CBBC Blog

Beef up market intelligence: Cattle producers may gain access to new data

2011-12-02T12:52:00.001-08:00

By Barbara Duckworth, Calgary bureau December 2, 2011

Canadian cattle producers may gain market intelligence they have not previously enjoyed if the newly launched Beef InfoXchange System does its job.

BIXS is an individual animal and carcass data information system developed by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association to improve the flow of information among cow-calf producers, feedlots, processors, restaurants and value chains.

It was launched this fall.

Producers attach information to a unique animal identification number housed in an electronic ear tag. The information is kept private in the BIXS controlled database.

"There was a thought we could use this tag for something good," said BIXS co-ordinator Larry Thomas, who started working on the program three years ago.

"The tool is in the ears of these cows to move information around."

Thomas said no other business allows producers to remain in the dark about what happened to their product as well as its quality and consumer acceptance.

Focus groups with cow-calf and seedstock producers, feedlots and processors were held to let BIXS designers know what users need from such a system.

It was agreed the program had to be voluntary, confidential and easy to use.

Producers who add their cattle to the online database need to provide the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency ear tag number, birth date or month when the calf was born and the producer's account number to validate the information. They also need to say whether they participate in the on-farm food safety program known as verified beef production.

"There is a feeling one of the first end market draws will be for products sourced from an on-farm food safety chain," he said.

The program will also handle age verification.

As well, room is available for optional information on vaccination programs, which products were used, weaning weights, castration and how it was done.

Animal health records can be added, which could be shared with producers to see how their animals performed at the feedlot. Packers could return details on carcass grades and yields as the system expands.

Many producers keep extensive records, but the key to completing the information circle was learning how they did at the time of slaughter.

"It is one thing to get the information back, it is another thing to make sure you are moving correctly on the information," he said.

Thomas said participants indicate how much information they want to share, but BIXS may not be for producers who aren't interested in sharing information.

There is no guarantee participants will make more money, but the program could match cow-calf operations to a feedlot, restaurant or processor looking for specific types of animals.

A buyer can list certain requirements and send a query to BIXS. The manager of the data scans the database and informs a producer that he matches the criteria for a certain buyer.

"The person who launches the query is never informed of the results of that query," Thomas said. "The consent solely rests on the producer."

Producers may work with others to enrol cattle in BIXS and interpret the information so that strategic decisions can be made. The first year of information is not enough to make changes, but several years of data can build trends.

Cow-calf producers interested in the program can visit bixs.cattle.ca/. To get started, click on the BIXS login and registration box on the main page. Producers will also find a registration guide, which provides full instructions.

Source: http://www.producer.com/Daily-News/Article.aspx?aid=42769

Note: The registration page for CBBC BIXS is: https://www.bixs.ca/en/web/cbbc/guest/registration

Farm Credit Canada Economic Outlook

2011-12-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Check out the online video from Farm Credit Canada :

http://www.fcc-fac.ca/newsletters/fcc_emails/20111124_economic_e.html

CBBC Congratulates Canadian Simmental Association

2011-11-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

$375,000 INVESTMENT IN CANADIAN BEEF RESEARCH

Today, at Canadian Western Agribition, Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud announced $375,000 in funding for a beef genomics research project led by the Canadian Simmental Association.

“Research is an important part of our agriculture industry and essential to ensuring our farmers and ranchers remain at the forefront of production throughout the world,” Bjornerud said. “This funding will improve the competitiveness of our beef industry and help producers continue to provide safe, high-quality products to feed a growing world population.”

The Enhancing Canadian Beef Production through Genomic Innovation project aims to develop genetic selection tools that will allow producers to better identify and utilize superior genetics to improve the quality of their product. The project will initially identify superior genetics within Simmental-influenced cattle to improve carcass compositions and beef quality. The tools developed by this project are not limited to Simmental breeds and will benefit the entire cattle industry.

The project has also received funding from the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

“This generous contribution from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, the Canadian Simmental Association, and our project partners allows us to continue to work to ensure Canada’s seedstock sector is at the forefront of genetic research and ultimately global competitiveness,” past Canadian Simmental Association president Rick McIntyre said. “This project will assist all Canadian cattle producers in our ongoing efforts to supply premium beef to both the domestic and international marketplaces.”

Provincial funding was provided through the Agriculture Development Fund (ADF). ADF provides funding to help institutions, companies and industry organizations conduct research, development and value-added activities that will benefit Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. In 2011, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture committed $14.5 million for 71 ADF projects.

For more information about ADF, visit www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/ADF. For more information on the Canadian Simmental Association, visit www.simmental.com.

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For more information, contact:

Patrick Boyle

Agriculture

Regina

Phone: 306-787-2359

Email: Patrick.Boyle@gov.sk.ca

U.S Meat Labelling Law Ruling "Positive"

2011-11-18T06:47:00.000-08:00

WTO decision expected to be announced today

By Rod Nickel, Reuters November 18, 2011 4:06 AM

Canada can expect "significant positive news" today from a World Trade Organization ruling about a U.S. meat labelling law, government sources said Thursday.

The law requires U.S. packers to label meat with the name of country it is from, raising their costs and discouraging imports of cattle and hogs.

Trade Minister Ed Fast and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz will hold a news conference today at an Airdrie ranch, where they will announce "significant positive news" for livestock producers, according to a government advisory.

A senior government source said the announcement will be the WTO's final ruling on the labelling law.

The country of origin labelling law, also called COOL, came into effect in 2008, prompting a sharp drop in U.S. cattle and hog imports from Canada.

Ottawa challenged the law as being non-compliant with WTO rules in several ways. It's unclear whether Canada, later joined by Mexico, has won its case on all fronts.

"We have not seen the ruling, but it wouldn't surprise us at all (that Canada won)," said J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute. "We've argued for years in statements, letters and comments that this law was not just costly and cumbersome, but a violation of our country's WTO obligations."

A favourable ruling would still not immediately swing open the U.S. border to more cattle and hog shipments.

