Fighting tapeworm in backyard pigs Tuesday, April 2, 2013 A bursary awarded to Ellen Hughes, a student at Britain's Cambridge University, is aimed at improving the management of backyard pigs in Ghana and other sub-Saharan countries.Pigs don't grow as well as they could when they are infected with the pig tapeworm Taenia solium Cysticercosis. Human hosts do even worse. The tapeworm is known to spread Neurocysticercosis, a major cause of epilepsy in the sub-Sahara. This so-called "acquired" epilepsy shows up more often in the developed world because of immigration.Humans are the only host known to harbour the adult tapeworm. Both pigs and humans can harbour the larvae or cysticerci. Vegetarians and other non-pork eaters can acquire the disease through fecal contamination of their food. The tiny embryos travel through the blood stream to muscles and brain, where they can grow to be a centimetre in size, causing epileptic seizures in 85 per cent of patients where the disease has been identified. BP The ractopamine-free market European stall crackdown takes its time
Using bats to protect crops and livestock Saturday, October 17, 2026 Just as Batman has been known to use live bats to thwart crime in Gotham City, B.C. farmers are invited to learn about employing bats to stop insects causing crop and livestock damage. The Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society and the BC Community Bat Program are hosting a free event... Read this article online
Sask. opens consultations on farmland law Friday, October 16, 2026 The Saskatchewan government is inviting farmers and others to take an online survey related to farm legislation. Until Nov. 30, Saskatchewanians can participate in the public consultation related to The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act, which covers multiple farm ownership... Read this article online
Canadian Tractor and Combine Sales Fall Sharply in September 2026. What It Says About Farmer Confidence Friday, October 16, 2026 Canadian farmers appear to be taking a measured approach to equipment purchases in 2026, as new machinery sales continued to weaken through September. According to the latest monthly "Flash Report" from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), total tractor sales in Canada... Read this article online
Women-Led Agriculture Businesses Get a Boost Friday, October 16, 2026 The Government of Canada is providing an additional $628,501 to Agricultrices du Québec to support women entrepreneurs in the agricultural and forestry sectors through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES). The funding will help women access business training, mentorship,... Read this article online
Mahindra and Clean Seed Unveil Zero-Till Seeding Solution Friday, October 16, 2026 Mahindra & Mahindra has begun commercial production and supply of the MaxSeeder, a precision zero-till, multi-crop seeding machine developed under license from Canadian company Clean Seed Technologies. The launch combines advanced planting technology with Mahindra’s manufacturing... Read this article online