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Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Cockroach farming a runaway success in China

Thursday, January 2, 2014

There's an emerging market that is earning some Chinese farmers a tidy profit.

The Los Angeles Times reports that there are approximately 100 cockroach farms in China raising well over 10 million of the crawly critters. Dried cockroaches can be sold for as much as $20 a pound to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies, who use the cellulose-like substance found on their wings.

Overhead is low since cockroaches require no housing to speak of and they eat garbage.

Roach farmer Wang Fuming tells the Times, "I thought about raising pigs, but with traditional farming, the profit margins are very low. With cockroaches, you can invest 20 yuan and get back 150 yuan."

But there are risks. "The Great Escape" made headlines in August after a cockroach farm was unexpectedly demolished. You can guess the rest. BF

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March 2026

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Farms.com Breaking News

Hog Markets Strengthen Heading Into Late February

Monday, February 23, 2026

As hog producers head into the final stretch of February, North American markets showed modest but broad-based strength according to the latest OMAFA report for the week ending February 20, 2026. The data highlights firmer hog prices, stronger futures, and mixed feed costs, offering... Read this article online

Looking for a heritage machine

Friday, February 20, 2026

A Brantford, Ontario area heritage organization—the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre (CIHC)—is putting out a call to the Canadian agricultural community in hopes of locating a rare piece of machinery that helped transform grain harvesting around the world. The CIHC is preparing... Read this article online

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