'Pocket pigs' pose problems Sunday, February 6, 2011 "Pocket pigs" got a big boost last year in Britain when celebrity guests, including soccer star David Beckham and his glamorous wife Victoria, went home from the Golden Globe movie awards with miniature pot-bellied pigs in their goodie bags. The pigs, which cost £3,000 to buy, were compliments of the owner of Patty's Royal Dandie Miniature Pet Pig. It was a good publicity stunt. By early December British authorities were warning of dangers involved in buying these pigs as pets for children. The pigs can carry and pass on the skin condition erysipeloid and the bacterium Streptococcus suis, which can lead to illness, including meningitis and deafness in humans. The micro pigs have been bred down to size, only 28 grams at birth. They still weigh as much as 29 kilograms and 35 centimetres in height when fully grown. They can live to be 18 years old. BP Manitoba producers sink under an increasing burden of regulation Worldwide hog production shrinks and Smithfield rocks
Manitoba Crops Advance Quickly as Heat Speeds Development Across Fields Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Manitoba farmers saw significant crop progress during the week of July 14 to July 21 as above-normal temperatures accelerated development across most major commodities. While the warmer weather helped push crops through critical growth stages, moisture conditions remained inconsistent... Read this article online
Canola Growers May Gain New Tool for Water Stress Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Mosaic Biosciences and Elicit Plant have entered into a joint development agreement to create a new agricultural solution aimed at helping canola growers across North America manage water-stress challenges. The collaboration will use Elicit Plant’s proprietary EliTerra technology... Read this article online
Pilot project supports Ontario and Quebec ag Wednesday, July 22, 2026 A new two-year pilot project is designed to help livestock farmers in Quebec by giving them access to an Ontario abattoir. The project, a collaboration between the Quebec and Ontario governments, with additional support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), would see a limited... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Harvest One of Canada’s Top Carrot Crops Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Carrots are among Ontario's most important vegetable crops, contributing significantly to local food production and year-round fresh produce availability. Ontario grows the most carrots of any Canadian province – 45% of the country’s carrots. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario... Read this article online
Weather Outlook Raises Flash Drought Concerns Across Central U.S. Tuesday, July 21, 2026 A growing flash drought across the central United States, lingering wildfire smoke impacts, and the rapid development of El Niño are creating a challenging weather outlook for North American agriculture. According to the latest weather analysis from Nutrien meteorologist Eric... Read this article online