Ireland's beef about horse and pig meat Sunday, March 3, 2013 The detection of a large percentage of horse and pig meat in samples of Irish beef patties is a disaster for consumer confidence in the European Union's meat system, according to published reports.The Irish Food Safety Authority (FSA) tested 27 samples of "beef" patties sold in some of the most popular stores in Ireland and England in January and found one third were positive for horse DNA while 85 per cent contained traces of pig.The Telegraph in London says the horsemeat was traced to Holland, where it costs one quarter as much as beef. Later, Poland and Romania were blamed.Scientists made the discovery by accident. The FSA admitted it had never tested for species before, and the substitution may have been going on for years. The minister in charge swears there is no public health risk. BF Striving for a modus vivendi with the Ontario SPCA OSPCA 'out of control,' says MPP
A new front in the repair access debate Friday, March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have pushed the right‑to‑repair conversation into new territory with House File 2529, a bill that focuses specifically on diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) systems—the single most common cause of emissions-related downtime on modern farm machinery. The bill would require... Read this article online
March 8 is International Women’s Day Friday, March 6, 2026 Across the United States and Canada, women are taking on increasingly visible roles in agriculture—managing farms, leading ag-tech startups, advancing research, and strengthening the rural economies that feed both nations. Their work reflects a shift in an industry once defined... Read this article online
Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to Visit Toronto and Southwestern Ontario Tuesday, March 3, 2026 The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry will be in Toronto and Southwestern Ontario later this week as part of its ongoing study on the role of Canada’s agriculture and agri‑food sector in strengthening national food security. The fact‑finding mission is scheduled for... Read this article online
AgriStability Program Updated to Include Pasture-Related Feed Costs Beginning in 2026 Monday, March 2, 2026 In case you missed it last week, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced that pasture-related feed costs will be added as an allowable expense under AgriStability starting with the 2026 program year. The update addresses rising operational... Read this article online
Bringing more Food and Ingredient Processing Back to Canadian Soil Monday, March 2, 2026 Protein Industries Canada has announced the second cohort of nine companies participating in its Program, an initiative designed to bring more food and ingredient processing back to Canadian soil and expand the nation’s value‑added agriculture sector. The selected companies span the... Read this article online