“Greed” Drives Quota Cost, Says Delegate

What do Amish bishops and Canada’s supply management officials have in common? According to Ian Cumming, an Ontario dairy farmer who moved to the U.S. to escape the restrictions of quota, both provide insulation from an uncertain world, but at the cost of suffocating growth and initiative. “Our bishops at Dairy Farmers of Canada, like

Lameness Causing Major Losses In Dairy Cattle

Asilent epidemic which has nothing to do with disease is injuring Canadian dairy cattle and costing milk producers millions of dollars annually. Chronic lameness is widespread in dairy herds throughout Canada and damage from it is far greater than realized, according to a British Columbia dairy scientist. “It’s a serious, serious problem,” Jeffrey Rushen told


National Milk Pool Urged To Soften Dairy Import Risk

Volatile fluid milk prices in the United States show the need for a national all-milk pool in Canada, Manitoba dairy farmers were told last week. A combination of low U.S. prices and a strong loonie could allow fluid milk to enter Canada despite high import tariffs, according to the head of the Canadian Dairy Commission.

Dairy Farmers Decide On New Digs

Manitoba milk producers are going to have a new home. Dairy Farmers of Manitoba has decided on a new 15,800-square-foot office building to replace the current 22-year-old one located in south Winnipeg. DFM’s annual meeting last week passed a resolution to construct a new $5-million facility to house the milk board’s office, warehouse and milk-testing


Flying For 79 Floors

Twice a week,New York Timescolumnist Thomas L. Friedman drives political and economic policy-makers into full rant on topics as opposite as global free trade (he loves it) and national industrial policy (he loves it, too). Kiss him or kick him, Friedman can turn a phrase. A current Friedmanism notes that “If you jump off the

Canadians Throw Out $27 Billion Worth Of Food Annually

Next time you’re tempted to scrape leftovers into the garbage or toss out unused food in the refrigerator, consider this: Canadians waste about 40 per cent of all food produced in the country. That mountain of edibles is worth $27 billion. That’s only slightly less than Canada’s agricultural and agri-food exports in 2007 and more


Industrial Milk Supports To Rise Feb. 1

Canadian dairy farmers can expect about a 1.5 per cent increase in perhectolitre revenue from industrial milk starting Feb. 1. The Canadian Dairy Commission on Friday rolled out the increases for support prices for butter and skim milk powder to take effect Feb. 1, 2011. “The current situation is that farm revenues are lagging behind

More Milk From Fewer Cows

How do you get more from less? Ask the Canadian dairy industry. Since 2005, the number of dairy farms in Canada has fallen by 15 per cent. The number of cows is down 3.7 per cent. But the annual volume of milk produced has increased 3.6 per cent over the past five years, according to


Panel Of Experts To Keep Eye On CFIA

The man who helped create the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in the 1990s has been asked to ensure it is doing its job. Ron Doering, who also served as the agency’s president for four years, will head what’s called a “ministerial advisory board.” He will be joined by six other experts who will advise Agriculture