"It still doesn't get us out of the woods," said Jurgen Preugschas, an Alberta hog farmer and president of the Canadian Pork Council.

Washington could appeal the ruling rather than comply, he said, which suggests bilateral talks among the countries may still be necessary.

The labelling law added to severe stress on the Canadian hog market, which has also faced high feed costs and pressure on export sales due to a strong Canadian dollar. As a result, Ottawa offered farmers incentives in 2009 to shut their barns to reduce the size of the country's hog inventory and stabilize the industry.

CBBC Announces recipient of Don Matthews Memorial Award

2011-04-25T12:04:00.000-07:00

For immediate release:

Calgary, Alberta

March 16, 2011

CANADIAN BEEF BREEDS COUNCIL

BOB PRESTAGE RECEIVES AWARD

Bob Prestage, owner of Arklow Angus and Wicklow Angus and a purebred Angus breeder, received the Don Matthews Memorial Award for Excellence in Animal Health at the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Beef Breeds Council (Council) held in Calgary, March 9, 2011.

The Award is presented by the Board of Directors of the Council to individuals who have contributed exemplary service to the development of the Canadian purebred beef cattle industry in the field of animal health. Bob Prestage has a lifetime experience in the livestock industry as a beef specialist, breeder of purebred beef cattle and international marketer of livestock genetics. He is a knowledgeable judge of cattle, understanding both performance records and physical characteristics. He specializes in the logistics of shipping live animals, semen and embryos all over the world. Bob has been extremely involved as a volunteer in his industry and his community

Bob Prestage is a distinguished lobbyist for animal health and welfare and is recognized as a leading international spokesperson for the purebred cattle sector,” said Allan Marshall, President of CBBC Board of Directors. “He has been instrumental in helping resolve agricultural trade access issues and we consider him a champion of the purebred beef cattle sector.”

The Don Matthews Memorial Award for Excellence in Animal Health was instituted in the honour of the late Don Matthews, Angus breeder, and a past President and driving force behind the Canadian Beef Breeds Council. Matthews had a passion for matters relating to animal health and international trade, foundational pillars of the Council.

The Canadian Beef Breeds Council is the recognized representative of Canadian seed stock producers by government and industry, while effectively promoting Canada as the source of quality beef cattle genetics.. Its members include national breed associations that in turn represent producers of breeding stock. Associate CBBC members are exporters and service providers. The Canadian Beef Breeds Council exists to represent and promote Canadian pedigreed beef cattle genetics domestically and internationally.

For more information:

Brett Campbell, Executive Vice President, Canadian Beef Breeds Council

brett@canadianbeefbreeds.com

T: 403.730.0350, C: 403.901.5090

CBBC Announces New Executive

2011-04-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release:

Calgary, Alberta

DATE: March 16, 2011

Canadian Beef Breeds Council Announces New Executive

The Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) wishes to announce the results of the recently held Annual General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held Wednesday, March 9^th. The board re-elected Allan Marshall, Canadian Charolais Association as President, and re-elected Byron Templeton, Canadian Hereford Association as 1^st Vice President. Newly added to the Executive were Doug Fee, Canadian Angus Association and Roger Davis, Davis-Rairdan Embryos International.

“We are delighted with this additions of Doug Fee and Roger Davis to the Executive of CBBC and look forward to working with them”, says President Allan Marshall. “Our focus for Canada’s purebred beef cattle producers continues with ongoing projects such as international market development through the Canadian Cattlemen Market Development Council and the Legacy Program, CBBC-BIXS value chain system and Producer Business Tools, including cost of production, sales reporting and benchmarking, with the view to promoting the purebred sector both domestically as well as internationally.”

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For more information:

Allan Marshall, President, Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC)

futureal@telusplanet.net; www.canadianbeefbreeds.com T: 403.730.0350, C: 403.588.5282

Numbers down but prices up at Calgary Bull Sale

2011-03-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

By Jen Gerson, Calgary Herald March 5, 2011 8:31 AM

The price of a bull is rising.

The average price for the animals edged upward at this week's annual Calgary Bull Sale.

The number of bulls sold decreased about five per cent from last year, according to Alberta Cattle Breeders Association president Mabel Hamilton. However, the average cost of the bulls reached a 10-year high of $4,284.97, she said.

"It gives us some optimism that maybe we'll be able to get through the year just because we had such depressed prices for quite some time," she said.

Canadian cattle have been harder to sell since a scare of BSE -- also known as mad cow disease -- shook buyers in 2003.

Prices likely edged upward in part because so many producers were pushed out of business by fears of the disease.

"A number of producers have sold off and given up. . . . We have a decrease in the number of cattle actually available for sale," Hamilton said. "Hopefully, the good sales and good results will bring numbers back up next year."

The top-selling bull was auctioned at $21,000. No one could be more pleased by the price than the animal's owner, Andy Schuepdach, the head of Lilybrook Herefords Inc.

"It's a pretty proud experience. I guess it makes a guy feel good. We could use the money, I guess," he said. "It's been pretty slow. Cattle prices weren't very high and the demand was very poor, and now it looks like our cow numbers nationwide are low and we're struggling to get enough butcher beef."

The cattle industry is looking a little more optimistic, he added.

Testing Cattle for BSE 2010-2011

2011-01-04T14:47:00.000-08:00

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and the Canadian Food Inpection Agency are reminding cattle producers in Alberta to call their veterinarians to collect brain tissue samples to be tested for Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as Mad Cow Disease.

Cattle producers play a key role in monitoring and eradicating this disease from the Canadian cattle herd by presenting eligible animals for testing.

It is very important for us to test enough eligible samples to continue to demonstrate the low and declining level of BSE in the national herd. This is essential for maintaining Canada's status as a "controlled risk" country for BSE, as recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This status clearly acknowledges the effectiveness of our BSE surveillance, control and elimination measures, and helps in securing international market access for our beef and cattle.

Producers are encouraged to call a veterinarian if they have animals aged 30-107 months that are diseased, distressed, down (non-ambulatory) or recently dead, or animals over 30 months of age with neurological signs. Producers must have possession of the animals for at least 30 days, in order to provide an adequate clinical history.

