Rabbit code of practice unveiled

The Rabbit Code of Practice is finally out for the 60 day public comment period, says Michelle Sanders of Rabbit Ontario.

The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) and the Syndicat des producteurs de lapins du Québec (SPLQ), working in partnership with other provincial rabbit groups, developed the proposal.

“The public comment period allows stakeholders – producers, consumers, and others with an interest in the welfare of rabbits – to view the draft code and provide input to the final code,” the national organization said in a news release.

“The draft Code and the public comment system are now accessible at: www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/rabbits.

“All comments must be submitted through the online system. The public comment period closes March 31, 2017.

“The Code Development Committee will consider the submitted comments after the close of the comment period, and the plan is that the final rabbit Code of Practice will be released by the end of 2017.”

                       

Daynard heads Farm & Food Care Ontario

Kelly Daynard has been appointed interim executive director of Farm and Food Care Ontario.

The board issued a news release to announce “the departure” of Tracy Hussey and Daynard’s appointment.

Hussey became executive director when Crystal MacKay was promoted to chief executive officer of Farm Care Canada.

         

Saputo offers to buy more shares

Saputo Inc. has made an offer of $8.77 Cdn to buy the remaining 12 per cent of shares of Australian dairy company Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Co.

It bought 88 per cent of the shares in 2014, giving it a platform to export to the Chinese and other Asian markets.

Its offer is 24.8 per cent above the Australian company's closing stock price on Friday.

However, Saputo's offer is below what it paid in 2014 when it offered between A$9.40 per WCB share and up to A$9.60 per share if at least 90 per cent of Warrnambool's shares were tendered.

The Australian and Canadian dollars are close to par.

The company said Monday that the only condition with the new offer is that enough shares are tendered to its offer to raise Saputo's ownership to 90 per cent.

Another calf with rabies

A second beef calf on a farm in Wallace Township, Perth County, has tested positive for rabies.

It’s the same farm where another calf was infected earlier this month.

The Perth County Health Unit has been quick to alert the farming community to be on watch for rabies.

There have been four cases in the county since 2015, one of them a dairy cow, another a skunk, plus these two calves.

Premier on traffic PR initiative

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is putting a positive spin on her rejection of  Toronto tolls to relieve traffic congestion and fund public transit.

She says she will increase the amount of gasoline tax revenue granted to municipalities, but not until fiscal 2019-20.

Then she will up the grants from 2.5 cents to three cents per litre and the next fiscal year to four cents.

The grants last year totaled $334.5 million and were shared among 99 municipalities.

The initial increase will bring it to $401 million and the second one to $642 million, she says.

I say this is pathetically inadequate!

" People in communities across Ontario can’t afford to waste time stuck in traffic — we all need better options to get to work and home to our families sooner,” Wynne said.

No kidding! It's so bad that many people who would otherwise like to go to downtown Toronto refuse the hassle of being stuck in gridlock for hours.

It also adds to everybody's food bills because trucks and truckers are also stuck in gridlock for hours.

“This substantial boost to funding for local transit in cities and towns across the province will help them make significant improvements that will have a big impact on people’s day-to-day lives," Wynne says. "Substantial" compared with what?

Transport Minister Steve Del Duca said " We’ve heard loud and clear from municipalities that they need more sustainable funding for public transit to keep up with the demand to provide more service."

So, for just how long have they been hearing this loud and clear? For their entire Liberal Party mandate, dating back to Dalton McGuinty?

“By modernizing Ontario’s gas tax program we are helping municipalities improve their local transit service so people can easily get where they need to be,"

That's "modernizing" as in "increasing".