The national cull breeding swine program will start taking applications from hog producers on April 14. The Canadian Pork Council, which will administer the $50 million federal program, said in a release Wednesday that payments of $225 per breeding sow, boar or pregnant gilt, less the animal’s selling price, will be available for approved producers […] Read more
Swine cull program starts April 14
B.C., Manitoba approve APF extensions
The Manitoba and British Columbia governments have officially agreed to extend funding for some federal/provincial Agricultural Policy Framework (APF) programming. The two provinces will each extend their share of funding up until April 1, 2009 at the latest. The extension applies to four ag programming pillars of the five-year APF, other than the business risk […] Read more
Federal food safety bill tabled
A federal bill to boost the fines for food safety violations and strengthen federal powers to order product recalls has arrived at the House of Commons. A new Consumer Product Safety Act and amendments to the Food and Drugs Act were in the legislative package introduced Tuesday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a release […] Read more
Manitoba hog farmers get AgriStability TAP
Manitoba’s beleaguered hog farmers will be offered early access to their expected AgriStability payout for 2008, under a Targeted Advance Payment (TAP) program announced Tuesday. Letters are in the mail to eligible Manitoba hog producers with information about the amount of their advance and how to receive a payment, the federal and provincial governments said […] Read more
Canadian, U.S. ag market researchers merge
Canadian market research firm Ipsos Reid’s agribusiness, food and animal health division has announced plans to merge its practice with Forward Research, a U.S. firm in the same field of interest. The combined company will be known in the U.S. as Ipsos Forward Research, the two firms said in a release Monday. “For years we’ve […] Read more
Rail exec calls for further deregulation
Canada must stay on track toward full deregulation in grain transportation to drive investments that are critical for increased efficiency in the system, according to a CN marketing executive. Jean-Jacques Ruest, senior vice-president of marketing for Canadian National Railway (CN), on Monday said deregulation has produced competitive rates for rail grain transport in Canada and […] Read more
Keep de-registered canolas out of seeder: CCC
The Canola Council of Canada is warning growers to stay away from de-registered canola varieties this spring. The varieties are no longer marketed and in most cases they lack regulatory approval in key markets, where they could be detected upon arrival, the council said Tuesday. The group’s crop production program manager, Arvel Lawson, said growers […] Read more
Low flow seen on Okanagan, flood risk on Peace
Heavy snowfall in the Okanagan and Similkameen river basins in British Columbia has improved the water supply picture in those areas, but not by much, the province reports. In its snowpack and water supply bulletin Monday, the government said snow conditions in those two river basins are still below normal and are expected to have […] Read more
Viterra buys Alta. feed mill
Grain company Viterra’s feed division has closed a deal to buy V-S Feed and Agri-Supplies of Ponoka, Alta. The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes a feed premix mill with annual capacity of about 8,000 tonnes per year, the Regina grain company said in a release Monday. The deal also includes a retail outlet, which […] Read more
Rail freight service review process begins
Ottawa’s promised rail freight service review got underway Monday with a request for comment from stakeholders on its proposed terms of reference. “There is widespread support for this review because it will identify service problems and their impacts and make recommendations to improve Canada’s rail freight logistics system,” federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon said in […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
