The producer of livestock drugs such as Draxxin, Bovatec and Excede is buying space in the “precision livestock farming” market with a deal for a U.S. livestock data management firm. New Jersey-based Zoetis, which makes drugs and vaccines for the beef and dairy cattle, equine, swine, poultry and sheep sectors as well as cats and […] Read more
Zoetis buys livestock data management firm
Performance Beef platform to expand drugmaker's 'precision' production offering
Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work
Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers
The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs […] Read more
Low-path H7N3 bird flu believed to have gone high-path in U.S.
High-path H7N3 found in South Carolina turkeys
A low-pathogenicity (“low-path”) strain of H7N3 avian influenza that recently turned up in turkeys in the southeastern U.S. appears to have gone high-path. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Thursday confirmed highly-pathogenic H7N3 avian flu in a commercial turkey flock in Chesterfield County, in northern South Carolina. “It […] Read more
Maple Leaf poultry plant shuts for ‘deep cleaning’
COVID-19 found in three workers at Brampton facility
One of two Maple Leaf Foods plants at Brampton, Ont. has gone into shutdown mode for “deep cleaning” in the wake of three cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus among its workers. Toronto-based Maple Leaf announced Wednesday that operations at the company’s Kennedy Road poultry slaughter and packing plant in Brampton are suspended “while we complete […] Read more
On-farm tests wrap up in bovine TB probe
CFIA investigation turns up just four positive B.C. cattle
The “trace-in” phase of Canada’s latest bovine tuberculosis (TB) investigation has ended with just four cattle from one British Columbia herd testing positive for the disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency last week announced all on-farm testing has been completed in its probe, which dates back to November 2018 when lab tests confirmed TB in […] Read more
Ontario extends RMP deadlines for crops, livestock
Move won't create coverage gaps, Agricorp says
Ontario grain, oilseed and livestock producers will get extra time to apply for, make changes to or cancel coverage under the provincial Risk Management Program (RMP). Agricorp, the province’s ag program delivery agency, announced Wednesday the new deadline for applications or coverage changes for 2020 will be June 30. The previous deadlines to apply or […] Read more
Pandemic planning leads to staff cuts at Agropur
Dairy co-operative enters 'business continuity' mode
Dairy co-operative Agropur’s “business continuity” plan against the COVID-19 pandemic calls for job cuts and layoffs for about three per cent of its total workforce. Longueuil, Que.-based Agropur announced Thursday it will eliminate 60 positions and temporarily lay off another 200 employees, all from its Canadian operations. In the “unprecedented context” of COVID-19, Agropur said […] Read more
U.S. firm buys remaining stake in DOT Technology
Majority owner Raven Industries buys full control
The U.S. precision ag manufacturer holding the controlling stake in a made-in-Canada self-guiding farm equipment platform has made a deal to buy up the balance. Raven Industries, which last November bought an undisclosed majority ownership share in DOT Technology — with an option to buy the remaining stake in the following 10 years — announced […] Read more
Farming deemed essential in new federal pandemic guidance
Food production and supporting industries amid 'critical infrastructure'
Workers in agriculture and supporting industries are on a new federal guidance list of employees considered “essential to maintain the health, safety, security and economic well-being of Canadians” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair on Thursday released a new guidance document, “Guidance on Essential Services and Functions in Canada During the […] Read more
Alberta’s provincial meat inspectors to train for federal duty
Provincial inspectors to be seconded to CFIA-inspected packers
Provincial meat inspectors in Alberta could soon be seconded to federally inspected packing plants under a new work-sharing arrangement between the province and Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The federal and Alberta governments announced Wednesday they would partner to “increase food inspector capacity” in the province and thus “ensure the continuous operation of Alberta’s food supply […] Read more
Canadian Cattlemen Presents: Depth of Field
