Beef and beef products from Canadian cattle of all ages may again be shipped to Mexico under newly expanded access announced Friday. The announcement from Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, on his first official visit to Mexico, follows up on a joint statement in June that Mexico was in the “final stages of due diligence” to reopen
Mexico reopens to all Canadian beef
Free trade between provinces far from a done deal
Our History: October 1987
The soon-to-be ratified Canada-U.S. free trade agreement was much in the news in 1987, but as indicated by this editorial cartoon from our Oct. 1 issue, free trade between provinces, as today, still seemed elusive. We reported that Canadian hog and cattle farmers were enthusiastic about the free trade deal, but that supply management producers
Bill to tighten cruelty laws downed in Commons
A federal private member’s bill meant to tighten animal cruelty laws in Canada — alarming farm organizations and energizing animal welfare groups en route — has gone the way of most private members’ bills. Bill C-246, introduced in February by Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and given first reading, died Wednesday in the House of
Student numbers grow in faculty of agriculture
Students are responding to robust signals from the agriculture sector job market
A growing number of students has enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s faculty of agriculture and food science this fall. The 2016 fall term enrolment count is 965, which includes 792 degree students and 173 diploma students. These numbers include students in the human nutritional sciences program, which became part of the faculty in 2014.
Olymel ham consolidation spurs more plant upgrades
Meat packer Olymel’s plans to consolidate its ham production work has led to a new round of plant upgrades. Olymel, the protein arm of Quebec agricultural co-operative La Coop federee, announced Wednesday it has budgeted $3 million in “redevelopment” work for its Beauce-region hog slaughter plant at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City.
Ontario hogs confirmed with senecavirus
A hog virus watched closely in North America for its strong family resemblance to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has turned up in hogs in Ontario. Officials with hog industry body Ontario Pork reported Monday that senecavirus A, formerly called Seneca Valley virus or SVV, has been confirmed in the province. Neighbouring industry body Manitoba Pork said
Avian flu quarantine ends for Ontario duck farm
A federal quarantine has been lifted for a duck farm near St. Catharines, Ont. where birds were confirmed in July with low-pathogenicity (“low-path”) avian flu. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reported the quarantine was lifted effective Sept. 20, at the end of a 21-day waiting period after the commercial-scale farm was depopulated, cleaned and
Edible fat structure key to function
Canadian researchers are trying to understand what gives edible fats their texture
How are edible fats “built?” What gives them their unique textures? Nobody’s really sure, and that’s fuelling a research project by scientists at the University of Guelph, with the assistance of the United States Department of Energy and their Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Lemont, Illinois. The researchers hope to replace unhealthful trans and saturated
B.C. greenhouse peppers cleared for Japan
Canada and Japan have agreed on import conditions by which British Columbia’s produce growers will be able to ship greenhouse peppers to Japan. The agreement, effective immediately, means the province’s growers “could be looking at up to $20 million worth of pepper exports a year to Japan once the agreement is fully implemented,” B.C. Agriculture
Spirits firm Corby closes deal for Ungava gin maker
Toronto spirits manufacturer Corby Spirit and Wine has closed on its deal for the spirits assets of cider maker Domaines Pinnacle, including the Quebec company’s flagship Ungava gin brand. Corby, whose brands include J.P. Wiser’s whisky, Lamb’s rum and Polar Ice vodka, announced in late August it would pay $12 million cash for the Pinnacle