A 13-year-old indoor cat in Iowa is confirmed to have had and recovered from pandemic H1N1 influenza, marking another species crossover for the virus. “Two of the three members of the family that owns the pet had suffered from influenza-like illness before the cat became ill,” veterinarian Dr. Ann Garvey of the Iowa Department of
Editors’ Picks: U.S. house cat catches H1N1
Australia’s new BSE policy a strong signal: CCA
A major beef exporting nation, Australia has never bought much Canadian beef, but its decision to allow beef from countries with “controlled risk” status for BSE may be symbolically important for Canada. Australia’s agriculture and health ministries announced Tuesday that the country will “adjust” its food import policies for beef and beef products starting March
Editors’ Picks: H1N1 hits first U.S. hog
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the country’s first case of pandemic H1N1 influenza in a hog, following tests on samples collected at the Minnesota State Fair this summer. Samples collected at the fair, held Aug. 27 to Sept. 7 in St. Paul, were part of a University of Iowa and University of Minnesota
XL’s Moose Jaw workers reject another offer
Locked-out workers at XL Foods’ beef packing plant at Moose Jaw, Sask. have voted to reject their Alberta parent company’s latest offer and keep walking the line. The workers, who have been without a contract since the end of January, came back from a five-month shutdown last month to a company-imposed lockout and then rejected
Clock ticking on COOL challenge, Easter warns
The federal Liberals’ agriculture critic is calling for a hard timeline on the federal government’s plan to challenge the U.S. government’s mandatory country-of-origin labelling (COOL). Prince Edward Island MP Wayne Easter noted in the House of Commons Wednesday that Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz had announced the government’s plans to challenge COOL at the World Trade
XL Foods, locked-out Sask. workers keep talking
Despite having rejected a contract offer from XL Foods and having been locked out for the foreseeable future, unionized workers at the company’s Moose Jaw, Sask. beef plant plan to keep negotiating. The workers, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada) Local 1400, voted down XL’s offer at a meeting Sunday night
Ranchers wary of B.C.’s new powers over water
New legislation that’s meant to protect fish in British Columbia’s waterways, and has already been used to turn off some ranchers’ pumps, has others concerned for their water rights. The province last month brought amendments into force for its Fish Protection Act “in anticipation of a need to protect fish populations in times of drought.”
XL Beef staff locked out at Moose Jaw
Employees hoping to return from a five-month layoff at XL Foods’ Moose Jaw, Sask. beef packing plant have now been locked out, according to their union. Citing a shortage of available slaughter cattle, XL had announced April 24 that it would shut down the Moose Jaw facility and lay off its 200 employees for up
Deregistered Canadian GM flax pops up in Europe
A Saskatchewan-bred, deregistered and never-commercialized flax variety that became both the first and last genetically modified linseed is reported to have turned up at a German food processing plant. And anti-GM campaigners suggest the finding may lead to some embarrassing questions for Canada’s flax industry at a time when market prices for the crop are
Farmers See Smaller Share Of Bigger Grocery Bill
If a Winnipeg family wants to know how Canadian farmers’ wares are faring in the marketplace, they won’t find the answer on their grocery bill, a new study released by Keystone Agricultural Producers suggests. Shopping trips for the same basket of foods on May 10, 2008 and June 2, 2009 find the grocery bill for
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