New risk assessment management protocols for dairy producers Tuesday, April 30, 2013 by SUSAN MANN All licensed dairy farmers must now complete a risk assessment management program form for cattle health and have it on file when their farm is being inspected to see if it meets Grade A standards. The form must be completed annually, according to a report on provincial raw milk quality released at the Dairy Farmers of Ontario spring policy conference in March. The form includes a verification the farmer and veterinarian must sign of animal health and proper use of drugs. The form also indicates a vet-client relationship exists. The requirement to complete the form was included in Ontario’s milk regulations under the provincial Milk Act. Inspectors will check to see if farmers have their completed form while doing Grade A and Canadian Quality Milk inspections. Farmers will be notified three months before their inspection is to be done. The requirement for farmers to have the form on file every year comes into effect today. In other milk quality news, DFO reports that 1,438 farmers or 35.5 per cent were registered under the Canadian Quality Milk (CQM) program as of Jan. 31. A total of 99 per cent of farmers are meeting the requirements of the dairy industry’s on-farm food safety program in their validation month or in the following month. To date, only 14 producers or one per cent who have been validated have incurred a CQM penalty. DFO operations division director George MacNaughton says by email that “milk quality has improved significantly over the last year and producers should be commended for their efforts.” For other raw milk quality parameters, DFO reports that: The number of somatic cell count penalties was lower in August and September 2012 than the previous year but increased in October 2012 and has remained higher than in the previous year since then. The new somatic cell count standard of 400,000 cells per millilitre came into effect on Aug. 1, 2012. Previously it was 500,000 cells per millilitre. There was a significant increase in the number of warning and penalty levels for the freezing point estimate test in June and July 2012 compared to the same time in the previous year. DFO, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the lab investigated but “a clear cause was not identified,” the report says. For example, in June 2012, there were 1,352 samples in the warning range compared to 210 in 2011 while in July 2012 there were 1,544 samples in the warning range compared to 430 in July 2011. For penalties, there were 29 in June 2012 compared to 10 in June 2011. In July 2012 there were 37 penalties compared to 23 in July 2011. MacNaughton say freezing point penalties have returned to normal levels since last summer. The number of monthly penalties for bacteria testing decreased about 16 per cent from February 2012 to January compared to the same period a year earlier. There was a 20 per cent increase in inhibitor penalties from February 2012 to February 2013. That may be due to changes in the inhibitor-testing program that came into effect on March 1, 2012, the report says. The program now tests load and/or producer samples for drugs that are not part of the routine screening at processing plants. There was a huge decrease in the number of penalties due to non-Grade A status. The number of penalties declined almost 57 per cent from February 2012 to January 2013 compared to the same period a year earlier with almost the same number of inspections performed. BF Europe's beekeepers take on the big agrochemical companies Dairy quota transfer policies under review
Sheep farmers win Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Sheep farmers and wool producers from Wallenstein, Ont. are Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2025. “It’s great to be recognized by your peers in the industry with an award like that,” Ryan Schill told Farms.com. “When we started the sheep farm, there were people questioning us... Read this article online
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke on April 28 that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with... Read this article online
Support IPM With a Bench Sponsorship Tuesday, April 29, 2025 The International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (IPM) Local Committee has launched the Bench Sponsorship Project for the upcoming 2025 event in West Niagara. This initiative invites individuals and businesses to sponsor commemorative benches for $500 each, helping enhance the visitor... Read this article online
New board members for Ontario Pork Friday, April 25, 2025 Ontario Pork, an association representing the 1,898 pork farms that market 5.9 million hogs in the province, has announced its new board lineup for 2025. As a Guelph, Ontario-headquartered organization, Ontario Pork is engaged in the areas of research, government representation,... Read this article online
A Chicken’s Dream: The Perfect Home for Our Feathery Friends! Friday, April 25, 2025 BY: Zahra Sadiq Do you raise chickens on your farm for personal, friends and family use? Don’t you think your feathery friends deserve to live in style? If so, look no further, Roost & Root have plenty of chicken coop models to choose from that you and your chickens will... Read this article online