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CFIA beefs up food safety rules and sets minimum traceability standards

Food companies and farms selling products in other provinces or internationally will need detailed preventive control plans

Traceability will gain a more prominent place on the menu, and food companies will be required to develop preventive control plans under a new regulatory plan proposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The proposals, which follow the passage of the Safe Food for Canadians Act last fall, still have to be put into the



Mini-chucks put on impressive performance

If you thought miniature ponies were only good for teaching children how to ride or for looking cute, Clayton Hawreluik has news for you — mini chuckwagon races are hot stuff. “It started out as a little hobby but it has turned into a little more than we expected it to,” said Hawreluik, who started

Rail freight bill chugs ahead

Shippers say they’re disappointed their proposed amendments to the Fair Rail Freight Service Act have been rejected — but hopeful the legislation will see a substantial improvement in rail service. “We are still supportive of this legislation moving forward,” said Richard Phillips, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada. “We are calling on both


Optimizing the use of energy in pig feeds

With the cost of dietary energy more than doubling in the last eight years, it’s vitally important to optimize the efficiency with which it is utilized. Meeting the energy specifications of a typical grower diet now represents about 85 per cent of the cost of the diet and over 50 per cent of the total



Make some plant markers

In order to identify the rows of her newly seeded garden, my neighbour used to put the empty seed packet upside down on a stick at the end of the row, but it would often be blown off or watered into a pile of dirty pulp. Fed up with this, she started purchasing the plastic

Ready? Set! – GO over this checklist before seeding

The first step in growing a profitable crop is getting a good plant stand established. There’s nothing worse than a poorly seeded crop, so it’s worth the time to make sure that equipment is ready to perform when it’s time to seed. Things to check before going to the field to seed: Hydraulic rams If


4-H reports

The Co-operator will publish 4-H reports once a month. Reports can be submitted by the third week of the month by email to [email protected], by regular mail to 4-H Reports, c/o Manitoba Co-operator, 1666 Dublin Ave., Winnipeg, Man. R3H 0H1, or by fax to 204-954-1422. Happy Rock Horseshoes For our Christmas party on Dec. 22,

Rail service getting worse, shippers charge

Shippers say it’s no coincidence that service has deteriorated since introduction of legislation giving them more leverage

Freight service improved when Ottawa was preparing legislation last year to balance the market power of shippers and the railways, but has since slipped back to unsatisfactory levels, shipper representatives say. As “recently as two weeks ago we had mills just about shut down because they couldn’t get boxcars in Western Canada, and not just