Boehringer Ingelheim, whose headquarters at Ingelheim, Germany is shown here, has formally brought animal health rival Merial into its own animal health business effective Jan. 1. (Boehringer-Ingelheim.com)

Animal pharma firm Merial formally joins Boehringer

Global pharma giants Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim have formally sealed their deal to merge Sanofi’s global animal health business, Merial, into Boehringer’s. The two companies last week announced their deal has “successfully closed in most markets” as of Jan. 1. Paris-based Sanofi will get Boehringer’s global consumer health care business plus 4.7 billion euros (C$6.6 […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

CRTC makes broadband a basic service

Gatineau | Reuters — Broadband internet access will be considered a basic service in Canada, the country’s telecom regulator said Wednesday, setting a higher target for download speeds and creating a fund that could see providers paying more to help meet those goals. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said it was establishing a […] Read more


(CBSA via YouTube)

Duration limit lifted from foreign worker program

Canadian farm groups are among the sectors hailing Ottawa’s decision to axe the cumulative duration rule, or “four-in, four-out” policy, which stood to sideline temporary foreign workers from the Canadian market. The federal government announced last Tuesday (Dec. 13) it would lift the restriction, effective immediately. The cumulative duration rule had been in place in […] Read more

OMAFRA headquarters in Guelph. (Photo courtesy OMAFRA)

Ontario names new top ag bureaucrat

Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a new deputy minister. Greg Meredith will become deputy minister on Jan. 9. A deputy minister is a ministry’s chief civil servant, managing its implementation of government policy. Meredith replaces Dr. Deb Stark, who recently retired as deputy minister, capping a 30-year career in public […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

FCC doubles down on Young Farmer Loans

Eligible farmers under age 40 will be able to get larger loans for less of a down payment through an expansion of Farm Credit Canada’s Young Farmer Loan plan. The federal farm lending agency on Wednesday announced the program’s credit limit per applicant will be doubled to $1 million, with a minimum down payment of […] Read more




(MHEby.com)

Livestock transport regulations up for comment

The public can comment until mid-February on proposed new livestock transport regulations which the government says will help Canada line up with international standards and limit how long livestock can go unfed during shipping. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced amendments to the federal Health of Animals Regulations dealing with transportation have been […] Read more



e-Manifests hit the road in Alberta

e-Manifests hit the road in Alberta

Identification: News Roundup from the November 2016 issue of Canadian Cattlemen

A staged rollout of an e-manifest being developed by Alberta’s Livestock Identification Services (LIS) for the province’s cattle producers and horse owners is now underway with plans to add sheep in due time. An electronic version of the paper manifest has been available since June for transport only. It can be used by producers when […] Read more