Reading Time: 2 minutes An organization representing American cattle veterinarians has opted to refer to bird flu in cattle as bovine influenza A virus, or BIAV, in hopes of distancing it from its avian counterpart.
U.S. cattle vets rename bovine bird-flu
CDC asks state health authorities to have plans in place to test, treat farm workers; says risk to humans still low
Feds fund agriculture and food processing robotics projects
Reading Time: < 1 minute The federal government pledged up to $5 million in funding for agriculture and food-processing robotics on Friday in hopes of addressing ongoing workforce challenges.
Avian influenza detected in person exposed to dairy cattle
Alberta Milk issues new biosecurity, human safety guidelines
Reading Time: 2 minutes A human case of avian influenza has been confirmed in a person who had contact with dairy cows presumed to be infected with the virus, Texas and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.
Cargill renews top-up payment for CRSB-certified beef
Reading Time: < 1 minute Cargill and its customers have renewed a program that would ensure beef producers receive at least $400 for being certified under the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB).
Local food system would reap big economic benefits researcher says
B.C. researchers found that the Okanagan could produce two thirds of its own food while maintaining exports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Assuming an average Canadian diet, the Okanagan can currently produce 88 per cent of its dairy needs, Mullinix and colleagues wrote in a report on the study. It can produce 60 per cent of its poultry needs, 34 per cent of its fruit needs (due to fruits eaten that can’t be grown in the region, or are eaten out of season), and small amounts of other food groups like grains, red meat, eggs and oils.
Alberta barley breeding centre relaunched
Reading Time: < 1 minute "Western Crop Innovations will carry on the Field Crop Development Centre’s substantial legacy, ensuring its work is addressing the issues farmers are facing in the fields," said RJ Sigurdson, Alberta's minister of agriculture and irrigation in a news release Wednesday.
Agriculture workers not mentioned in TFW rule changes
Food processing sees foreign worker limit reduced by ten per cent; construction, healthcare exempted
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government announced Thursday that, effective May 1, some sectors would be allowed no more than 20 per cent of their workforces to be made up of temporary foreign workers (TWFs) brought in via the low wage stream—down from 30 per cent since 2022.
Kansas beef plant shuts down after fire
Reading Time: < 1 minute National Beef Packing Company, one of four major U.S. beef processors, said it suspended production at its Liberal, Kansas, plant for a second day on Friday, after a fire.
Funding cut shouldn’t affect local 4-H clubs
AAFC has cut its funding to 4-H Canada by 30 per cent, but group says it has other irons in the fire
Reading Time: < 1 minute A recent federal funding cut shouldn’t affect local 4-H clubs, at least for now, says 4-H Canada. The national organization said its most recent round of funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada totals $1.7 million over three years. In the past, it has received about $1 million per year, said interim CEO Hugh Maynard by email.
Teasing out the social angle of sustainable ag research
Recently funded network to bring together social scientists, agriculture and community groups
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government pledged the cash March 19 to launch the Common Ground Canada Network. The initiative will be led by Dalhousie University’s Karen Foster, Canada research chair in sustainable rural futures for Atlantic Canada.
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
