Livestock breeding patent unites German farmers and environmentalists Tuesday, June 2, 2009 German farmers and environmentalists have something in common for once. Both groups object to a patent being granted on a gene that is linked to rapid growth in pigs. In a rare show of solidarity, 400 of them protested in front of the European Patent Office in Munich in mid-April. Their shared goal – to prevent a patent application for livestock breeding from being granted. The technique, described in Patent EP 1651777, is not a genetic modification, but a screening process to find and mate pigs that naturally grow fast. Farmers believe that eventually they might have to pay a private company a royalty to produce livestock they have raised themselves. Originally filed in the patent office in 2004 by Monsanto, the patent has since been granted to Newsham Choice Genetics. BP Pork campaign targets younger females Solutions to labour shortages may lie offshore
Quebec Coroner Calls for Slurry Pit Safety Monday, September 8, 2025 A Quebec coroner is urging the province’s professional farmers association to increase awareness about the dangers of slurry pits, following a tragic incident that claimed the lives of two farmers in 2024. According to the Canadian Press based on a report by Coroner Nancy Bouchard, a... Read this article online
Canadian Pork Council Welcomes New Farm Support Monday, September 8, 2025 The Canadian Pork Council (CPC) has welcomed Prime Minister Mark Carney’s announcement of new support for agriculture producers facing increasing trade uncertainty. The decision recognizes the challenges that sectors like pork, canola, and seafood face when caught in global tariff... Read this article online
Is the 2025 U.S. Corn and Soybean Crop a Black Swan Event? Monday, September 8, 2025 On the weekly , Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal shared market insights for the week of September 1 to 5, 2025. Their discussion focused on Japan’s new U.S. trade deal, concerns about crop disease, and the... Read this article online
Canola sector unimpressed with federal support announcement Monday, September 8, 2025 Canada’s canola industry is displeased with the federal government’s recent announcements to support the sector. Prime Minister Carney announced $370 million in funding last week to introduce a new biofuel production incentive to support canola growers as they feel the effects of China’s... Read this article online
Two-pass Weed Control Critical in Managing Herbicide-Resistant Waterhemp in Ontario Monday, September 8, 2025 Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph recently shared insights into the growing challenge of multiple herbicide-resistant water hemp at the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour final event in Woodstock Ontario. Dr. Sikkema research highlights both the biology of the weed and practical... Read this article online