Member of Parliament Brad Trost, on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has $275,000 for Chicken Farmers of Saskatchewan to undertake a research project on disease control. A release says the project aims to identify and characterize new variants of the avian reovirus and determine how they are transmitted. It also aims to evaluate the […] Read more
Feds fund chicken vaccine research
Canola Watch — July 23
The Canola Council of Canada has published its weekly Canola Watch. Visit the website for full text and images. Highlights Video: Begin your pre-harvest disease watch Tank hang ups and spraying mishaps Rescue treatment for hail, heat Fungicide for late and long-flowering crops How late can you top dress? Coming events
Beef producers: reading this may lower your blood pressure
Penn State University researchers say that contrary to conventional wisdom, a growing body of evidence shows that eating lean beef can reduce risk factors for heart disease. “This research adds to the significant evidence, including work previously done in our lab, that supports lean beef’s role in a heart-healthy diet,” Penny M. Kris-Etherton, distinguished professor […] Read more
Grain shipments contribute to record CP second quarter
Canadian Pacific Railway says net income for its second quarter was a record $371 million, 48 per cent higher than a year ago. Total rail revenue for the quarter was up 13 per cent to $1.642 billion over last year, with Canadian grain shipments accounting for the largest share of the increase. They rose 32 […] Read more
St. Lawrence Seaway grain shipments up sharply
The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says grain shipments via the Seaway up 38 per cent this season. Combined U.S. and Canadian shipments from March 25 to June 30 totaled 2.7 million tonnes, a 50 per cent increase over the same period last year. In a release, the Bureau of Maritime Commerce says grain traders […] Read more
Mink Producers granted more time to repay cash advances
Canada’s 233 mink farmers have been granted more time to repay cash advances under the Advance Payments Program (APP). They now have until June 1, 2015 to repay their 2013 advance in full. An Agriculture Canada release said the price of mink fur has dropped significantly this past year and mink producers may be unable […] Read more
Evolution causes cattle to lose three toes
Scientists at the University of Basel in Switzerland say they have identified a gene regulatory switch that has led to cattle losing three toes. In a release on their study published in the journal Nature this week, the scientists say the fossil record shows that the first primitive even-toed ungulates (hoofed animals) had legs with […] Read more
U.S. officials call foul over Canada’s ‘pizza kit’ clampdown
Ottawa’s move to plug a regulatory hole that eased pizzerias’ access to U.S. mozza seems to have halted traffic in “pizza kits” — but U.S. officials see that move as potentially trade-unfriendly. Officials also estimate the move will effectively shut Canada’s ports to thousands of tons of U.S. pizza toppings valued at up to US$30 million […] Read more
Soy gene discovery could lead to ‘Goldilocks’ northern varieties
Researchers from Purdue University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say they have discovered a soybean gene whose mutation affects plant stem growth, a finding that could lead to the development of improved soybean cultivars for the northern U.S. A Purdue release said that agronomy professor Jianxin Ma and collaborators identified a gene known as Dt2, […] Read more
Local bees survive better than imports: Danish scientists
Honeybees with roots in the local environment manage much better in the struggle for survival than imported honeybees, say scientists from Aarhus University in Denmark. Many beekeepers believe that it is best to buy queens from outside instead of using the queens they have in their own beehives. However, there is increasing evidence that the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
