| ||||||
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced a recall of beef products on the weekend because it may contain e.coli 0157:H7. This is just the latest food scare related to this deadly strain of e.coli – the same strain that killed seven people and sickened hundreds more in the Ontario town of Walkerton in 2000 when its drinking water became contaminated.   Irraditating food may be the only way of killing the bacteria in your food. Washing fresh fruits and vegetables – a tried and true method for generations – may not be enough to rid them of bacteria like e.coli that cause food poisoning, even if using chlorine disinfectants. E. coli, salmonella and listeria can all cause illnesses, but destroying the bacteria can be difficult, said microbiologist Brendan Niemira, the lead researcher of a study looking at ways to make fresh produce safer for consumers. The record-high prices for soybeans, corn and wheat brought about by the ethanol craze are a boon to long-suffering Canadian grains and oilseed farmers who have struggled in recent years. But what’s good for some farmers spells economic disaster for others as the high prices drive up the costs of livestock feed for cattle, sheep and swine farmers. And if you think that this won’t affect you since you’re not a farmer, think again. Continue reading Ethanol spawns a new crisis? Meeting the needs of a finicky consumer is hard – but essential for success in the evolving global marketplace. And it’s something farmers need to start committing to, according to a popular agricultural economist from Kansas State University. “We need to understand consumer needs and how ungrateful they are,” said Dr. Vincent Amanour-Boadu as he addressed livestock farmers at the recent Making tough decisions in tough times conference in London ON. “And we’ve talked about this long enough – now we need to start committing to success.” If producers don’t survive, the rest of the industry won’t either. That’s the blunt message Canadian Pork Council president Clare Schlegel is hoping the government will hear loud and clear. The Canadian livestock industry has been battling an economic crisis since last summer, when Canada’s high-flying currency helped sink cattle and hog prices and drive up feed costs. Farming is a tough business. I’ve been around agriculture all my life and it seems as though one sector or another is always hurting. Right now, grains and oilseeds (crops grown for their oil such as soybeans, canola, sunflowers etc) farmers are enjoying record high demand for their crops – and the high prices to go along with that. By comparison, livestock farmers are struggling to make ends meet as the high crop prices have driven up the cost of feed. There are other problems plaguing the livestock sector too, but the rapidly sky-rocketing feed prices are certainly a contributing cause. Tough decisions about their businesses and their futures are facing many livestock farmers these days. But there may be some help on the horizon – a one day conference in London this week is designed to help them with those decisions. The Ontario Pork Industry Council is hosting a day-long information meeting for beef, pork and [...] |   | |||||
Copyright © 2012 Food and Farming Canada - All Rights Reserved | ||||||
