U.S. sow gestation stalls under attack Sunday, April 1, 2012 The pressure to end the use of dry sow stalls is growing south of the border, and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the vise. In early February, the Austin Daily Herald in Minnesota reported that Jeff Ettinge, chief executive of Hormel Foods, announced at its annual general meeting plans to end use of sow gestation crates on its Arizona farms by next year and in Colorado and Wyoming by 2017. Ettinge was responding to a question from a member of the HSUS, which is a shareholder.At about the same time, the HSUS announced it was going after Wal-Mart suppliers Seaboard Foods and Prestige Farms. HSUS subsequently complained to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission that Seaboard and Prestige spread "grossly false and misleading statements" about its animal welfare practices."McDonald's Corporation announced it will require its U.S. pork suppliers to outline their plans to phase out use of sow gestation stalls by May. "McDonald's wants to see the end of sow confinement in gestation stalls in our supply chain," said a joint press release with HSUS.In addition, Bon Appetit Management, a nationwide food service operator, announced it would phase out pork products from stall-housed sows by 2015. BP Behind the Lines - April 2012 Pakistan capital inundated with wild boars
Philippines bans pork imports from Spain, Taiwan over swine fever outbreaks Monday, December 8, 2025 The Philippines has temporarily banned imports of pigs and pork products from Spain and Taiwan following outbreaks of African swine fever in both locations, Manila's agriculture ministry has announced. The import freeze, announced separately on Sunday for Spain and Monday for Taiwan,... Read this article online
Markets brace for USDA December crop update Monday, December 8, 2025 On the weekly with Farms.com Risk Management, Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal, began reviewing the markets for the week of December 1 to 5, 2025, by looking at grains and oilseeds. They shared that soybean futures fell sharply during... Read this article online
U. of Saskatchewan Research Confirms Bacterial Cause of Porcine Ear Necrosis Monday, December 8, 2025 New research from the University of Saskatchewan has identified the primary bacterial agent responsible for porcine ear-tip necrosis, a painful and costly condition affecting pigs in every major pork-producing region. Ear-tip necrosis, first described in the 1950s, causes the ear tissue... Read this article online
FCC report highlights productivity as key to Canada’s agricultural future Monday, December 8, 2025 Canadian farmers could see significant income gains and new opportunities if agricultural productivity growth returns to historic highs. The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) report titled Reigniting agricultural productivity in Canada, estimates that boosting productivity growth to two per cent... Read this article online
New restrictions placed on hunting, farming 'incredibly destructive' wild boars in Alberta Monday, December 8, 2025 Wild boars have been declared "a pest in all circumstances" by the Alberta government effective Dec. 1, meaning new restrictions have been placed on keeping them in captivity and hunting them in the wild. It is now illegal to keep, buy, sell, obtain or transport wild boars in Alberta... Read this article online