Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Anybody interested in giving their views on future agricultural policy will get their chance at public consultations being held in the province in early February.
The next generation consultations are being held across the country, and all interested stakeholders are being invited to provide their input during these important meetings.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is handling the sessions in co-operation with provincial governments. The stated objective is to work with stakeholders to develop the next generation of agriculture and agri-food policy.
The current Agricultural Policy Framework was developed by the two levels of government in 2003. Its current provisions are set to expire in 2008.
In Saskatchewan, public consultations will take place on February 5 in Swift Current, February 6 in Regina, February 7 in Yorkton, and February 9 in North Battleford. Those interested in attending any of these sessions are asked to pre-register.� Registration can be done online at www.agr.gc.ca/nextgen.
Paul Johnson with Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food (SAF) is a member of the federal-provincial committee that designed the consultative process. He noted, This is a national process, and Saskatchewan is only one part it.� It�s important that Saskatchewan stakeholders get out and voice their opinions. This process is an excellent forum for providing input into the future of agricultural policy in this country.
Johnson urges all interested parties to give some thought as to how agriculture policy should look, specifically from a Saskatchewan point of view. He says that the results of these consultations, once combined with results from similar sessions across Canada, will become part of future federal-provincial negotiations on the new Agricultural Policy Framework.
Take an active interest, because it will have an impact, Johnson said. I urge stakeholders to register early�as the sessions will be full�and to take the time to learn as much as they can about the nature of the Agricultural Policy Framework.
In addition to the consultative meetings, the public can submit comments to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada using the www.agr.gc.ca/nextgen website, or by mail to 930 Carling Avenue, Room 833, Ottawa, Ontario; K1A 0C7.� Also available on the website are background policy documents and other information that may be of interest. �Hard copies of this material can be requested by calling 1-800-622-6232.
Following the public consultations, governments will organize invitation-only working sessions with key agricultural groups to focus on analyzing the input received as a way of guiding future policy development.
For more information, contact:
Paul Johnson, Manager, Economic and Commodity Analysis
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 787-5882
E-mail: pjohnson@agr.gov.sk.ca
E. Coli vaccine important development for beef industry
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
A ground-breaking vaccine for cattle, brought to commercial viability by the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon, is a major addition to the Canadian beef industry's quality and safety arsenal.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has just approved the distribution of the vaccine to Canadian veterinarians. Based on a discovery by University of British Columbia researcher Brett Finlay, the science behind the vaccine was refined by a VIDO research team headed up by Associate Director of Research Andrew Potter.
The new vaccine greatly reduces the amount of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria shed by cattle into their environment that works by stopping the attachment of the E. coli bacteria to the intestinal surface in cattle.
VIDO Director and CEO Lorne Babiuk says this makes Canada the first country in the world to access a vaccine for the E. coli O157:H7 strain.� This is also the first time animals will be vaccinated to protect human health.
Our producers have always prided themselves on the safety and quality of Canadian beef, said Babiuk. This will be one more way we can maintain that standard.
The new vaccine will be commercially distributed through Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., an Ontario-based company.� Babiuk says some of it will be marketed within six months, and it is expected to be widely available to veterinarians within 18 months.
Babiuk notes that urbanization is putting increasing pressure on the environment for cattle producers, and if we can reduce the threat of contamination, this will support the safety of our food supply.
Babiuk says he expects that the E. coli vaccine will likely not be widely used by individual producers for their herds; however, he can see a day when it is used in feedlots.
The issue depends on how processors view this, said Babiuk. At some point, the large buyers of beef may require certificates of vaccination as a part of their standards.
The success of this development is encouraging VIDO to research vaccines for other closely related bacteria that produce similar toxins, include Salmonella and other E. coli strains.
The new vaccine's development was supported by numerous investors, including the Canada Beef Industry Development Fund and the Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund.
Babiuk is pleased to see another world first from VIDO, which is based at the University of Saskatchewan.
It takes great minds and vision, he said. