Behind the Lines - February 2016 Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Based in the heart of western Ontario's pork-producing belt and with a long history in the hog transporting business, Doug Luckhart saw a need for a better way to move hogs to market coming. He was already working with trailer manufacturers in Europe and the United States when animal rightists stepped up their activities in 2015 and Toronto-based animal activist Anita Krajnc made herself famous last summer by being arrested for mischief for watering pigs outside the Sofina plant in Burlington. Truckers and farmers can't win this battle, Luckhart says. "We can do better." Senior Staff Editor Don Stoneman's story on humane trucking starts on page 6.While Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea has garnered huge headlines in the last couple of years (that's what happens when an epidemic skews a commodity's prices), our resident contributing veterinarian Ernest Sanford points out that Porcine Reproductive Syndrome Virus and Porcine Parvovirus are still the most profit-robbing diseases hurting pork profits. Read what Sanford has to say about that starting on page 18.Computer algorithms may already be a familiar term to farmers who use higher-tech methods in their fields to determine where fertilizer should be spread. But in the pig barn to monitor and analyze when coughing pigs are becoming sick? Our Europe writer Norman Dunn is always bringing us new technology from across the pond. His story starts on page 21. BPROBERT IRWIN Sizzle hasn't left the price of bacon Pork council victor in ear tag dust-up
Ag implications in first Liberal bill of the fall session Wednesday, September 23, 2026 The Liberal government’s first bill of the fall session has components affecting the ag sector. Overall, Bill C-39, the Building Canada Strong Act, is designed to “bring greater speed, certainty, and predictability to infrastructure project reviews, and support the workers who will build... Read this article online
Ontario Hunters and Farmers Asked to Support Deer Disease Monitoring Wednesday, September 23, 2026 As Ontario's hunting season begins, the provincial government is calling on hunters and farmersto help protect wildlife by participating in its annual Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) surveillance program. The program is designed to detect the disease early and provide wildlife officials... Read this article online
Canada Could Add $5.4 Billion by Food Processing in the Country Tuesday, September 22, 2026 Canada could add as much as $5.4 billion to its economy and create roughly 34,000 full-time-equivalent jobs by shifting only 10 per cent of its raw crop exports towards domestic value-added processing, according to a new analysis by EY released by Protein Industries Canada. The... Read this article online
Local Food and Farming Drive Community Growth Tuesday, September 22, 2026 The 12th annual Farm and Food Awareness Week has already begun in Manitoba, held from September 20 to 25. The week provides an opportunity for people to learn more about where their food comes from and appreciate the efforts of farmers, producers, and food workers who help bring safe and... Read this article online
Equipment Technician Demand Reaches New Highs Tuesday, September 22, 2026 Canada's agriculture and construction equipment industry is facing a growing shortage of skilled technicians, according to a new report released by industry organizations the Canada Equipment Dealers Association (CEDF)and the Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation (AEDF). The findings... Read this article online