That whacky Chinese pork stock market Friday, April 8, 2016 China produces nearly half of the pork in the world and the price of a hog is nearly three times as much as in the United States, according to The South China Morning Post. Still, Chinese production is falling. About five million small and medium-sized operators went out of business in 2015, (in 2010 half of the pork slaughtered in China came from backyard farms raising fewer than 50 hogs a year) with environmental concerns being a reason. Prices are expected to go even higher. Imports from the United States were more than 40 per cent higher in November compared to the previous year. But Chinese producers aim to fill that gap using western technology.Feedmaker New Hope Liuhe Group, among others, plans to refocus as a pork producer, with an investment of C$1.84 billion in barns aiming to produce 10 million hogs in three to five years. WH Group Limited, which bought Smithfield Foods in 2013, is expected to be a major beneficiary, and shares traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange are expected to bring a 30 per cent return over six to 12 months. BP Smithfield moves into gas production Bacon in your underwear, anyone?
SARM Calling for Stronger Rural Emergency Funding Friday, March 6, 2026 The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is calling on provincial and federal governments to strengthen funding and partnerships that support emergency response services across rural Saskatchewan. Rural municipalities playa major rolein protecting communities during... Read this article online
Ag included in Carney’s trip to Japan Friday, March 6, 2026 Canada’s ag industry is part of the equation when it comes to the country’s continued relationship with Japan. A March 6 joint statement by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicates establishing a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” which includes... Read this article online
A new front in the repair access debate Friday, March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have pushed the right‑to‑repair conversation into new territory with House File 2529, a bill that focuses specifically on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems—the single most common cause of emissions-related downtime on modern farm machinery. The bill would require... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Alberta Pork Launches First-of-Its-Kind Retail Contest Thursday, March 5, 2026 Alberta Pork is putting Canadian pork in the spotlight this spring with a new retail promotion designed to encourage shoppers to choose Verified Canadian Pork (VCP) at the grocery store. Running from February 23 to March 30, the is the first initiative of its kind in Canada, offering... Read this article online