Reading Time: 3 minutes A federal Conservative government would postpone major amendments to animal health regulations dealing with livestock transport, otherwise due to come into effect in February next year. Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives on Friday released a platform promising a number of regulatory changes of interest to grain and livestock producers ahead of the federal election on Oct. 21. […] Read more

Federal Tories pledge to postpone new livestock transport rules

Alberta proposes heavier penalties for on-farm trespassing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta’s government proposes to discourage future on-farm protests — events in the style of an occupation held early last month at an Alberta Hutterite colony’s turkey farm — on pain of new penalties. Speaking Thursday at the Jumbo Valley colony near Fort Macleod, Premier Jason Kenney, Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer and Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen […] Read more

Elanco to become No. 2 in animal health with Bayer deal
Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Elanco Animal Health agreed to buy Bayer’s veterinary drugs unit on Tuesday in a cash and stock deal valued at US$7.6 billion (C$10 billion), creating the second largest maker of medicines for livestock and pets and expanding Elanco’s reach online. The deal is the latest in the fast-growing animal health market, which has […] Read more

Bayer, Elanco said aiming to reach animal health deal next week
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Germany’s Bayer and U.S. drug firm Elanco Animal Health aim to reach an agreement to combine their animal health businesses as soon as next week, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Elanco plans to pay for at least a part of the deal with its stock and any deal […] Read more

Merck bolsters animal health unit with Allflex deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Merck and Co. said on Friday it will buy privately-held French company Antelliq Group, which makes digital identification products for livestock, for about 2.1 billion euros (C$3.19 billion) to bolster its fast-growing animal health business. The move affirms the drugmaker’s commitment to the business, which Wall Street analysts have long seen value in […] Read more

Bayer to shed animal health division, others after Monsanto deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes Frankfurt | Reuters — Bayer, the German drugmaker that bought U.S. seed company Monsanto, announced on Thursday the sale of its animal health business and a number of others, around 12,000 job cuts and 3.3 billion euros (C$4.98 billion) in impairments. CEO Werner Baumann is under pressure to boost Bayer’s share price after a drop […] Read more

AgriRecovery offered for B.C. wildfire costs
Reading Time: 2 minutes British Columbia ranchers and farmers who lost pasture or cropland or had to move livestock out of the path of wildfires this year may be eligible for AgriRecovery funding. The federal and B.C. governments on Thursday announced a new AgriRecovery program worth up to $5 million to help defray “extraordinary costs incurred” due to wildfires […] Read more

Animal health firm Elanco surges on trading debut
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Eli Lilly unit Elanco Animal Health’s shares jumped as much as 41 per cent on their stock market debut on Thursday, adding to investor enthusiasm for the fast-growing animal healthcare market. Elanco’s shares opened at $32.25 on the New York Stock Exchange, higher than their IPO price of $24 per share, giving the […] Read more

Lilly’s Elanco unit expects IPO to raise up to US$1.45 billion
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Eli Lilly + Co.’s Elanco Animal Health unit expects its initial public offering to raise up to US$1.45 billion, betting on increased appetite among investors for animal health companies. The IPO of 62.9 million shares is expected to be priced between $20-$23 per unit, with the company having a valuation of about $8 […] Read more

Public input sought on sustainable beef indicators
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ranchers, consumers and others who have thoughts on how beef and its cattle should be sustainably produced in Canada are asked to speak up again, this time by early November at the latest. The Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (CRSB), in the midst of developing a Verified Sustainable Beef Framework, has released its new draft […] Read more