The Canada and Alberta BSE Surveillance Program continues to reimburse producers $225 for eligible samples and pay veterinarians for visiting their farms to examine cattle for BSE eligibility and for collection of samples.

Testing for BSE in the Province of Alberta is a shared commitmenet between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. A network of approximately 300 private veterinarians is readily available in the province to respond to producers' calls on potentially eligible animals, to examine the animals and to collect samples when eligible.

For more information, please visit :

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/general/progserv.nst/all/pgmsrv187

or contact the Canada and Alberta BSE Surveillance Program at 780.644.2148, or call your nearest veterinarian.

CCA Supports Government Investment in Inter-Provincial Trade

2010-12-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

December 6, 2010

Calgary, AB – The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) fully supports the Government of Canada’s announcement today that it will invest up to $3 million for a series of pilot projects aimed at facilitating inter-provincial trade.

As the domestic market is Canada’s biggest market, removing any barriers to improved trade is a worthy undertaking, said CCA President Travis Toews. Indeed one of the CCA’s principles is free and competitive trade both internationally and inter-provincially.

“Increasing opportunities for provincially-inspected processing plants will increase demand and competition for Canadian cattle, particularly in regions which are not in close proximity to Federal plants,” Toews said.

The announcement follows a promise made at the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Agriculture Ministers’ meeting in July.

For further information, contact:

Gina Teel

Communications Manager

Canadian Cattlemen’s Association

403-275-8558 x 406 | teelg@cattle.ca

www.cattle.ca

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BIXS Stage One Launch

2010-11-22T11:00:00.000-08:00

BIXS stage one launch to stakeholder partners under way

The CCA is pleased to announce the stage one launch of the Beef InfoXchange System (BIXS) to stakeholder partners. These partners represent existing and, in some cases, large beef cattle databases and specific beef cattle programs.

The stage one launch commenced at the end of October and will continue for several weeks as stakeholder partners make the necessary preparations to batch upload individual animal data to the BIXS database.

Issues may arise during this initial launch but to-date the process has been relatively smooth, reported the CCA’s Larry Thomas, national coordinator of the BIXS and Canadian Beef Advantage programs.

In the meantime, the BIXS management team is finalizing the details of the BIXS application leading up to the program’s national launch to cow-calf and feedlot producers.

“This second stage may roll out in a couple of phases, with the initial targeted launch to cow-calf producers on high-speed Internet connections or those enrolling and submitting data to BIXS through a third party,” Thomas said.

Interested producers are urged to visit the BIXS web site often for updates on the stage two launch and to learn more about the program. For more information, visit: http://bixs.cattle.ca.

"Healthy Animal" Youth Contest Launched

2010-11-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

"Healthy Animal" Youth Contest Launched In Support Of National 4-H Month

OTTAWA, November 1, 2010 - The Government of Canada is proud to promote November as "National 4-H Month", and encourages Canadians to show support for 4-H by wearing green to mark "Show your Colours Day" on November 3. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will mark 4-H month by launching an animal biosecurity contest for 4-H club members and other like-minded Canadian youth.

"Reaching out to young people who are passionate about farming and agriculture is an investment in the future of agriculture," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "As a former 4-H'er, I know the positive role this organization plays in providing our youth with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed not only in the agriculture sector, but in life."

The Canadian 4-H Council has a long history of attracting new farmers to agriculture, helping to develop responsible citizens, and building confidence in youth as they learn a wide variety of skills through hands-on projects. The online contest asks young people to come up with a slogan, a story or lyrics to a song that explain how to keep animals healthy. The winning submission could be used in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) advertisements and national campaigns to inspire others about biosecurity.

"Having healthy animals means healthy food, healthy people and a healthy agriculture industry," explains Dr. Brian Evans, Chief Veterinary Officer of Canada and newly appointed Chief Food Safety Officer of Canada. "We challenge the young minds of today to explain to their peers across the nation that protecting animal health is important."

Contest information can be found online at www.inspection.gc.ca/biosecuritycontest. The Government of Canada and the Canadian 4-H Council encourage young people to learn all they can about biosecurity and step up to the challenge. The contest closes January 30, 2011.

"We are extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with the Government of Canada," said Judy Shaw, president of the Canadian 4-H Council. "Their help and support provides new and exciting opportunities for 4-H members across Canada to 'Learn to Do by Doing.' Whether it is national programs or club-level activities, support from the Government of Canada helps ensure that 4-H remains one of Canada's premier youth leadership organizations."

The Government of Canada has supported the Canadian 4-H Council since it was established in 1933. The Council organizes and coordinates national and international conferences, exchanges and scholarships which focus on leadership development, career choices such as agriculture, technology transfer and other pressing issues being faced by today's rural communities and their young people. Show Your 4-H Colours day is an opportunity for 4-H leaders, alumni and supporters to show their pride, spirit and enthusiasm for youth, agriculture, leadership and skills development.

To learn more about the Canadian 4-H Council, "Show Your 4-H Colours" day and National 4-H Month activities, visit www.4-h-canada.ca. For more information about Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs and services that support young farmers, visit www.agr.gc.ca/youngfarmers.

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For more information, media may contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972

Meagan Murdoch
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations: 613-773-6600

Ken Lancastle
Canadian 4-H Council/Canadian 4-H Foundation
613-234-4448 ext. 27

Agreement Reached for Livestock Traceability in Alberta

2010-10-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

630 CHED.com
October 21, 2010

The Alberta government and representatives of the province's beef cattle industry have reached an agreement that will provide the foundation for livestock traceability in Alberta.

The Guiding Principles for Beef Cattle Traceability establishes an acceptable common understanding of traceability among government and industry partners as they move towards a national beef traceability system.

The Alberta Beef Producers, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, the Beef Industry Alliance, the Canadian Beef Breeds Council, the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Livestock Inspection Services all signed the agreement.

Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden says a strong traceability system enables producers to enter valuable foreign markets, China being a recent example, and receive the premium prices that their high-quality products deserve.

