Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters – The Dominican Republic is restricting pig shipments and mobilizing the military to contain the spread of African swine fever (ASF), the agriculture ministry said July 29, as the United States and Mexico tightened border checks to avoid infections. In an official statement July 29, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) also said it was […] Read more
Dominican Republic restricts pig shipments after ASF confirmed
Better wheat varieties ahead
Genome editing and CRISPR technology are scoring bigger wins in shorter time frames for cereal breeding
Reading Time: 5 minutes Last November, the 10+ Genome Project and its international team of researchers were hailed for their role in sequencing the genomes of 15 wheat varieties from around the world. It was an astounding accomplishment with great potential for cereal breeding, particularly for a sector that struggles to keep up with the investments being made in […] Read more
CFIA to consult on new near-meat, non-meat guidelines
Clarity for labels, promotion, composition to be considered
Reading Time: 3 minutes “Greater clarity” in federal guidelines for the makeup and labels of “simulated” meat and poultry products is the end zone for a new round of consultations underway for the next month. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Tuesday announced the launch for the public consultation, which includes an online survey and runs until Dec. 3. […] Read more
CFIA funded to build up inspection corps against COVID-19
Short spells of disruptions still to be expected at food plants
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is spending $20 million to hire, train and equip additional staff members to limit disruptions resulting from COVID-19. With meat packers and food processing plants considering extended hours as they adjust to taking extra measures to combat the pandemic, CFIA was in need of a response to […] Read more
CFIA rethinking limits on travellers’ personal food imports
Consultation running until March
Reading Time: 2 minutes The federal government is considering changes to the amounts of food travellers can bring into Canada with them from other countries for their personal use. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced public online consultations on the proposed new limits, which CFIA said would “better reflect the volume of foods typically moved by travellers […] Read more
Ryding-Regency’s federal beef packing licenses cancelled
Reading Time: 3 minutes Citing “false or misleading information” given them during an E. coli probe, food safety officials have now permanently pulled the federal slaughter, processing and export licenses for Toronto’s Ryding-Regency Meat Packers and related companies. The cancellation, announced Monday, indefinitely prolongs what was already described as “critical processing capacity shortage” for the province’s cattle producers, leaving […] Read more
What do farmers really think about seed royalties?
The West’s general farm organizations have created an online survey to get farmers’ view on cereal seed royalty proposals
Reading Time: 2 minutes Canadian farmers are being asked their opinion about proposed changes to seed royalties for cereals by Western Canada’s three general farm organizations. The Keystone Agricultural producers (KAP), Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and Alberta Federation of Agriculture, launched the online survey July 15 to measure farmers’ understanding of what’s being proposed and get their views, […] Read more
Biosecurity a crucial part of your farm’s business plan
As the list of pest, weed and disease threats grows longer, so should the list of measures to keep them away
Reading Time: 9 minutes The signs instructing you to check in at the office and to put disposable booties on over your shoes are no longer just for when you visit hog and poultry farms — biosecurity measures are also becoming a feature for crop farms, for which the list of potential threats may be even longer. On its […] Read more
‘Super Keen’
Ag education is hot, and enrolment is booming from coast to coast
Reading Time: 8 minutes It’s inspiring for anyone in agriculture to talk to the principals and deans at ag-related academic institutions across the country. More than ever in history, young Canadians are pursuing careers in ag. In a nutshell, it’s because there are jobs in agriculture after school — good jobs that offer exciting and interesting career paths for […] Read more
Unapproved glyphosate-resistant wheat found in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes UPDATED, June 14, 2018, 6:55 p.m. — Genetically modified (GM) wheat — which hasn’t been approved for commercial production in Canada — has been discovered in southern Alberta, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed. The wheat of unknown origin contains a genetic modification making it resistant to a common herbicide, CFIA told reporters Thursday. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
