Beef code sets new standards for cattle care and implementation deadlines Thursday, September 12, 2013 by SUSAN MANN The recently released Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Beef Cattle has set 2016 as the deadline for Canada’s beef farmers to use pain control when castrating bulls. The National Farm Animal Care Council and Canadian Cattlemen’s Association released the updated, finalized code Friday. It replaces the previous code, released in 1991. When castrating bulls older than nine months of age, farmers will be required to use pain control. That change comes into effect on Jan. 1 2016, while as of Jan. 1, 2018, farmers will need to use pain control when castrating bulls older than six months of age. There are also requirements for farmers to give pain control to animals for dehorning procedures or removing the horn bud before it attaches to the calf’s skull. Jackie Wepruk, general manager and project coordinator for the National Farm Animal Care Council, says the finalized beef code will be used by farmers. Other groups, such as enforcement agencies, will use it as a reference document. It will also be used for educational purposes. “This is about making sure we have a common understanding around what’s expected and what’s recommended.” The council received 482 submissions from beef farmers, beef industry groups and others in response to the draft beef code. That’s about 10 times less than the number of submissions to the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, which closed for public comments Aug. 3. The 4,700 submissions received for the draft pig code marked the highest number of submissions for a draft code going through a public comment period ever. Wepruk calls the response an anomaly and says it was created by certain practices in pig welfare, such as gestation stalls for sow housing, becoming “a huge lightning rod issue in the media.” But Wepruk says, “I don’t think that should be used as a measure against the beef code.” The council is very satisfied with the number of comments to the beef code, she says. The committee developing the pig code is now reviewing the submissions and will be releasing a final code by the end of this year. BF COOL fight heats up Province plans changes to OSPCA's enforcement authority
$18.4M Boost for Canadian Cereal Grain Innovation Thursday, September 19, 2024 Gate Project Receives Major Funding for Research Canada's position as a pioneer in cereal grain research is set to strengthen with the Gate Capital Campaign raising $18.4 million. This funding will support the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate) initiative, a project... Read this article online
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We Didn’t Start the Fire! Impacts of Wildfire Smoke on Corn Monday, September 16, 2024 Assistant Professor of Corn Production at Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, Daniel Quinn, PhD. recently provided fascinating insights into the impacts of fire on major corn producing areas, many of which have been impacted by smoke from wildfires. Quinn was the keynote... Read this article online
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Canadian Ag Youth Council Welcomes new Members Saturday, September 14, 2024 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has announced the latest members to join the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council (CAYC). This update introduces nine fresh members alongside thirteen returning youths, marking a significant step towards involving young voices in agricultural... Read this article online