Field Reps Get Funding for Alberta's Beef Producers Age-Verification

2010-10-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

Vermillion Standard
September 24, 2010

The governments of Canada and Alberta are providing more than $2 million to the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) to help Alberta's beef producers with age-verification and traceability initiatives.

"The main thing we do at CCIA is look after the animal ID database. Animal ID is mandatory across all of Canada," said Darcy Eddleston, CCIA chair. The CCIA is a non-profit, industry led organization established to promote and protect animal health and food safety concerns in the Canadian cattle herd.

"There are three pillars of traceability: animal ID, premise ID and animal movement. Age verification is not one of the pillars but we can't seem to talk about traceability without age verification," said Eddleston.

Animal ID is a unique 15-digit number found on an ear tag worn by each animal, explained Eddleston. When the producer goes into the store and buys RFID ear tags, those numbers are recorded and assigned to that producer. In the future if that animal has to be traced back for a disease reason, the number will lead back to that producer's farm. "Premise ID is a unique identification number for a specific land location," said Eddleston. "Once we have the number for that location, we have the ability to track movement." According to Eddleston, premise ID is still in the developmental phase. The Alberta government has generated premise IDs for most of the land locations in the province and the other provinces have varying levels of completion.
"What happened was the federal government turned premise ID over to the provinces," said Eddleston.

"Part of the problem from CCIA's point of view is we need to be able to integrate all the different provinces, the way they handle premise ID, into our database. Every province is doing things a little differently but in the end we'll all end up at the same spot." Animal movement is the ability to track an animal's movement from one premise to another. "We can't do movement until we get premise," said Eddleston.

"There is some movement being recorded in Alberta; any feedlot over 1,000 head has to report on a read-in basis. The industry went to a read-in basis so the average producer doesn't have to incur the cost of going out and buying a scanner so he or she can read-out the cattle when they leave the farm. Over 90 per cent of the time, when a producer sells calves they're going to a feed lot, where they're restrained and the feedlot has the ability to scan the tag anyway."
Brent McEwan, executive director of traceability within Alberta Agriculture, said the over $2 million grant will provide two years of funding for the Mobile Field Representatives (MFRs) who support producers across the province. "It's really to assist producers with age-verifying their animals," said McEwan. "All MFRs are typically available at all auction markets on sales days to help producers and enter their information into the Canadian livestock tracking system which is the CCIA database." They also help educate producers on how to keep records and address some tag issues, said McEwan. "With the number of tags and taggers out there sometimes it gets kind of confusing for producers and the MFRs certainly help out there."

McEwan said Alberta made age verification mandatory in January 2009. Feed lots feeding 5,000 head or more per year were required to report move-in within their auction markets to the CCIA database also starting in January 2009. As of January 2010, it is mandatory for feed lots feeding 1,000 head or more to report move-in, he said. "The MFRs assist the feed lots in those efforts as well," explained McEwan.

"Also, if producers are having trouble accessing the CCIA database online, all the MFRs have computers and can enter the information right then and there for producers and often even provide them a print out of their information." McEwan said his staff works closely with the MFRs to make sure the field representatives are up-to-date on the latest government programs so that they can answer any questions the producers have. MFRs are available to all producers in the province, he said. "At CCIA we're very pleased that both the provincial and federal governments saw the value of the MFRs and have contributed to the program to help move age-verification in the province forward," said Eddleston. "We're working on what the industry is capable of doing and what is required for government purposes."

EBRD Trade Finance Facility for SBERBANK Kazakhstan

2010-09-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

EBRD trade finance facility for SBERBANK Kazakhstan
$50 million to support local exporters and importers

Author(s): Ina Coretchi
Date: 22 September 2010
The EBRD is stepping up its support to Kazakhstan’s exporters and importers with a $50 million trade finance guarantee facility to SBERBANK Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of SBERBANK of Russia, to facilitate the financing of foreign trade at a time when lending to the real economy remains limited.
Founded in 2007, SBERBANK Kazakhstan offers a wide range of banking products, serving over 10,000 corporate and more than 101,000 retail clients throughout the country. It is the first foreign subsidiary of the Russia-based SBERBANK to join the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) as an Issuing Bank. SBERBANK of Russian Federation joined the TFP programme in 2000.
The EBRD facility will support SBERBANK Kazakhstan in enhancing its trade finance services and will facilitate transactions with longer maturities.
“Through this transaction the EBRD is addressing the unmet demand for trade finance in Kazakhstan, supporting further development of trade in the region in the current market conditions. With the signing of this agreement, SBERBANK Kazakhstan becomes our new partner bank in the country”, said Rudolf Putz, Head of EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme.
“By joining the Trade Facilitation Programme as an Issuing Bank SBERBANK is gaining access to medium-term up to 3 years and long-term up to 5 years guarantee facility for our customers, participants of foreign-trade activity, at lower rates than classic financing, which will facilitate their business development”, commented Oleg Smirnov, Chairman of the Board, SBERBANK Kazakhstan.
The EBRD's Trade Facilitation Programme promotes foreign trade to, from and within the EBRD countries of operation, including Kazakhstan. Through the Programme, the Bank provides guarantees to international confirming banks, taking the political and commercial payment risk of international trade transactions undertaken by banks in the countries of operations.
According to the Trade Facilitation Programme’s 2009 annual results, Kazakhstan ranked fourth among all EBRD countries of operation in terms of the number of transactions, after Russia, Georgia and Ukraine.
The EBRD is the largest financial investor in Kazakhstan, having committed to date over €2.8 billion through 135 projects in various sectors of the country’s economy.

Biodiversity Talks Bog Down over Genetic Resources

2010-09-27T08:49:00.001-07:00

Biodiversity Talks Bog Down over Genetic Resources
By Aprille Muscara

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 21, 2010 (IPS) - While officials meeting in Montreal, Canada failed to finalise a key protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Tuesday, biodiversity is scheduled to be at the top of Wednesday's agenda of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Some 140 world leaders have gathered here this week to reaffirm their commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline. Goal seven, environmental sustainability, includes a target to "Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss."

