New COOL additions toughen labelling protocols Thursday, February 26, 2009 © AgMedia Inc.by SUSAN MANNThe Canadian government will closely monitor how additional voluntary Country of Origin Labelling requirements being implemented by the United States affect farmers here after they come in next month.U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack released the voluntary requirements last week as part of the Final Rule for Country of Origin Labelling slated to go into effect March 16.Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz says in a written statement the government “will continue to stand up for the Canadian livestock industry and monitor the situation closely to ensure that Canadian producers are treated fairly according to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and the WTO (World Trade Organization).”The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has already called on the government to relaunch its WTO trade challenge. Spokesman John Masswohl says the voluntary requirements remove the flexibility American packers are given in the final rule to mix Canadian cattle fed in the U.S. with Canadian cattle fed in Canada and both slaughtered in the U.S.In his letter to stakeholders in the U.S., Vilsack says all meat needs to be identified with the place where it was born, raised and slaughtered.Masswohl says Vilsack has essentially told the U.S. industry that “even though the rule gives the flexibility, ‘I don’t want anybody to use it.’ Vilsack is saying he wants everything segregated.”In addition, the U.S. government plans to audit packers for compliance of the voluntary requirements and if they’re not following them the government will consider making them laws.Masswohl says they have to wait and see if U.S. packers will use the voluntary rules. It may seem like the new requirements are voluntary but the plan to audit them means they’re really not. BF 'Speed networking' connects farmers to local markets Property reassessment leads to tax hike
Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth Monday, June 30, 2025 Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online
Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility Friday, June 27, 2025 Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online
Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost Friday, June 27, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online