The Ontario Agricultural College’s department of animal and poultry science has hatched a new name meant to better take in the scope of its work. The new name, the Department of Animal Biosciences, “helps describe the department’s evolution from a livestock husbandry department in the 1870s to the highly dynamic and integrated department it is […] Read more

Guelph animal science department rebrands

NAFTA countries debate COOL harm at WTO
Canada and Mexico have made their case before a World Trade Organization arbitration panel on how much tariff revenge they’re allowed to impose on U.S. goods over country-of-origin labelling (COOL). The WTO “has ruled four times that the U.S.’s COOL rules are discriminatory,” Canadian Pork Council chairman Rick Bergmann said in a council release Wednesday […] Read more

Co-op moves up timetable for scholarship program
Prairie students planning careers in agriculture or agribusiness now have an earlier deadline to seek funding support through the Co-op Excellence in Ag program. Excellence in Ag, Federated Co-operatives’ (FCL) multi-year scholarship and summer internship program, previously had a Jan. 31 deadline, but for the 2016 round, the application deadline will be Oct. 15 this […] Read more

Yukon to help cover livestock vets’ travel costs
The Yukon government has launched a pilot program to help cover veterinarians’ travel and service expenses for farm calls. The territory government on Tuesday announced it will accept up to 30 farmers for the pilot of the Veterinary Services Program, running from now to the end of March 2016. The program will reimburse participating veterinarians […] Read more

Avian flu risk higher with fall migrations
Poultry farmers in Ontario are being warned to keep biosecurity top of mind as wild birds get ready to fly south this fall. “With the fall weather quickly approaching, resulting in colder temperatures and wild bird migrations, the threat of re-emergence of (highly pathogenic avian influenza) is real,” the Feather Board Command Centre, the emergency […] Read more

Farm managers seek a few good aggies for awards
Agriculture students may be eligible for financial encouragement to improve their communication, critical thinking and leadership skills through Farm Management Canada’s national awards program. FMC and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs (CADAP) recently opened the 2015-16 edition of their Excellence Award for Agricultural Students, with a top prize of $1,500. The awards […] Read more

Canada losing bluetongue-free status
New findings of bluetongue in cattle in Canada — outside the one area of the country where the virus previously gained a toehold — have trading partners shutting their ports to Canadian livestock genetics and animals. Three cattle from one farm in southwestern Ontario’s Chatham-Kent municipality have now tested positive for bluetongue serotype 13 — […] Read more

Federal farm politicians lining up for debate
UPDATED, Sept. 29 — Canada’s incumbent agriculture minister and three of his federal critics are so far confirmed for a pre-election debate on farming issues later this month. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, working with media partner (and operator of this website) Glacier FarmMedia, will host the national agriculture leaders’ debate on Sept. 30 in Ottawa. Western […] Read more

CFIA clears more states for cross-border poultry traffic
Travellers entering Canada from the U.S. may now bring in uncooked poultry products, live poultry and eggs from seven of the 15 states that have had outbreaks of avian flu since December. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) on Tuesday confirmed it now considers the states of Washington, Idaho, California and Oregon free of highly […] Read more

East’s biggest oilseed crusher goes to Viterra
Eastern Canada’s biggest oilseed processing plant is poised to become part of Canada’s biggest grain handler. Regina-based Viterra announced last week it has signed a deal to buy the shares of Twin Rivers Technologies-Entreprises de Transformation de Graines Oleagineuses du Quebec, or TRT-ETGO, whose main asset is its canola and soybean crushing and refining plant […] Read more