Genetic diversity takes a beating Sunday, January 4, 2009 The tremendous increase in the productivity of poultry over 50 years has come at a cost: genetic diversity. That may come back to haunt an industry susceptible to avian influenza, says a study published in November in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.The study, conducted by an international group of scientists, including those at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory in East Lansing, Mich., and the Department of Animals Sciences, Purdue, West Lafayette, Ind., compared thousands of genetic markers in standard bird flocks and those from commercial breeders.It found that commercial poultry flocks have lost half their genetic diversity over time as companies selected for desired traits. A smaller number of companies further reduced the diversity of chickens. Reports about the study indicated that commercial broilers today descend from about three lines of birds. Egg-producing layers come from only one specialized line.The study's authors suggested greater diversity could be restored by interbreeding commercial chickens with indigenous or still existing varieties from different commercial flocks. BF PETA buys more shares in meat companies Canadian canola goes to California
Chinese Tariffs Are Squeezing Canadian Grain and Oilseeds Friday, March 14, 2025 By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern On March 8, 2025, China announced steep retaliatory tariffs on $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural products in response to Canada’s October tariffs of 100% on Chinese EVs, and 25% on steel, and aluminum. These newly... Read this article online
Canada proactively purchases 500,000 doses of a human vaccine against bird flu Friday, March 14, 2025 By Liam Nolan Canada’s agricultural industry continues to monitor the spread of Avian Influenza (AI). The H5N1 HPAI was first reported in Canada in December 2021, below is an update on recent developments. Avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to impact poultry farms... Read this article online
Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape Thursday, March 13, 2025 As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs Monday, March 10, 2025 Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online
International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert Wednesday, March 5, 2025 As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online