(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Risk of human spread of H5N8 bird flu deemed low

Seven people infected but asymptomatic, WHO says

Reading Time: < 1 minute Geneva | Reuters — The risk of human-to-human spread of the H5N8 strain of bird flu appears low after it was identified for the first time worldwide in farm workers in Russia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. A separate influenza strain, H1N1, that emerged from pigs and spread rapidly worldwide among humans […] Read more

(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Avian flu insurance plan backed for Ontario turkeys

New plan to be mandatory for turkey farmers

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ontario’s turkey producer organization will get federal support to help set up a new mandatory insurance plan to cover costs incurred in any future outbreaks of avian influenza. Southern Ontario MPs Neil Ellis and Tim Louis on Monday announced up to $559,285 in federal funding through the AgriRisk Initiatives: Administrative Capacity Building stream for Turkey […] Read more



(MartineDoucet/E+/Getty Images)

Dairy farmers must register to get further trade compensation payouts

Expect letters soon explaining process, AgMin says

Reading Time: 2 minutes Dairy farmers wanting to get in on a three-year, $1.405 billion federal compensation program for market share lost to free trade deals must register for the program by March 31 in each of those years. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Tuesday laid out further specifics for the Dairy Direct Payment Program, which is set to […] Read more


The USDA building in Washington, D.C. (Art Wager/iStock/Getty Images)

USDA unveils more COVID-19 aid, mostly for livestock farmers

Funds earmarked for farmers under contract

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday it will pay an additional US$2.3 billion in COVID-19 aid to farmers, directing more money to livestock producers suffering from disruptions in slaughtering and restaurant demand for meat. The aid, which comes from money allocated to USDA from previous pandemic stimulus legislation, follows […] Read more

Mississauga MP Omar Alghabra is Canada’s new federal transport minister. (Omar Alghabra video screengrab via YouTube)

Trudeau names new transport, foreign affairs ministers

Garneau to handle foreign policy; Omar Alghabra takes transport

Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named new ministers for foreign affairs and transport on Tuesday ahead of an election that insiders in his Liberal Party say is likely this year. Trudeau’s hand was forced when Innovations Minister Navdeep Bains, 43, unexpectedly announced he was resigning from politics for family reasons. Bains, who […] Read more


In the face of dealing with the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, so much has come down to resilient operations.

Resilient farmers vs. COVID-19: How one Ontario farm got so resilient

Rather than focussing on pandemic problems, the next generation brings solutions to the table

Reading Time: 4 minutes Our series on farm resiliency has been a fascinating one to write. We have spoken with several farm families about the challenges they faced and overcame during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it affected the ag community. We focused on the positives — stories of families and communities coming together to get last year’s crop […] Read more

File photo of a cornfield in Argentina. (Reisegraf/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension

Move meant to boost domestic food supplies

Reading Time: 2 minutes Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more


"You have to be tenacious, especially in agriculture,” says inventor Tim Nelson. And from the start you need to know this is a going to be a team project, not just you on your own.

The agricultural market awaits

Got a great idea and want to bring it to the market? Here’s how veteran Tim Nelson launched Farm Health Guardian when he spotted a pressing need for faster, more advanced disease tracking in Canadian livestock operations

Reading Time: 6 minutes Getting an innovative agricultural product or service to market — and having it sell — is neither an easy nor an inexpensive way to make your mark, so Tim Nelson has some advice if you think you have hit on the next big thing. “Make sure it is of use and relevant to farmers,” says […] Read more

The China Meat Association is raising concerns that food packaging contaminated with COVID-19 could lead to increased human infection.  Photo: E+/Getty Images

China meat assoc calls for exporters to disinfect shipments to prevent COVID-19

Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters – Chinese meat importers and processors have called on exporters in countries with COVID-19 outbreaks to step up checks on shipments before they are sent to the world’s biggest market, the country’s top industry group said. “China has been importing a large quantity of meats this year, and has detected virus on […] Read more