Maple Leaf Foods is examining its options after competitor Olymel placed a “stalking horse” bid on Big Sky Farms of Saskatchewan. Big Sky is a supplier for Maple Leaf’s Brandon facility, but went into receivership earlier this fall. “We don’t expect any short-term impact on our hog supply and we have several contingency plans in
Maple Leaf has contingency plans
Maple Leaf Puratone offer sends message of stability to lenders
Maple Leaf Food’s agreement to purchase the Niverville-based Puratone Corporation is good news for Manitoba hog producers, according to the Manitoba Pork Council. "We’re happy to see that a Canadian company has purchased Puratone," said council chairman, Karl Kynoch. "We want to see plants here that can compete with their American counterparts." With two of
Maple Leaf examines options after Olymel eyes Big Sky
Maple Leaf Foods is examining its options after competitor Olymel placed a "stalking horse" bid on Big Sky Farms of Saskatchewan. Big Sky is a supplier for Maple Leaf’s Brandon facility, but went into receivership earlier this fall. "We don’t expect any short-term impact on our hog supply and we have several contingency plans in
Flu season is here again — and not just for humans
Claude Vielfaure is rolling up his sleeves, but he’s not heading into the barn, he’s getting his flu shot. “I think it is important to protect yourself against the flu and we like all of our employees to get the shot,” said the La Broquerie hog producer. He was one of dozens to line up
Japanese seek assurances of continued wheat quality
Satoru Koyajima likes the quality of the Canadian durum, but wonders if it will be there in the future. “We are a little bit concerned now that the Canadian Wheat Board is not operating as it used to,” he said through a translator. But the research and development leader with Japan’s largest pasta producer has
Swine dysentery is back and in a new strain
For years it has been absent from western Canadian hog barns, but now swine dysentery is back in Canadian and American herds. “From my understanding it was in the mid-1990s when classical swine dysentery, brachyspira hydosenteriae, sort of went off the radar,” Joe Rubin told the 2012 Canadian Swine Health Forum in Winnipeg last week.
Bumper pumpkin harvest expected
A bumper pumpkin crop may result in some of the crop being left in the fields. “The demand is good, but there will probably be too many pumpkins to be used up this year,” said Larry McIntosh, CEO of Peak of the Market. “Right across Canada, everybody had a good crop.” High temperatures and drier
Research looks for antibiotic alternatives
Plant-based peptides could offer alternatives to antibiotics currently used in livestock production, if research at Prairie Plant Systems pans out. The Saskatoon-based company is examining the possible applications of peptides possessing antibacterial properties. “It’s pretty preliminary research, but the idea behind it is to see if it’s possible to have feed amendments that could prevent
Province cuts ag spending
The province is cutting $1 million in funding for a program that helps livestock producers meet its new manure-spreading regulations. But a government spokeswoman for Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn called the reduction “a savings and not a cut” because the Manure Management Financial Assistance Program (MMFAP), which runs until March 2014, had lower-than-anticipated uptake. That
Maple Leaf searching for hog suppliers
Fears of a worldwide bacon shortage are overblown, but local processors are searching for new hog suppliers even as some producers cut their losses and depopulate their barns. “Unfortunately, there will be some producers who do exit this industry,” said Jason Manness, director of procurement for Maple Leaf Foods. “As a result, we are currently
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