In Sherbrooke, Que., dozens of tractors slowly rolled along a stretch of road between the regional offices of Quebec’s farmers association and the Agriculture Department a few hundred meters away    by Jacob Serebrin – The Canadian Press Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December. “It’s pretty hard to get farmers out of their farms, because they’ve got so many hours to put in, but to see them going out, it means that there is really something going bad in farming ..read more

Farm Credit Canada is now accepting applications from registered charities, non-profit organizations and First Nations, Métis and Inuit governments/communities in rural Canada for the FCC AgriSpirit Fund     The fund supports capital projects that enrich the lives of residents in communities with fewer than 150,000 people. There is a total of $1.5 million in funding available. Projects can receive between $10,000 and $25,000.    “Projects include greenhouses, community gardens and other agriculture and food-related initiatives”   Examples of projects include ..read more

Texas officials reported on Monday that a farm worker tested positive for H5N1, or bird flu, that has spread to dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Michigan and Idaho – the first time the virus has infected cattle     by Julie Steenhuysen – Reuters Health officials and scientists say the risk to humans remains low, but many questions remain. IS BIRD FLU A CONCERN? The Texas case is only the second time bird flu has been confirmed in a human in the United States, with the first occurring in 2022 in Colorado in a person exposed to infected poultry. In both cases, the infect ..read more

Like an unwelcome itch that never goes away, American Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) legislation recently came back to haunt the Canadian meat industry – particularly the cattle and beef sector     by Will Verboven – The Bulletin The COOL issue is decades old and has cost the industry millions in product discounts, logistical hoops, red tape, and lobbying expenses by our provincial and national cattle producer organizations. I suspect the beef industry may have hoped that the World Trade Organization ruling in favour of Canada and Mexico had finally put the issue to r ..read more

On behalf of beef producers, the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is cautiously optimistic that the Government recognized the Livestock Tax Deferral’s effectiveness in providing relief for producers in Budget 2024 and recognized it as a crucial tool for producers in times of natural disasters such as drought or floods     Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) The CCA has requested a change to the Income Tax Act to include all classes of cattle and allow producers to self-elect when they need to use the deferral. “Beef producers are encouraged to see the Livestock Tax Deferr ..read more

The 2024 budget changes on capital gains will create many winners and losers among Canada’s entrepreneurs, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). CFIB notes important budget progress in unlocking $2.5 billion in carbon tax rebates for SMEs.      Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Capital Gains Changes a Mixed Bag for Entrepreneurs “The big surprise for small business is a series of changes to capital gains taxation,” said Dan Kelly, CFIB president. “Our early assessment is that most small business owners will come out ahead or ..read more

Canada’s Codes of Practice provide critical guidance for the care and handling of farm animals. The Codes serve as our national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended practice       NFACC and the Codes Canada’s Code development process is led by NFACC. Key components of the process are: the inclusion of scientific committees to review research on priority welfare issues;  ownership of the individual Codes by the relevant stakeholders through their active participation in developing the Code;   measurable components to facilitate the developmen ..read more

The Swine Health Information Center and the American Association of Swine veterinarians are helping prepare livestock producers for dealing with highly pathogenic avian influenza     by Bruce Cochrane – Farmscape.ca In response to the identification of highly pathogenic avian influenza in livestock in the United States including goats and dairy cattle, the Swine Health Information Center in collaboration with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians will host a webinar on influenza A viruses April 19th. SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says the webinar wil ..read more

Canada’s food and beverage manufacturers face a mix of obstacles and optimism for profit margin improvements in the year ahead, according to the latest FCC Food and Beverage Report      by Jim McAlister –  Farm Credit Canada(FCC) After hitting a record $165 billion in food and beverage manufacturing sales last year, 2024 is expected to see sales moderate in sync with slowing inflation and tighter household budgets. Despite sector-specific headwinds and changing consumer shopping habits, the overall outlook is more positive. Population growth and stabilizing input cos ..read more

U.S. officials have identified H5N1 bird flu in roughly a dozen dairy cattle herds across 6 states      by Lauren Pelley –  CBC News Confirmation that a dangerous form of bird flu is circulating among U.S. dairy cattle has raised questions among dairy producers — and consumers — on both sides of the border. Dairy and beef farmers are implementing biosecurity measures to keep H5N1 out of their herds, while Canadians are understandably concerned about what these outbreaks could mean for food safety. So what is the scope of these dairy cattle outbreaks, and how is Canad ..read more