Livestock breeding patent unites German farmers and environmentalists Tuesday, June 2, 2009 German farmers and environmentalists have something in common for once. Both groups object to a patent being granted on a gene that is linked to rapid growth in pigs. In a rare show of solidarity, 400 of them protested in front of the European Patent Office in Munich in mid-April. Their shared goal – to prevent a patent application for livestock breeding from being granted. The technique, described in Patent EP 1651777, is not a genetic modification, but a screening process to find and mate pigs that naturally grow fast. Farmers believe that eventually they might have to pay a private company a royalty to produce livestock they have raised themselves. Originally filed in the patent office in 2004 by Monsanto, the patent has since been granted to Newsham Choice Genetics. BP Pork campaign targets younger females Solutions to labour shortages may lie offshore
Funding available to support local BC agriculture Friday, January 10, 2025 The B.C. government is setting aside money for a program to support local farmers and processors. $2 million is available for the Buy BC Partnership Program. This marketing program focuses on building consumer awareness, demand and sales of local products. Eligibility requirements... Read this article online
Better Farming Ontario January 2025 issue available online Friday, January 10, 2025 Regular letter delivery may be returning to normal at Canada Post, but magazine delivery is still lagging significantly behind. Based on these Canada Post delays, once again the Ontario Federation of Agriculture has agreed to share the digital version of the January 2025 issue of... Read this article online
Canada capping Agri-Food Pilot applications in 2025 Friday, January 10, 2025 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is making changes to the Agri-Food Pilot program for 2025. On Jan. 3, the ministry announced it is capping the number of accepted applications at 1,010. Of that number, IRCC will accept up to 1,000 online applications and 10 submitted... Read this article online
Safe snow removal for farm and barn roofs Thursday, January 9, 2025 Managing snow on your farm or barn roof during winter is crucial to prevent damage and ensure safety. Heavy snow and ice accumulation can strain structures, risking costly repairs. Here’s a concise guide to safely handle roof snow removal - Monitor Snow Accumulation - Remove snow... Read this article online
A look back at ag under the Trudeau Liberals Thursday, January 9, 2025 With Prime Minister Trudeau’s resignation announcement, Farms.com connected with Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, about how the federal Liberals under Trudeau viewed the ag sector. The federal Liberals were always going to struggle to connect... Read this article online