But experts say that the loss of biodiversity is occurring at an unprecedented rate. As a result, the MDG7 target aim to substantially curb this trend by the end of this year will not be met.

"Tropical forests continue to be felled, destroying valuable endemic species and disrupting local, regional and global climates," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said earlier this year. "Climate change and ocean acidification are destroying coral reefs. Fisheries are increasingly overexploited, condemning millions of the world's poorest people to unemployment and malnutrition."

Ban designated 2010 as the 'International Year of Biodiversity' to raise awareness of this issue. And the MDG summit's last day, Wednesday, will coincide with the world body's first-ever high-level meeting on biodiversity.

The U.N. estimates that species are disappearing at one hundred times the natural rate of extinction. Twenty-one percent of mammals, 30 percent of amphibians, 12 percent of birds and 27 percent of reef-building corals are in danger of dying off, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles a 'Red List of Threatened Species.'

"Communities everywhere will reap the negative consequences [of biodiversity loss], but the poorest people and the most vulnerable countries will suffer most," Ban said. "Seventy percent of the world's poor live in rural areas, and depend directly on biodiversity for their daily sustenance and income."

Meanwhile, a three-day meeting meant to iron out the details of a CBD draft protocol on Access and Benefits-Sharing (ABS) finished in Montreal Tuesday with important issues still outstanding.

"Money will flow if we can reach an agreement on this, so we're calling on governments to show real leadership and try to get over their differences and come up with something they can agree on," Jane Smart, global thematic director of the Biodiversity Conservation Group of IUCN, told IPS. "It's become very politically a hot issue."

Entered into force in 1993, the CBD is a legally-binding international treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, ensuring the sustainable use of resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits.

The latter objective, referred to as Access and Benefit- sharing, has become a contentious topic in discussions among member states. According to the Secretariat of the CBD, ABS "refers to the way genetic resources – whether from plants, animals or microorganisms – are accessed in countries of origin, and how the benefits that result from their use by various research institutes, universities or private companies are shared with the people or countries that provide them."

Next month, the tenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the CBD is scheduled to take place in Nagoya, Japan. It was hoped that the ABS protocol, which has undergone heated negotiations since last March, would be ironed out at this week's Montreal meeting. "It's very, very critical for the Nagoya COP that the ABS regime is finalised, because then the convention can come together with its three objectives… on the way to being now fully implemented," Cyriaque Sendashonga, director of programme and policy of IUCN, told IPS.

At the last meeting to negotiate the ABS protocol, held in Montreal in July, Canada objected to generalised ABS requirements, instead favouring contractually negotiated terms depending on the parties and resources involved. But developing countries and rights groups worry that this approach might result in inequitable outcomes for indigenous and other minority peoples.

"We go to Nagoya with a number of key issues to finalise," said Timothy Hodges of Canada and Fernando Casas of Colombia, the co-chairs of this week's meeting, in a statement. Governments have agreed to conclude negotiations as soon as possible and no later than the COP10, they added.

"What we're really hoping is that the final outcome, the final regime is one that is fair and agreeable to all parties involved and is able to achieve the objective it's meant to achieve: To facilitate or encourage… access to genetic resources, ensure that there is fairness in those agreements, ensure that… the indigenous people, the local communities, the women… who have a primary role, a key role in protecting those resources are rewarded for that effort," Sendashonga told IPS.
Published Sep 17 2010 by NHK

Alberta Biosecurity Support Program gets rolling

2010-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Farm Business Communications, 8/28/2010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Staff

A three-year federal/provincial grant program aimed at helping or encouraging Alberta livestock operations to set up biosecurity measures is now taking applications.

Alberta's Growing Foward Biosecurity program, which will accept applications up until Sept. 30, 2012, will cover 50 per cent of eligible expenses for approved biosecurity work by farmers, non-profit farmer groups and "farm service providers," the province said Friday.

Funding will go to eligible applicants to "adopt and promote biosecurity measures in line with industry-developed national standards and benchmarks."

The maximum amount available will be $20,000 for producer projects and $80,000 for not-for-profit and farm service provider projects.

Eligible producers, defined as farmers who produce at least $10,000 worth of ag commodities every year, can submit projects "exceeding $2,000," the province said.

Work eligible for funds include the implementation of biosecurity measures (as well as feasibility studies and risk assessments for those) as well as the purchase of approved equipment, software and other technologies.

Work such as delivering, implementing and promoting biosecurity programs and/or developing training materials to help with on-farm implementation is also eligible, the province said Friday.

The program was set up to coincide with the current Growing Forward federal-provincial ag policy funding framework, which runs to the end of March 2013. Ongoing biosecurity program initiatives will be "evaluated at that time," the province said.

The province on Friday also rolled out details for a Growing Forward Leadership Development program, aimed at boosting the industry's success through "advancing leadership skills and capacity."

Eligible costs covered under the program includes the costs of enrolment in leadership development programs with at least 12 instructional hours of curriculum offered in Canada or the continental U.S.

Topic areas that may be considered include team building and group facilitation training; media training; conflict resolution and consensus-building training; coaching and mentoring skills development; communication skill development; strategic thinking and planning; and board governance.

The program is also available to "leadership program developers" such as industry organizations, producer groups and eligible schools, the province said.

BIXS Cattle ID System Soon to Go Live

2010-08-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Farm Business Communications, 8/24/2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIXS cattle ID system soon to go live

By Daniel Winters, Manitoba Co-operator

After extensive beta-testing by computer-savvy ranchers this summer, the online record-keeping system called the BIXS, or Beef InfoXchange System, will be ready for launch for the cow-calf sector by September of this year, says Larry Thomas, national co-ordinator for the CCA's Canadian Beef Advantage program.

"The countdown to the BIXS launch has begun," said Thomas in a presentation on the new system at the semi-annual CCA convention in Calgary. In the first stage of the launch, due to begin in September, some 6,000 users are expected to use the platform to input data on 60,000 head of cattle.

