Foreign animal disease and inter-provincial trade barriers among the livestock-oriented sticking points discussed at Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ag ministers meeting.

Livestock issues take stage at ag ministers meeting

Foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank highlights several discussions affecting livestock producers

Full commitment to a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank was one of the top things that came out of July’s meeting of Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers. That’s according to Tyler Fulton, a Manitoba farmer and vice-president of the Canadian Cattle Association. “We kind of knew that it was coming, but more money moving

“If we get to the point that we have to use regulations to enforce [it], it’s not working.” – Cam Dahl, Manitoba Pork Council.

Pork sector has new playbook against PED

The Manitoba Pork Council’s new PED elimination plan relies on surveillance, biosecurity and aggressive action, but leaves room for farms to tailor responses

Manitoba Pork’s new plan to combat porcine epidemic diarrhea, or PED, relies on disease surveillance, ‘wartime’ biosecurity, heavy crackdowns on infected farms and producer co-operation to eliminate the virus from the province. “The long-term impacts of a major PED outbreak every other year is not sustainable,” the plan document says. The pork council posted the


The latest avian flu outbreak has unquestionably been deadly. Across 37 affected countries, more than 50 million birds have been culled.

Comment: Gauging the real bird flu risk

U.K. poultry can roam free outside again, but bird flu risk hasn’t gone away

As of April 18, poultry and captive birds in the U.K. were allowed to return outside, due to what regulators say is a waning risk of bird flu. Mandatory housing measures that kept birds indoors were introduced across England and Wales in the autumn of 2022 following the unprecedented spread of bird flu in the

(FatCamera/iStock/Getty Images)

Beekeepers call to reopen cross-border package bee trade

Ten years after the last risk assessment, some say it’s time to re-evaluate

Canadian beekeepers are calling for the federal government to reopen the border to the importation of U.S. package honeybees. Witnesses at a meeting of the House of Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food last Wednesday presented recommendations for what the government could do to resolve issues of honeybee health decline and bee mortality. The




Farmers have stepped up biosecurity as the current strain of avian influenza is more transmissible than previous ones.

Poultry sector resumes vigilance over avian influenza

Highly pathogenic strain resurfaces for Wave 3 of outbreak

Glacier FarmMedia – The spring run of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has started in some parts of the country. But a year of experience managing the disease has Canadian farmers ready with new knowledge and tools. From the start of March to April 5, officials had confirmed three cases in domestic poultry operations in

In 2022, about 287,000 birds died or were euthanized due to avian influenza.

Feather groups prepped for spring bird flu

Last year saw 21 infected sites and more than 280,000 chickens killed

With migratory birds set to return soon, Manitoba poultry groups are bracing for an increased threat of bird flu. “We’re hoping for the best but we’re preparing for another challenge like we had in the fall,” said Cory Rybuck, general manager of Manitoba Egg Farmers. Migratory birds are considered the most common source of Highly


Salmonella infections are becoming more common in dairy calves and we occasionally see outbreaks in beef calves too.

Livestock producers must watch for zoonotic diseases

Cryptosporidia, giardia and salmonella are among diseases which can be easily passed from animals to humans

Cryptosporidia and giardia are two intestinal parasites that can cause diarrhea in people and calves. These parasites are single-celled organisms and Cryptosporidium is a common cause of diarrhea in both beef and dairy calves under one month old. Young children, pregnant woman and immune-compromised adults who are infected can have severe diarrhea and abdominal pain.

File photo of goats on display at the Hanover Agricultural Fair in Grunthal, Man. in August 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

CFIA seeks feedback on traceability, animal ID amendments

Producers have until June 16 to comment on proposals

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is now seeking comment on its proposed amendments to livestock identification and traceability regulations. The regulatory proposal would address what the agency calls “gaps” in the current system, including: adding goats and cervids as animal species that share diseases with other regulated livestock, and therefore subject to traceability requirements, shortening