Ontario Pork board plans meetings with farmers before releasing its position on a mandatory sow stall ban Thursday, May 16, 2013 by SUSAN MANNOntario Pork’s board will issue its position on a mandatory sow stall ban after it consults with farmers and others once the national Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs is released for public comment June 1.The National Farm Animal Care Council in consultation with industry and other stakeholders is developing the code. Keith Robbins, Ontario Pork spokesman, says they anticipate there will likely be a 60-day consultation period as part of the code’s release.He says the board will host a minimum of one meeting and possibly a series of three meetings across Ontario near the end of June with elected producer representatives and farmers. The board talked about having a representative from the council that developed the code give a briefing about what’s in it, the background behind what’s included and then “soliciting some kind of feedback” from farmers, he says. “I don’t think the board is going to issue a position statement until after that consultation.”Producers will be given support materials ahead of time, he says. Ontario Pork will try and get as many farmers as it can to the meetings, which will probably be held in areas with the largest numbers of pork farmers.The meetings will cover all aspects of the code, including the use of sow stalls. The code also talks about pain controls, spacing and “all the aspects, such as lighting and all the rest of it,” he says.In March, delegates at Ontario Pork’s annual meeting voted 69-12 against a mandatory sow stall ban in Ontario. But several pork buyers, including Tim Hortons and the Retail Council of Canada, representing grocery stores, have called on the industry to discontinue the stalls’ use by 2022. BF Ontario Pork starts collecting fees on out of province weaner sales Certification program aims to produce ractopamine-free pork
Where could ag fit in the fall session of Parliament? Tuesday, September 17, 2024 MPs returned to Ottawa this week to begin the fall session of Parliament. With the NDP pulling out of its supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals, a federal election could be triggered at any time if a non-confidence vote passes in the House. The carbon tax, cost of living... Read this article online
BASF introduces Surtain herbicide for field corn growers Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Field corn growers in eastern Canada have a new crop protection product available to them. After about 10 years of research and trials, BASF has introduced Surtain, a residual herbicide for corn that combines PPO inhibitor saflufenacil (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) in a premix... Read this article online
Canada rail union launches court challenges to back-to-work order Monday, September 16, 2024 The union representing workers at Canada's two main rail companies said on Friday it had filed court challenges against rulings by the country's industrial labor board that forced them back to work,Reuters reported. On Saturday, the board accepted a request from the government to order... Read this article online
New resource to support root rot mitigation in pulses Monday, September 16, 2024 A new website is available to pulse growers looking to get ahead of root rot diseases in their pea and lentil fields. Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG), as part of the Pulse Root Rot Network, launched rootrot.ca. “As root rots are a top priority, this website was developed to... Read this article online
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