Along with the early adopters will be program partners such as members of the Beef Breeds Council, participants in the Pfizer Gold program, and the Canadian Angus Association, which will submit the contents of their databases into the system the instant it goes live.

The roll-out will come in stages so that kinks can be worked out before it is opened up the ranching public.

Lack of high-speed Internet access in rural areas is a problem, said Thomas. Those stuck on dial-up who wish to get their cattle on the BIXS will be able to order or download the necessary paper forms from the CCA, fill them out, and use a third party to input their data online.

The second phase, called BIXS 2, is touted as an information-exchange system that will eventually include all elements of the value chain, from the cow-calf producer to the feedlot operator and the packers. The developers of BIXS claim that the only limit to its future potential as a goldmine of production information will be the users' imagination.

Feedlots will be able to provide in and out dates for animals, so that cow-calf producers will be able to identify their best animals.
Packers will be able to scan carcasses for quality traits using a digital scanning camera that works in a way similar to an MRI in a hospital, then upload the data to BIXS where it can be accessed by the original cow-calf producer and compared with the national average.

Currently, Cargill and XL have scanners paid for with federal government funding already installed, and within a year portable units will be in place at other smaller packing plants across the country.

Data from the devices, which will go beyond grade information, to include carcass yield, ribeye area, marbling score and more, will be streamed back to the BIXS program so that the cow-calf operator who registered the RFID tag entry can access it.

What's the Beef? Food-Inflation Fears

2010-08-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Wall Street Journal•
• COMMODITIES
• AUGUST 25, 2010
What's the Beef? Food-Inflation Fears
•
By LIAM PLEVEN
Cattle prices are soaring toward records, pushing up the cost of beef in grocery stores and adding to the risk of a broader wave of food inflation.
The gains are being fueled by rising appetites globally and a dwindling U.S. herd. Purchases of U.S. beef around the world have surged as emerging economies become more prosperous. At the same time, ranchers hit in recent years by drought and the financial crisis have cut the number of cattle to the lowest level in decades.
The rally has driven up the futures market for cattle by 11% since early July to reach the brink of the $1-a-pound mark, just shy of the $1.04 record set in 2008. Prices dipped 0.3% Tuesday, to settle at 99.475 cents a pound, after rising for the previous 11 trading sessions.
Consumers already are paying more, with the retail price of choice beef up 4% in July from December, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Further increases may be in the offing; last week alone wholesale prices climbed 3.2%.
While some observers said the August rally may be short-lived, they also said the fundamentals of a cattle shortage and rising demand mean prices will remain high over the longer term.
Nations in Asia and elsewhere are buying more U.S. beef. Meantime, it will take at least two or three years to substantially increase the U.S. herd, taking into account the months of gestation and then calf growth. The U.S. is crucial because it is the biggest beef producer in the world.

ALMA Introduces New Chair, Board Members

2010-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

July 22, 2010
Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency introduces new chair,
board members

Edmonton… Three new Board members have been named to the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA), including an Alberta veterinarian with extensive international business experience.

Dr. David Chalack, DVM; Anne Dunford and Jurgen Preugschas bring considerable industry knowledge and talent to the ALMA Board.

“The addition of David, Anne and Jurgen will better position ALMA to help address the challenges of Alberta’s livestock industry as we work to increase demand for our products,” said Hayden. “I know these members are looking forward to their new roles as government looks to increase market access both domestically and internationally for all livestock species.”

Each brings extensive agriculture experience spanning many years of actively working within the livestock industry. As Board Chair, Dr. Chalack brings valuable leadership skills and an ability to understand complex issues and develop proactive solutions. Okotoks resident Dunford, General Manager and Marketing Specialist for Gateway Livestock Exchange in Taber, has a broad knowledge of livestock marketing along with years of networking experience in the livestock industry.
Preugschas, a Mayerthorpe hog producer with 39 years of agriculture industry experience, is currently Chair of the Canadian Pork Council.

“I also want to thank Cherie Copithorne-Barnes for her hard work and dedication as interim Board chair,” added Hayden. ALMA contributes ideas, information and investment as it works with industry partners towards achieving the goal of a sustainable, profitable and internationally respected livestock and meat
industry. For further information on ALMA, visit www.alma.alberta.ca
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Media inquiries may be directed to:
Gordon Cove
President and CEO, ALMA
780-638-6489
To call toll-free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
Backgrounder
July 22, 2010
Biographies of new ALMA board members
Dr. David A. Chalack, DVM

Dr. David A. Chalack is a veterinarian and owner/partner and president of Rocky Mountain Holsteins Inc, as well as the Canadian Sales and Marketing Director with Alta Genetics Inc. based in Balzac. Chalack is currently the President and Chairman of the Board for the Calgary Stampede. He also serves as a Director of Horse Racing Alberta, on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the new University of Calgary Veterinary Medicine Faculty and on the Board of Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Livestock Genomics. Chalack is also a member of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors. He previously held the position of director of the Canadian Livestock Genetic Exporters Association. He is also an official judge with Holstein Canada and has judged in more than 14 countries.

Anne Dunford
Anne Dunford is the General Manager and Marketing Specialist for Gateway Livestock Exchange based in Taber. Prior to joining Gateway Livestock Exchange, she was the Senior Market Analyst with Canfax, a division of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, for 21 years providing members with market information and analysis. Dunford is currently a member of the Calgary Stampede International Agriculture Committee. She previously sat on the Statistics Canada Advisory
Committee on Agriculture.

Jurgen Preugschas
Jurgen Preugschas has been farming since 1970 and is a founding shareholder and director for Peak Swine Genetics Inc. Preugschas currently owns and operates a 3,000 acre farm in Mayerthorpe, where he raises grain, oilseeds, alfalfa and custom grazing cattle. He also owns a nucleus swine herd for Peak Swine Genetics Inc, which finishes 20,000 pigs per year. Preugschas is the current President of the Canadian Pork Council, as well as co-chair with Agriculture and Environment Partnership of Alberta. He previously held the positions of director and chairman of Alberta Pork, director of the Canadian Agrifood Trade Alliance and director of the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture.
-30-
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Gordon Cove
President and CEO, ALMA
780-638-6489
To call toll-free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

When Science Meets Taste

2010-08-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Science Meets Taste

The days of giant porterhouse steaks filling a plate are gone. Consumers want a smaller, leaner cut of meat. Ranchers are obliging by experimenting with cattle breeds, different feeds and new technology.
By Jen Gerson, Calgary Herald August 8, 2010 Wearing a wide-rimmed western hat and matching boots, Fred Taylor leans back and watches customers paw through plastic-wrapped trays of blood-red sirloin, flank, rib-eye and tenderloin.

