Already under preventive quarantine, a turkey farm in southwestern Ontario’s Oxford County is now believed to have the province’s third avian flu outbreak in poultry. On its website Friday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it was notified Thursday that presumptive H5 avian flu had been detected at the farm in tests by the University
Tests turn up avian flu at third Ont. poultry farm
Agrium to shed California UAN plant
Fertilizer and ag retail firm Agrium plans to sell off its fertilizer upgrading plant in northern California. The Calgary company announced Thursday it “intends to divest” the West Sacramento plant sometime this year. On average, over the past couple of years, the plant has produced about 200,000 tonnes of nitrogen solution products, Agrium said. Agrium
VIDEO: Soil Conservation Week — the job is not over
April 19-25 is National Soil Conservation Week, an annual event to remind everyone of the need to protect the soil resource from some of the damage it suffered during the “Dirty Thirties.” Unfortunately, some scenes of that time were repeated in parts of Manitoba last week when south winds gusting as high as 88 km/h
CN says ‘thanks’, and Carman rallies in the face of low grain prices
Our History: April 1986
This CN ad from our April 24, 1986 issue thanked producers for attending its meetings across the Prairies that winter. Stories about low grain prices were prominent in the issue. The U.S. had launched the Bonus Incentive Commodity Export Program (BICEP), later renamed the Export Enhancement Program (EEP). There was speculation that the grain export
U.S. animal feed giant to snap up Ridley
Canadian/U.S. livestock feed firm Ridley Inc. is set to become part of animal nutrition giant Alltech’s total mixed ration. Lexington, Ky.-based Alltech on Thursday announced a friendly cash deal to buy all outstanding Ridley shares at $40.75 each, for a total payout to Ridley shareholders of about $521 million. Ridley’s TSX-traded shares closed Wednesday at
CN, CP book higher grain revenues in Q1
A bump in gross revenue from grain handling helped to improve first-quarter results for both of Canada’s big two railways. Canadian National Railway (CN) on Monday reported overall net income of $704 million on $3.098 billion in revenue for the quarter ending March 31, up from $623 million on $2.693 billion in the year-earlier period.
Second avian flu control zone set up in SW Ontario
A federal control zone has been officially set up for a 10-kilometre radius around the Oxford County chicken farm that’s home to Ontario’s second outbreak of H5N2 avian flu. This control zone, which covers ground in both Oxford County and Waterloo County, is an “internationally accepted practice,” meant to allow export business to continue from non-infected
Oliver budget boosts capital gains exemption, trade funds
A higher lifetime capital gains exemption on sales of farm property, accelerated capital cost allowance for food processing equipment and, further out, more money to boost agrifood exports are among the offerings for farmers in Tuesday’s federal budget. Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver on Tuesday described his 2015 Economic Action Plan as “a balanced budget, just
No emergency debate on CWB sale
Members of Parliament won’t be having a debate on the sale of the former Canadian Wheat Board anytime soon. Andrew Scheer, speaker of the House of Commons, on Monday rejected the request from Pat Martin, the New Democrats’ MP for Winnipeg Centre, for an emergency debate on CWB’s planned sale of a 50.1 per cent
Ont. chicken farm’s avian flu confirmed as high-path H5N2
The avian flu that swept a broiler breeder chicken operation in southwestern Ontario’s Oxford County has been confirmed as highly pathogenic H5N2. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said Sunday its lab tests in Winnipeg have confirmed the virus’ pathogenicity and subtype. The farm, southwest of Kitchener, was quarantined Saturday after preliminary tests confirmed a
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
