Cows develop problems with ketosis most soon after calving.

Study looks at once-per-day milking of ketotic cows

Economic analysis remains to be done on the idea that shows promise in treating ketotic cows

Two weeks of once-per-day milking can clear up a high proportion of ketosis cases —although researchers are holding off on recommending the strategy pending further analysis of the financial drawbacks. Dr. Stephen LeBlanc of the University of Guelph’s Dairy at Guelph research cluster provided an update about ongoing research at the recent South Western Ontario […] Read more

The challenge with fluid milk

The challenge with fluid milk

Processors struggle with fluid milk profitability while dairy farmers work hard to rebuild the market

The profit and loss for fluid milk in Ontario is “already bust,” says a dairy processing company executive. Mark Taylor, president and chief executive officer of Lactalis Canada, the parent company of Parmalat, told the annual meeting of Dairy Farmers of Ontario that fluid milk consumption had a large drop in 2013 and has stagnated […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Cattle inventories continue to decline, StatsCan says

Canada's hog herd also down on year

MarketsFarm — Canada’s cattle herd in 2019 continued on its generally consistent path of declining numbers, according to new data Statistics Canada released Tuesday. Aside from a few slight increases in 2012, 2013 and 2018, Canadian cattle inventories have moved lower since 2005. At 11.2 million head, the reported number of cattle on farms in […] Read more

Editorial: National voices in agriculture sectors should be a priority

Editorial: National voices in agriculture sectors should be a priority

A national voice for each of the major agriculture sectors is important, but increasingly splinters have appeared in many areas, including grains, dairy and sheep. This has happened before, and unfortunately it happens during challenging times in the sector, when a national voice is most needed. Financial, trade and policy challenges have appeared more in […] Read more

Cups of lassi, a traditional Indian yogurt drink, at a food stall. (Jedraszak/iStock/Getty Images)

India offers U.S. dairy, chicken access in bid for elusive trade deal

New Delhi/Washington | Reuters — India has offered to partially open up its poultry and dairy markets in a bid for a limited trade deal during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official visit to the country this month, people familiar with the protracted talks say. India, the world’s largest milk-producing nation, has traditionally restricted dairy […] Read more


(Jeremy Woodhouse/DigitalVision/Getty Images Plus)

CFIA rethinking limits on travellers’ personal food imports

Consultation running until March

The federal government is considering changes to the amounts of food travellers can bring into Canada with them from other countries for their personal use. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Thursday announced public online consultations on the proposed new limits, which CFIA said would “better reflect the volume of foods typically moved by travellers […] Read more

(Saputo video screengrab via YouTube)

Saputo to shut two dairy plants in East

Canadian dairy processing giant Saputo, in a move it describes as “right-sizing” its manufacturing footprint, plans to close two of its plants in Eastern Canada within a year. Montreal-based Saputo said Thursday it will close the former Riverside Cheese and Butter plant at Trenton, Ont. this September and its Baxter dairy plant at Saint John, […] Read more

The DeLaval V310 unit includes automatic pregnancy testing and heat monitoring.

Reproduction testing added to robotic milking

The option is available on the VMS V310 from DeLaval

DeLaval has created a simpler version of its on-farm milk-testing system, integrating pregnancy and heat monitoring in its new V310 robotic milking system. The DeLaval VMS V310 alerts farmers when cows are coming into heat and when cows are testing as pregnant due to their progesterone levels. An algorithm determines when a cow needs to […] Read more


Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou leaves B.C. Supreme Court on a lunch break during her extradition hearing in Vancouver on Jan. 22, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Jennifer Gauthier)

Improving global ag trade may not favour Canada

MarketsFarm — When it comes to improving global trade relations, a rising tide may not lift all boats. In the recently-signed Phase One trade deal between the U.S. and China, Beijing pledged to significantly increase Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and other agriculture goods. “Where does that leave room for Canada, given the demand side […] Read more

The SomaDetect sensor system installed on a farm.

Dairy tech company gets government funds

The funding will help SomaDetect test its inline sensor in pilot projects

SomaDetect has received $3.9 million in funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to test its in-line milk sensor technology. The company, with offices in Canada and the U.S., is working to develop a system that uses a sensor in the milk line to automatically measure milk fat and protein, somatic cell count, progesterone and antibiotics. […] Read more