A macrophage (immune response) cell in early stages of infection with African swine fever virus, magnified about 1,000x. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

No proof natural compound prevents swine fever, China ag ministry says

Beijing | Reuters — China’s ministry of agriculture said on Thursday a company which claimed a natural compound was effective in preventing African swine fever did not have government approval to research the virus and its assertions were not scientifically sound. Shopping mall operator Guangdong Highsun Group was questioned by the Shenzhen Stock Exchange earlier




(Dave Bedard photo)

Saskatchewan names new deputy ag minister

A promotion for Saskatchewan’s deputy minister of agriculture leads to a promotion for one of the ministry’s assistant deputies. Doug Moen, who’s leaving his post as deputy minister to Premier Brad Wall at the end of June, on Friday announced Rick Burton as the province’s new deputy minister of agriculture, effective July 1. As the


Sunset in Egypt on the Nile River south of Luxor. (CIA.gov)

Egypt replaces head of agriculture quarantine authority

Cairo | Reuters — Egypt has appointed a new head of its agriculture quarantine authority, the ministry of agriculture said on Sunday, replacing Saad Moussa, who has been at the centre of a controversy over the country’s wheat imports. As head of the agricultural quarantine agency Moussa imposed a zero tolerance policy on ergot, a

camelina

Camelina worth considering for reseeding if other options limited

Smart Earth Seeds is contracting production, but it must be delivered to either Chaplin or Gull Lake, Sask.

With one eye on the rain gauge and another on the calendar, some Manitoba farmers are wondering about late-seeding crop options. Smart Earth Seeds, a Saskatchewan company, says camelina, is one to consider. There’s a long list of crops, including wheat, barley, oats, flax and buckwheat that can be seeded as late as June 20


honey bee pollinating a flower

Health Canada continues to assess neonic herbicides

There is debate over how much damage would be incurred by corn and soybean producers if neonics are banned

Health Canada is seeking more information from farmers and technical experts before it completes its assessment of neonicotinoid pesticides. A TV network received a leaked version of the report, which environmental groups said proved neonic pesticides should be banned. In an emailed response, the department said the draft report, which has been shared with agriculture

canola seeding

Canola trade seen remaining choppy until seeding done

U.S. corn, soy and wheat will keep trading on the weather

The ICE Futures Canada canola market started off the week ending May 8 with a bang, seeing gains of nearly C$10 per tonne on Monday (May 4). But that’s where the excitement ended. The following days were all pretty uneventful, with quiet activity that led to prices chopping around within a fairly narrow range. Some


Chinese state media kick into high gear to ease GMO food fears

China’s state media are working overtime to persuade the public that genetically modified food is safe, apparently softening up the population for a policy switch to allow the sale of such food to ensure its 1.35 billion people have enough to eat. In the past 30 years, China’s urban population has jumped to about 700

mexico city / reuters / The lion’s share of Mexico’s beef exports to Russia will not be blocked by that country’s ban on meat containing traces of the feed additive ractopamine. Russia had warned it would only import beef from five of the 25 processing plants from which it had previously bought. However, those five