Two Manitoba plants not shipping to Russia

Russian authorities are cutting off purchases from slaughter plants that handle animals treated with ractopamine

Russia has blocked beef and pork shipments from dozens of Canadian meat plants, including two in Manitoba, in an ongoing dispute over the use of the feed additive ractopamine. According to a list from VPSS, Russia’s veterinary inspection service, only 15 Canadian pork and four beef processors can still ship to Russia because they don’t



Impact of Russian red meat ban uncertain

Russia plans to ban meat imports from most Canadian and Mexican suppliers from April 8 over concerns about the use of the feed additive ractopamine, Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary service (VPSS) said. But it is not yet clear what the overall impact on the Canadian meat sector will be. VPSS, Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary service,


Fruit flies fed organic diets are healthier

Fruit flies raised on diets based on organic foods performed better on a variety of health tests, including fertility and longevity

Researchers aren’t sure why, but fruit flies fed organic fruits and vegetables in a laboratory study lived longer and produced more offspring than flies fed a non-organic diet. The study from the lab of SMU biologist Johannes H. Bauer, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, found that fruit flies raised on diets of organic foods performed better

There are many ways to improve farrowing rates

There’s a large variation in farrowing rate between farms, ranging from as low as 75 per cent to around 92 per cent. Many producers still view 85 per cent as being an acceptable target and figure it can’t be improved much further. But close attention to a range of management factors can often result in


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

Caffeine gives bees a buzz that improves their memory

Scientists have shown that caffeine improves a honeybee’s memory and that helps the plant recruit more bees to spread its pollen. Publishing in Science the researchers show that in tests, honeybees feeding on a sugar solution containing caffeine, which occurs naturally in the nectar of coffee and citrus flowers, were three times more likely to


Recipe Swap: Savour the flavour

Bread-making demo delights visitors in Dauphin I’ve checked my calendar more than once this spring for when Easter arrives. It’s earlier this year — March 31 — but outside there’s no indication that green grass, daffodils and the other delights of spring will be arriving any time soon. Nevertheless, preparation of the foods of Easter