada, says the senior meteorologist with World Weather Inc. The impact from this wide ridge of high pressure will vary, depending whether you’re in front, underneath or behind it,... Read More
Delegates of the Alberta Beef Industry Conference heard from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD) on the latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on February 20, 2015. The representatives gave an update on the case, and provided insight into the measures Canada is taking to reduce disease... Read More
Growth in the U.S. economy and the export opportunities that come with it are expected to offset some of the impact of low oil prices on the Canadian economy. The coinciding weaker Canadian dollar won’t hurt exports either, notes the chief economist with the Conference Board of Canada. “This is a good time if you’re... Read More
Officials from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were in Geneva this week for World Trade Organization appeal hearings on U.S. country of origin labelling (COOL) law. In the podcast below, John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and Kelvin Heppner discuss what happens next in the dragged-out COOL dispute resolution process, including when Canada could... Read More
Jack Chaffe, Jason Reid and Garnet Toms have been elected to the Beef Farmers of Ontario board of directors, the organization has announced. The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) held its 53rd Annual General Meeting recently at Toronto. Jack Chaffe will represent the feedlot sector on the board, and will serve a three year term.... Read More
The Canadian Grain Commission is considering making changes to Canada's wheat classification system, including the creation of a new class of milling wheat with lower gluten strength. The CGC says it is seeking input on a proposal that would tighten the parameters for the Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR)... Read More
From new developments in Canada's latest case of BSE to the need for more investment in rail infrastructure, here's a quick audio snapshot of this week's ag news — the TWORA podcast for February 19th, 2015: Mentions: CFIA Investigation Unveils Birthdate of Alberta BSE Case Corn School: My Standing Corn is Turning Black — Is... Read More
February 18, 2015 --- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has determined the animal confirmed positive in a recent BSE case in Alberta was born in March of 2009. "We were also able to confirm the location of the birth farm yesterday evening," said Paul Mayers, Vice President, Policy and Program at the CFIA, in... Read More
Updated 3pm CST February 16 Labour Minister Kellie Leitch says the CP Rail strike is over, as the railway and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference have agreed to arbitration. The federal government was planning to table legislation on Monday that would force around 3,000 Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive engineers and conductors back to work. The members... Read More