Barry Raison, a reporter, editor and public safety and justice issues policy advocate has been appointed to a two-year term on the Animal Care Review Board. He has also served as a member of the Ontario Parole Board since 2020.
Debra Beckstein, a litigation lawyer in Toronto for 20 years has also been appointed to a two-year term.
The board hears appeals from those whose animals have been seized or have been fined by officials enforcing the Animal Welfare Services Act.
There were five rabid bats in Ontario during October, reported the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
That brought this year’s total to 105 rabid bats in the province. Quebec was second at 94 and 76 of those were raccoons.
The total of all rabies cases in all species in Canada reached 257 by then end of October.
Egg producers are getting 9.9 cents more per dozen because the national agency has reduced levies.
The decrease is due to a number of changes in levies for different purposes. It has just received approval from the National Products Council.
The national agency is also increasing production because the cost of imports from the United States has risen, costing the agency about $200 million so far this year. The imports were necessary to meet Canadian demand, which the agency is obligated to fill.
The production increases are balanced by a temporary increase last year when U.S. egg prices soared after millions of birds were euthanized to prevent the spread of highly-pathogenic avian influenza.
The national agency has also lowered the price of eggs dedicated for industrial processing by 25 cents per dozen to $1.21.
The result of the changes is an Ontario egg levy of 44.55 cents per dozen.
There has been an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus at a nursery farm in Perth County,
It is the first outbreak of the disease in Ontario since July 3.
It is especially deadly for the youngest pigs.
An animal welfare advisory committee in the United Kingdom has called for an end to CO2 stunning of pigs before slaughter.
It has recommended it be phased out within five years.
The independent body advises the federal agriculture department.
The report states that exposure of conscious pigs to high concentrations of CO2 is associated with three major welfare concerns: pain, respiratory distress and fear.
The reports looks into the viability of other methods of stunning, including exposure to an inert gas mixture such as argon or nitrogen. It notes that there are ‘technical challenges’ to using inert gases in current CO2 systems or with modification.
If the United Kingdom adopts the advice, it might lead to a significant loss of Canadian pork exports to the country.
Ontario’s goat farmers will soon vote on a proposal to form a marketing board without supply management powers.
It would be a lobby for goat farmers in relation to government programs, and will fund research, provide producer information and raise consumer awareness of goat—milk products and benefits.
The Ontario Dairy Goat Co-Operative asked the Ontario Farm Products Commission to conduct the vote.
“This vote represents an historic opportunity for Ontario’s dairy goat producers to unify under a structure that reflects their unique needs,” said Natalie Miltenburg, chair, Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative.
There are 198 Grade A farms producing 60 million litres of goat milk a year. They account for 90 per cent of Canada's goat milk production.
The federal budget took a gentle swipe at Farm Credit Canada by saying most of its loans are to older white men who are wealthier than most Canadians.
It calls for regular reviews to ensure the FCC deals fairly with women, LGBTQ people, racial minorities and indigenous people.
The FCC answered by saying it does lend to women, has special programs for applicants younger than 40 and for indigenous people.
The budget document said “traditionally underrepresented groups such as women, youth, indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, and black and racialized entrepreneurs may particularly benefit from regular legislative reviews to better enable Farm Credit Canada to align its activities with their specific needs.”