Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are using a tiny camera to learn more about the long, winding and mysterious gut of a horse. “Whenever I talk to students about the horse abdomen, I put up a picture of a horse and put a big question mark in the middle,” said veterinary researcher Julia Montgomery,
Camera pill to unveil secrets of horse’s gut
A University of Saskatchewan team is using an endoscopy capsule to research the workings of the equine GI tract
Premium Brands buys meat supplier C+C
Montreal meat distributor and processor C+C Packing is set to become a new eastern arm for Vancouver food firm Premium Brands. Premium Brands last Tuesday announced a $146 million cash-and-stock deal to buy C+C and its in-house processing arm Premier Meat Packers. The company supplies fresh and frozen meats to grocery chains, the hotel and
B.C. pulls PST for farm telehandlers, skid steers
Qualifying farmers in British Columbia are now able to buy telehandlers, skid steers and polycarbonate greenhouse panels for farm use without paying the province’s seven per cent sales tax. The province on Thursday announced the additions, effective Feb. 17, to its list of goods, equipment and services for which eligible farmers are PST-exempt. Farmers wanting
Mexico clears Canadian poultry meat for import
Duck and other poultry from Canada may again be exported to Mexico, for the first time since 2004. Canada’s Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday announced Mexico had reopened its border to fresh poultry meat including chicken, turkey and, “most significant in terms of historical trade,” duck. Mexico had
Alberta to pare slots cut for horse racing sector
A renewed 10-year funding agreement for Alberta’s horse racing industry body will see its take from racetrack slot machine revenue cut from almost 52 per cent down to 40 per cent by 2018. The provincial government, in a release March 19, said its new agreement “will help ensure the viability of Alberta’s horse racing industry
Mastitis preventive gets joint Canada/U.S. approval
A new drug to help limit mastitis in dairy cows — and keep a lid on the use of antimicrobials to treat it — has picked up joint approval from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The two agencies on Thursday announced “simultaneous” approvals for Elanco Animal Health’s injectable drug pegbovigrastim, to
Is extra-early spring seeding worth the risk?
Our History: April 2012
If this year’s early spring is making you itchy to get out there, there may be a lesson in this photo of MAFRD oilseed specialist Anastasia Kubinec seeding canola at the Ian N. Morrison Research Farm at Carman April 5, 2012. Farmers were calling to ask if extra-early seeding was worth the risk, so the
Wetland restoration relies on farmer participation
MHHC is seeking more landowners interested in wetland restoration on their property, something that can benefit them and those downstream
A Deloraine-area wetland restoration project is showing how farmers can work with habitat organizations to alleviate downstream flooding, while retaining water for their own use. The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation project, on properties owned by Gord Weidenhamer and Glenn Scott, is restoring a 32-acre wetland that was drained years ago by previous owners. Weidenhamer said
Saputo to shut three dairy plants in East
Quebec dairy giant Saputo hopes to eventually cut about $7 million in annual costs by closing three dairy plants in Eastern Canada before the end of next year. The Montreal company announced Tuesday it will close the former Scotsburn milk plant at Sydney, N.S. in June, the Fromagerie Madame Chevre specialty cheese plant at Princeville,
Univar buys Prairie fertilizer distributor Nexus Ag
U.S. chemical distribution giant Univar has bought its way further into the Prairie crop input business by taking over Saskatoon-based fertilizer wholesaler Nexus Ag. Nexus Ag, in business in the West since 1997, deals in various North American companies’ specialty fertilizers, potash, phosphates, liquid and soluble nutrients and micronutrients such as copper, zinc and boron,