He doesn't stand too close, mind you, as it might hinder the glorious purchase of meat. But he enjoys watching.

"Most people, they sort through like that," he said, chuckling. "They don't even know what they're looking for."

Taylor is a meat grader. For him, a piece of raw beef is almost sacrosanct -- the product of years of improving technology and delicate breeding programs fine-tuned to increase fat distribution and perfect rib size.

The result, lost on the oblivious masses sorting through refrigerated Styro foam, is that steak has been steadily improving in Canada.

Almost 15 years ago, during the best time of year, only about a third of the beef produced could meet a AAA standard, one of the highest awarded to meat.

Now, packing houses can see up to 70 per cent of meat score the coveted grade.

The standard has improved so significantly that ordinary stores are now selling even Prime beef, the grade that trumps AAA.

The beef is so heavily marbled that Taylor

questions whether it should be offered in stores, rather than high-end restaurants exclusively.

"It takes a consumer only 30 seconds to ruin two years of a farmer's work," he said. And most people would be unable to tell the difference.

Taylor devotes part of his time to teaching shoppers how to spot a Prime, AAA and the lesser grades of AA or, god forbid, A beef.

Building that better steak starts on the cutting floor.

Taken at about 16 months old when their flesh is still tender and their bodies are the right size to yield a 10-pound sirloin flank for under $100, the cows are led to the slaughterhouse where they are killed and strung.

Taylor's job begins here, when a meat saw cleaves the cadaver between the 12th and 13th ribs.

First, he checks the colour. It must be bright red; neither purple nor dark. Such aberrations could indicate a distressed cow. One in heat perhaps, or a creature startled by a sudden hailstorm.

Taylor grades the distribution of the fat. Called marbling, the white curds must be small and scattered throughout fine muscle. The further down the rib, the thicker the fat becomes, until it grows into a web-like connective tissue that will make the steak more difficult to eat.

A well-marbled cut of meat will lead to a tastier, juicier steak. The marbling also determines the grade; a raw prime steak has noticeably more flecks of fat than AAA.

Taylor also checks the colour of the fat. It should be white and firm, indicating the animal had been fed a grain like barley. There's nothing wrong with a corn-fed cow per se, he said. But the carotene in that plant tends to turn the fat into a less palatable mushy yellow. White fat looks better on the tray.

The last 180 days of a cow's life will be spent at a feedlot where they are fattened with grain.

In recent years, health-conscious consumers have called for more grass-fed beef, believing it to be more natural.

Greg Keller, manager and part owner of the Bon Ton Meat Market, said the exultation of grass-fed cattle is unfounded.

"Cattle in every different region are fed whatever there's an abundance of. In Alberta, barley is what we have and we have to finish them with grain because that's what gives it the marbling," he said.

"Nothing is cleaner than grain. There's a bit of a stigma with it, but there's nothing to worry about."

Whether the flesh is finely marbled is a matter of feed, luck and genetics.

That's why farmers experiment with various cattle breeds, favouring those with a good yield and a high-quality carcass.

Like trends in skirt lines, breeds have become de rigueur at high-end restaurants and among backyard barbecue jocks. In the past, larger, continental cattle were popular for their plate-crunching steak sizes.

Now, educated tasters tend toward the smaller, more flavourful British stock, like Black Angus.

But at this year's Calgary Stampede Quality Beef Competition, the carcass of a modest Canadian crossbreed called the Speckle Park took top prize.

"There are good and bad points with the Black Angus. I think we've taken the Black Angus and improved on it," said Ken Malterer, a cattle rancher near Ponoka who raises Speckle Park.

He uses a computer program called HerdMaster to track his beef.

"It's amazing what they can do now," he said. "You could see how patterns of different bloodlines created better carcasses."

Farmers track an animal using a tag on its ear that will yield information on its parentage.

"What we found out is that if you take the poor ones out, the ones that don't grade, that are not the right size or have too much back fat, and you eliminated them from the herd, then you'll bring up the quality of your herd."

Technology has allowed him to shape breeds to customer tastes.

"Now our markets have changed. They're going to smaller animals with a little more compact marbling. The consumer demand is for a smaller steak. We don't want a big steak that goes over the side of the plate anymore."

Satoru Kogo, head chef at Chicago Chophouse in Calgary, agrees that tastes are changing as beef-eaters become more educated about their meat.

"People are starting to understand about the whole marbling situation. Before, everybody was saying that fat was disgusting and not healthy," he said. "I'm surprised. Some of the guests that we get know more about meat than I do.

"They know about meats available in New Zealand or Japan. They've read about Kobe beef and are curious about what they can get."

Kobe, a breed of cow native to Japan, is known for its pale colour, rich flavour and high fat content. It doesn't taste like steak, Kogo says.

"It melts in your mouth, just like chocolate," he says. But the pricey meat doesn't have the traditional feel of a piece of steak, which is why so few restaurants carry it.

"It's turned into such a delicacy. Most people prefer red meat."

Taylor has little patience for Japanese steak. It's a niche product. He would rather see the vibrant red of a quality Albertan cow.

He has one other tip: "Don't overcook it."

