Pork Seminar Offers Tips For Success

The big market factors may be largely beyond their control, but pork producers can apply fresh thinking to build a stronger economic future. New precision- farming approaches, using advocacy more effectively and dramatically modifying financing approaches are all key options, say speakers at the Banff Pork Seminar. The numbers tell the story of an industry

WGRF Funds Doubled-Haploid Technology

Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) has announced $3.8 million in funding over the next five years to develop genomic tools, increase genomic capacity, and enhance the use of doubled haploid in cereal-crop- breeding programs. The WGRF says most Canadian breeding programs already utilize some of this technology, but the full potential is not being exploited


Call It A DNA Digital Dewey Decimal System For All Life On Earth

Every species, from extinct to thriving, is set to get its own DNA bar code in an attempt to better track the ones that are endangered, as well as those being shipped across international borders as food or consumer products. The International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL), touted as the world’s first reference library of

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


More Pros And Cons Heard On Bill C-474

Farmers welcome new crop varieties, but they also want regulations to ensure those crops don’t ruin markets, Paul Gregory told the House of Commons’ agriculture committee during a hearing on Bill C-474 broadcast live on the Internet Oct. 5. “I talk to farmers every day,” said Gregory, president of Interlake Forage Seeds Inc., near Fisher

Brits Jump The Gun On Wheat Genome – for Sep. 9, 2010

Efforts to sequence the wheat genome are only at an initial stage of what will be a long-term project requiring more government support, leading Chinese and international scientists said Aug. 31. British researchers last month released the first version of the wheat genome, a step toward a fully analyzed map that should help wheat breeders


4-H Stakes Out Urban Turf

4 -H is looking to urban areas and the Aboriginal community to replenish its depleted membership, the chief executive officer of the Canadian 4-H Council told the Commons agriculture committee May 5. Mike Nowosad said 4-H is reaching out into urban centres to teach people about agriculture because there’s interest there. “We’re going to be

What’s Up – for Feb. 18, 2010

Please forward your agricultural events to [email protected] call 204-944-5762 Feb. 17-19 – The Future of Trucking Symposium, Hotel Fort Garry, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg. For more info visit http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/management/ti/oremail larson@ cc. umanitoba.ca. Feb. 18 – Value Chain Manitoba Initiative workshop, Module 5: Understanding Category Management, 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. Various rural video conference


What’s Up – for Feb. 11, 2010

Please forward your agricultural events to [email protected] call 204-944-5762 Feb. 16 – Canadian International Grains Institute introductory biodiesel production training, Beausejour. For more info or to register visit www.cigi.ca. Feb. 17 – Manitoba Hay Day, AAFC Brandon Research Centre, Brandon. For more info or to register call Linda at 204-483-2153 or visit www.mbforagecouncil.mb.ca. Feb. 17-19

New Genetic Testing Technology Revolutionizing Swine Breeding

bernie peet Peet on Pigs “The genome of the pig has millions of such SNP locations, so SNPs are a rich resource for use as genetic markers.” Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba