'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
Potato Crusher Helps Farmers Fight Weeds Monday, August 31, 2026 Researchers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) found a new use for a machine originally designed for potato production. The potato vine crusher, first created to destroy insect pests in potato vines, is now proving effective in reducing weed seeds during harvest. The idea was... Read this article online
Canadian Meat Council Warns of Food Safety Risks Monday, August 31, 2026 The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) has expressed concerns about proposed changes to Canada's food safety regulations that would allow certain provincially inspected meat products to be sold across provincial borders. While the organization supports efforts to reduce barriers to... Read this article online
Boosting Soybean Protein Through Better Nutrition Monday, August 31, 2026 Soybeans areone of the most important crops in the world.Soybeansprovide a major source of plant-based protein for both human consumption and animal feed. As global demand for food continues to grow, researchers are working to find ways to improve the nutritional value of soybean crops... Read this article online
Record El Nino Intensifies as U.S. Heat Wave and Drought Risks Grow Monday, August 31, 2026 As harvest season approaches across much of North America, producers are facing a rapidly evolving weather pattern highlighted by the strongest El Niño event on record. According to from meteorologist Eric Snodgrass, the east-based El Niño continues to strengthen, with Niño Region 3... Read this article online
Wheat Futures Surge as Black Sea Risks Fuel Grain Market Rally Monday, August 31, 2026 Grain markets finished the week of August 28, 2026, on a strong note as wheat futures led a broad rally across agricultural commodities. Traders monitored escalating risks around Black Sea exports, potential changes to U.S. crop estimates, weather concerns across the Midwest, and increased... Read this article online