'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
From Tractors to Putting Livestock at Risk: The Rising Cyber Risk Facing Canadian Farms Friday, May 8, 2026 Canadian farms are becoming more dependent on digital tools, but this growth has also increased the risk of cyberattacks. In one real case, a farmer contacted Dr. Ali Dehghantanha, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Guelph, after noticing a strange message on a computer. The quick... Read this article online
CROPLAN Expands Canola Portfolio with Brevant® Hybrids Friday, May 8, 2026 WinField®United Canada has announced an expansion of its CROPLAN canola portfolio to support Canadian farmers and independent ag retailers with more reliable seed choices. As part of this move, selectBrevant®commodity canola hybrids will now be offered under the CROPLAN brand. This change... Read this article online
Ag Salary Benchmarking: How Agribusinesses Set Competitive Pay Friday, May 8, 2026 Finding accurate salary data has become a growing challenge for agribusiness employers competing for skilled professionals. Unlike broader industries, agriculture and agrifood operate within highly specialized markets where generic compensation surveys often fail to reflect real-world... Read this article online
Ontario Grain Farmers Open 2026 Legacy Scholarship Friday, May 8, 2026 Applications are now open for the 2026 Grain Farmers of Ontario Legacy Scholarship which supports students pursuingpost-secondaryeducation related to the future of Ontario’s grain andagrifood industry. The program aims to encourage education and leadership development among young people... Read this article online
SARM Urges Flood Safety Across SK Thursday, May 7, 2026 The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) is urging residents to focus on flood safety as widespread flooding continues to affect many parts of the province. Several rural and local communities are facing serious challenges as water levelsrise,and access routes are... Read this article online