Farmers and brokers in southwestern Ontario’s tobacco sector are among nine people arrested for alleged roles in a black-market network for domestic tobacco. RCMP at London, Ont. on Friday reported the arrests, along with six executed search warrants and seizures of tobacco, equipment and street drugs, wrapping up a week of “numerous” operations in the […] Read more
SW Ont. tobacco farmers arrested in black-market probe
Louis Dreyfus launches level-of-service action against CN
The Canadian grain arm of commodities giant Louis Dreyfus plans to bring Canadian National Railway (CN) up before federal regulators to answer for the railway’s level of grain service. No one from Louis Dreyfus Commodities was available by press time Monday to talk about the company’s formal complaint to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) against CN. […] Read more
Maple Leaf books Q1 loss under PEDv cost pressure
A rise in pork prices due mainly to porcine epidemic diarrhea’s effects on the U.S. hog herd has bit deeper into Maple Leaf Foods’ bottom line for its first quarter ending March 31. “Pork markets have been impacted in an unprecedented way due to a virus in the U.S. hog industry, which has renewed pressure […] Read more
Internal trade panel rips Que. limits on edible oil products
Quebec has been given until the end of the year to repeal provincial laws that have effectively banned sales in that province of edible oil dairy substitutes, such as some margarines and non-dairy creamers. The sections of Quebec’s Food Products Act and related regulations in question were shot down in a ruling Wednesday by a […] Read more
Rules to be tightened for halal label claims
Labels, packaging and/or advertising billing food sold in Canada as certified halal will soon be required to include the name of the food’s certifying body. The federal government last week announced amendments to the Food and Drug Regulations, meant to provide consumers with “assurances that (halal) food meets a certifying body’s standard.” The amendments, published […] Read more
Limits on antibiotics’ use acceptable for ranchers
New federal limits halting use of “medically important” antibiotics as growth promotants in livestock production aren’t expected to hurt the industry. “There won’t be as much restriction as we first thought,” Canadian Cattle Association president Dave Solverson said in the latest issue of Alberta Farmer, but added “there will be a little more consultation with […] Read more
Diesel, exchange rate to boost cost index for Prairie grain freight
A price index on which the math is based for how much revenue Canada’s big two railways get to keep from handling Prairie grain will see an above-average raise for the coming crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Monday pegged the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) for the 2014-15 crop year at 1.3219, up […] Read more
Another off-farm Manitoba site turns up PEDv
Another unnamed “high-traffic” off-farm site in western Manitoba has been found to have the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) present — albeit briefly, the province reported Monday. Manitoba’s office of the Chief Veterinary Officer on Monday did not mention any cases of the virus in hogs that had been at the site. The latest confirmation […] Read more
Possible new clubroot strain seen beating resistant canolas
Higher-than-expected levels of clubroot infection, recently confirmed in some Edmonton-area canola fields seeded to clubroot-resistant seed varieties, may suggest a new pathotype of the disease in play. Stephen Strelkov, a professor and plant pathologist at the University of Alberta, said in a recent release that data from samples in the Edmonton region indicate some forms […] Read more
Alta. gathers GF2 funding for PED prevention
The Alberta and federal governments have assembled $1.35 million in funding for the province’s hog sector to further build up biosecurity against diseases such as porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). The money, budgeted for Alberta Pork from the Growing Forward 2 (GF2) ag policy funding framework, is on top of previously-announced GF2 grants for farmers and […] Read more
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