Humans spread ASF in Europe Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Humans are responsible for the spread of African Swine Fever in eastern Europe. That is the conclusion of scientists Klaus Depner and Sandra Blome at Germany's Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.High levels of the virus causing ASF are found in the blood of infected animals, much less in saliva and feces, so living animals are not that contagious. Furthermore, sick animals with fevers don't travel; they stay put and die a few days after infection. Carcasses of infected wild boars do remain a source of infection for some time. The scientists speculate that, when many pigs were going to die, they were sent to slaughter and infected meat made it to markets, homes and suitcases. The virus spread along main roads.Farms that became infected were found to have insufficient biosecurity measures in place. Attempts to eradicate wild boars, thought to be a source of the disease, simply scared sick animals away, so that they died in other locations. Good hygiene and biosecurity are the answer, the scientists say. BP Venting on the weather Sizzle hasn't left the price of bacon
New resource for wild pig management in Canada Wednesday, August 20, 2025 A new website is available to educate Canadians about wild pigs. Wild Pigs Canada, a joint effort between Invasives Canada, Animal Health Canada and the Invasive Pig Leadership Group, launched on Aug. 20. “They threaten agriculture, ecosystems, cultural resources, and the economy in... Read this article online
Pierre Poilievre wins Battle River-Crowfoot Tuesday, August 19, 2025 The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is headed back to Ottawa. Pierre Poilievre received 40,548 votes, or 80.4 per cent of support from voters in Aug. 18’s by-election in Battle River-Crowfoot, Elections Canada data says. “Thank you very much to the great people of Battle... Read this article online
Alberta Harvest Progress Steady with Strong Crop Ratings Tuesday, August 19, 2025 According to the AFSC and Alberta Government Crop Reporting Survey, as of August 12, Alberta’s 2025 harvest was well underway with 2 percent of crops combined across the province, consistent with 5- and 10-year averages. The South Region leads with 6 percent harvested, followed by the Peace... Read this article online
Grain company license updates Tuesday, August 19, 2025 The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has provided updates related to two Western Canadian grain companies. As of Aug. 15, a Saskatchewan company had its license class changes. C-Merak Innovations in Tisdale had its primary elevator license changed to a process elevator license. A... Read this article online
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online