Beef tenderness predictor works for pork Tuesday, October 2, 2012 A beef tenderness predictor also works on pork chops, says the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).The technology is based on visible and near-infrared reflectance (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy and predicts tenderness without destroying the valuable parts of the carcass. The tenderness predictor was validated using a shear cutting test to measure tenderness. It can be used to predict which USDA Select grade beef steaks will be tender when cooked.Pork isn't presented for grading the same way, so the challenge was different. A computer model was used to predict tenderness and that test was validated using 1,800 boneless loin chops during the boning and trimming process in commercial meat plants. The test also predicts which cuts of meat will look fresh longest in the grocery store. If the industry adopts the technology, the ARS' news service says, genetic selection might be based on predictions of the colour of the meat and also of tenderness. BP Diagnosing and treating umbilical and inguinal hernias in pigs The son of H1N1 spreads, with less panic
Minister MacDonald’s record in the House Tuesday, June 30, 2026 With Parliament on its summer recess, Farms.com is summarizing the involvement of Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and his counterparts during the first session of the 45th Parliament. For context, this session started on May 26, 2025, and Prime Minister Carney appointed MacDonald as... Read this article online
Rogers Sugar Secures Long-Term Labour Deal at Taber Refinery Until 2032 Monday, June 29, 2026 Rogers Sugar Inc. has announced a significant long-term labour agreement that strengthens stability across Canada’s sugar beet sector, with unionized workers at its Taber, Alberta refinery ratifying an extension of their collective agreement through March 2032. The agreement, reached... Read this article online
CFIA Food Fraud Crackdown Protects Canadian Farmers and Food Integrity Monday, June 29, 2026 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released its latest , revealing how enforcement actions that kept more than 150,000 kilograms of misrepresented food out of the marketplace are also playing a critical role in protecting Canada’s agriculture sector. While the report... Read this article online
Strong Demand and Heat Boost Grain Outlook Monday, June 29, 2026 On the weekly titled, “Weather + Acres + Chinese Demand = Fund Short Covering rally in Grains” for the week ending June 26, 2026, Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal agreed that grain markets may see a strong... Read this article online
- Derecho climatology (Gaustini/Bosart): a corridor through the northern Plains/upper Midwest carries a >65% annual chance of a derecho-strength MCS, driven by northwest flow on the ridge's periphery. We must watch this region over the next 60 days. More on this below... - Cold North Atlantic: Years with the current North Atlantic cold-tongue pattern favor western troughs + heat pushing into the Midwest. Caveat: rapid warming on the south side of the cold plume means the simple composite likely understates the evolving pattern. Plus the Gulf of Alaska has been warming which could negate these impacts. See this part of the video for a deeper dive. - Modeling caution: During Summer, global models like the ECMWF and GFS are at their weakest due to coarse resolution and their inability to res Monday, June 29, 2026 A dangerous early July heat wave is expected to test U.S. corn and soybean crops -- as if they have not already been tested enough -- as the growing season moves into a critical period for yield development. Nutrien agricultural meteorologist Eric Snodgrass says the next two weeks... Read this article online