You may want to call first to see if it’s open, but many auction marts in Alberta were still having sales on Tuesday morning. The Livestock Marketing Association of Canada has a conference call set for this evening to discuss COVID-19 safety measures for staff, customers and buyers, said Chance Martin, an LMAC director and […] Read more
Livestock auction marts to decide on next steps
Livestock Marketing Association of Canada pondering next move in face of pandemic
Class horses as livestock, argues industry group
Horse industry should receive the same benefits as other livestock sectors, says Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Horses and other equines should be formally classed as livestock, says an advocacy group. “We have situations in various parts of Canada where provincial governments, in British Columbia in particular, are denying farmer status to people who are in the business of breeding equines including mules, donkeys, and horses,” said Bill desBarres, chair of the […] Read more
Additive could be a methane game changer
A feed additive that can halve emissions while boosting feed efficiency is now undergoing a large-scale study
There’s pressure on the beef industry to be more sustainable, and some of that pressure falls on scientists like Karen Beauchemin. The Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ruminant nutritionist and her team at the Lethbridge, Alta. research station are looking for ways to reduce enteric methane — gas produced when digesting feed — from beef cattle. […] Read more
New website to shed light on grain prices
Edmonton — Don’t know if your local elevator is offering a good price or not? There’s an app for that. Or at least there will be once www.pdqinfo.ca is fully up and running. The new website, created by the Alberta Wheat Commission with $742,725 in federal funding, aims to give farmers timely and accurate pricing […] Read more
Pigeon fever arrives in southern Alberta horses
Southern Alberta horse owners are being advised to watch their animals for large lumps on their chests, following what are apparently the first-ever cases of pigeon fever in the province. Pigeon fever is a disease common in the southern States, said Dr. Connie Fancy, veterinarian with Claresholm Veterinary Services. This year, Fancy and three other […] Read more
Alta. researchers closing in on prions’ weak points
A decade after BSE rocked the Canadian cattle industry, two University of Alberta scientists and their Swiss colleagues have taken a major step towards finding a way to block prion infection which leads to BSE and scrapie. “My lab contributed how the antibodies interact with the various parts of the prion molecule,” said biochemistry professor […] Read more
Growers needed for Alta. pea root rot survey
If you’re an Alberta pea grower, you can help researchers learn more about fusarium root rot in peas by offering up your field for research. Traditionally, Red Deer and Lacombe have been the primary area for peas in the province, but things have changed in recent years — and about half of the pea acreage […] Read more
You can blame aster yellows on bad luck, but not blackleg
Hope for a cold winter this year to knock back aster yellows, loosen up your canola rotations to avoid blackleg, and pick your pulse cultivars with disease resistance in mind. Those were three key pieces of advice offered by plant pathologist Michael Harding at Alberta Pulse Growers’ recent meeting. Aster yellows have been stealing yield […] Read more
East-central Alta. watershed group takes aim at water quality issues
Water quality affects everyone, and that’s especially true in the Battle River watershed. "Unlike many other watersheds in Alberta that have headwaters in mountain regions, the Battle River watershed is Prairie fed and our headwaters are near 60 per cent of our population," said Sarah Skinner, watershed planning co-ordinator for the Battle River Watershed Alliance. […] Read more
Alberta growers want a provincial wheat commission
A group of Alberta farmers is pushing for the establishment of a provincial wheat commission, saying it could help unite wheat producers and drive more money into cereal research. “We see this as an opportunity to enhance grower profitability through research and market development,” said Greg Porozni, a grain producer from Willingdon who is a […] Read more
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