The federal government is working on ways it can maintain inspection staffing levels at federally-licensed meat packing plants. Speaking to media Saturday in Ottawa, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau addressed concerns surrounding the ability of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to continue meat inspection work. The Reuters news service on Monday quoted two unnamed sources […] Read more
Tag Archives canadian pork council — page 3
Meat packing sector needs federal inspectors
Shared staff, recalling recent retirees among options on table
Opinion: Swine fever brings trade adversaries together
Capital Letters with Kelsey Johnson of iPolitics
At a time of frosty diplomatic relations and continued trade disputes, the world’s top animal health experts, industry and governments are banding together to fight a deadly hog virus. More than 150 officials from about 15 countries descended on Ottawa recently for a global forum on African swine fever. Their goal: to share information, learn […] Read more
Canada’s pork industry is on high alert
African swine fever is spreading rapidly in other parts of the world and could cause catastrophic losses if it reached Canada. Here’s how the industry is trying to keep it out
Pork industry officials have welcomed bumped up biosecurity — including more detector dogs — at airports as one of several strategies to keep African swine fever (ASF) out of Canada. As an export dependent country, Canada is particularly at risk from the deadly virus. If it surfaced here, customers would quickly close their borders to […] Read more
Feed from China poses major ASF danger
China is the only source of certain amino acids needed for hog rations, and even packaging can carry the virus
Imported feed ingredients are a major risk factor for entry of African swine fever into Canada. The highly contagious hemorrhagic fever is a major problem in China and other Canadian trading partners. Studies have shown the virus can survive in feed during an ocean crossing to North America. Why it matters: African swine fever would […] Read more
Can Canada break away from U.S. livestock pricing?
Canadian prices have plunged in concert with the U.S. market’s response to that country’s disruptive trade agenda. Some are asking whether Canada can decouple to a pricing mechanism more closely tied to global fundamentals
Pork, beef and other meat prices in Canada have been driven down over the past two months to where farmers are losing money on most animals they ship. The decline is mostly driven by tariffs placed on U.S. pork by China and Mexico in retaliation for American tariffs on steel and aluminum. Canadian pricing is […] Read more
Grains, hog farmers praise trade deal
Farmers outside of supply managed commodities are praising the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to modernize NAFTA. Stability of markets is important for trading commodities and a completed North American trade deal will help remove concerns about potential change in the market. “This agreement ensures that the existing strong trade relationship between Canada, the U.S. and […] Read more
Pork assurance program moving ahead after pause for producer feedback
The Canadian pork sector is aiming for a 2021 deadline for all pork producers to be on its new Canadian Pork Excellence assurance program. The Canadian Pork Council and its member provincial associations took a step backwards on the plan last year after an outcry from pork producers about a lack of consultation. Why it […] Read more
Canada untangles pork label rule for EU export
A domestic technical obstacle has been cleared out of Canadian pork’s export path to the European Union, the Canadian Pork Council said Friday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency last week made changes to its Manual of Procedures, which will allow pork packers to apply health mark labels after pork has been frozen, the council said. […] Read more
If NAFTA ain’t broke, don’t fix it, pork sector says
CNS Canada — As talks begin toward reworking the North American Free Trade Agreement, John Ross of the Canadian Pork Council repeats what many in the pork and beef industries in Canada and the U.S. have been saying all along: First, do no harm. “The worst thing that could happen to us was if we […] Read more
Bill to tighten cruelty laws downed in Commons
A federal private member’s bill meant to tighten animal cruelty laws in Canada — alarming farm organizations and energizing animal welfare groups en route — has gone the way of most private members’ bills. Bill C-246, introduced in February by Toronto Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and given first reading, died Wednesday in the House of […] Read more
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