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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Cloned Embryo Sale Claim has Feds Checking with UK

2010-08-06T14:09:00.001-07:00

Cloned embryo sale claim has feds checking with U.K.; Food from cloned animals not approved here
Edmonton Journal
Fri Aug 6 2010
Page: A5
Section: News
Byline: Sarah Schmidt And Christina Spencer
Source: Postmedia News
The federal government is probing a claim that embryos from a cow bred of a cloned parent animal in Great Britain have been sold to breeders in Canada.
"We are working closely with our U.K. counterparts to investigate these allegations," Canadian Food Inspection Agency spokesman Guy Gravelle confirmed Thursday.
Foods derived from cloned animals are not approved for sale in Canada.
But the possibility that clone-derived animal embryos may have entered this country follows reports that breeders from several European nations have been importing from the United States embryos and semen from cloned animals or the offspring of cloned animals. For example, the New York Times reported last month that dairy products derived from cloned animals are already thought to be in some grocery stores in Britain and in Switzerland.
One farmer told the Times he uses milk from the progeny of a cloned cow in his production, adding he was also selling embryos from the same cow to Canadian breeders. The farmer was not named.
Cloning animals is among the techniques breeders use to try to produce heartier, healthier animals, with higher-quality meat or the ability to produce more milk. But public reaction to cloning has been mixed, at best, in many countries.
Two years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded that cloned pigs, goats and cattle were safe to eat, as were their progeny.
The European Parliament recently moved to ban the sale of meat or dairy from cloned animals and their offspring, however, and Canada has not yet approved their sale.
At the same, this week the U.K. government said that meat from a cloned animal had made its way into the food chain, according to FoodQualitynews. com.
In Canada, "our officials are in contact with our counterparts in the United Kingdom and will receive pertinent information once the investigation . . . is completed," Gravelle said in an e-mail to Postmedia News. "The CFIA reviews any credible information it receives about non-compliance to determine what followup action is required."
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the federal Health, Agriculture and the Environment departments produced a draft assessment of the safety of cloned animals in 2008, but have not yet finalized it, Gravelle said.

Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Update

2010-08-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Government of Canada and Colombia Work to Remove Remaining Agricultural Barriers to Trade

Ottawa, Ontario, August 5, 2010 – The Honourable Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture, today announced a special round of bilateral technical discussions between the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Colombia’s Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA). The meeting confirmed for August 18, 2010, will map out the resolution of the remaining outstanding technical issues between the two countries.

“Canada and Colombia have a strong partnership based on principles of sound science that is paying dividends for our farmers,” said Minister Ritz. “By tying up the final technical details, we are helping hardworking Canadian farmers reap the full benefits of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement when it is officially implemented.”

Colombia lifted its BSE bans on beef in January 2010 and live cattle in April 2010, demonstrating their commitment to science-based approaches to trade.

Colombia is a dynamic emerging market with a population of 48 million and an economy with high growth potential. In 2009, trade on commodities with Colombia totaled $1.2 billion. Opportunities for further growth will be facilitated by the implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which received Royal Assent in Canada in June 2010 and which will come into force once the Government of Colombia completes their domestic approval processes.

Colombia is the third-largest market in South America for Canadian agri-food products. An FTA will open new market opportunities for Canadian farmers and exporters and will help level the playing field vis-à-vis competitors that are also seeking preferential access including the United States and the European Union. The FTA will also have a positive impact on the economy and contribute to creating more jobs in Canada.

- 30 -

For more information, please visit Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement or contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866 345-7972

Meagan Murdoch
Press Secretary
The Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
613-773-1059

Notice to Industry

2010-07-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Notice to Industry
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON IMPORT PERMIT AND EXPORT CERTIFICATE
OTTAWA, July 22, 2010: As of September 1, importers and exporters of cattle, bison and sheep will be asked to provide their Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (CCIA) or Agri-Traçabilité Québec (ATQ) database account number on animal health export certificates and import permits.

Adding the database account number to import permits and export certificates will enhance Canada’s ability to track animals entering or leaving the country. Having access to accurate, upto-date information in emergency situations is important because it can reduce response time, thus limiting the economic, environmental and social impacts of the situation.

The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of livestock and the food supply through proper animal identification. Tagging and traceability are key components of Canada’s national strategy to protect animal health.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), CCIA and ATQ are working together to promote consistent data collection and retention. Producers can contact the CCIA at 1-877-909-2333 or the ATQ at 1-866-270-4319 for their database account number. Under the Health of Animals Regulations, parties subject to part XV of the requirements are required to report livestock identification information to the CCIA or ATQ.
In doing so, each of the regulated parties receives a CCIA and/or ATQ database account number.

For more information on traceability in Canada, please contact the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 or visit www.inspection.gc.ca. You can also contact the following organizations:
Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
Telephone: 1-877-909-2333, 403-275-2083
Internet: www.canadaid.com
Agri-Traçabilité Québec
Telephone: 1-866-270-4319; 450-677-1757
Internet: www.agri-tracabilite.qc.ca

Advance Payments Program

2010-07-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Advance Payments Program (APP) provides producers with a cash advance on the value of their agricultural products during a specified period. By improving their cash flow throughout the year, the APP helps crop and livestock producers meet their financial obligations and benefit from the best market conditions.

Under the APP the federal government guarantees repayment of cash advances issued to farmers by the producer organization. These guarantes help the producer organization borrow money from financial institutions at lower interest rates and issue producers a cash advance on the anticipated value of their farm product that is being produced and/or that is in storage.

The APP is accessed through producer organizations that administer the program through an agreement with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and a designated lending institution.

For more information see : www.agr.gc.ca Advance Payments Program.

CFIA Update

2010-06-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2010: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has conclusively ruled out foot-and-mouth disease and swine vesicular disease in pigs at an Alberta slaughter facility.

Based on these results, the Agency has lifted all movement restrictions. The facility has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and has resumed regular business There is no human health or food safety concern associated with this incident.

The CFIA wishes to thank the plant operators and the Province of Alberta for their extensive cooperation during this investigation.

In all cases where federally-reportable diseases are suspected or confirmed, the goal is to minimize disruptions to producers, while respecting Canada's domestic and international obligations to take appropriate and prodent control measures. These measures are critical for protecting the health of Canadian livestock and maintaining market access.

More information: Canadian Food Inspection Agency Media Relations 613.773.6600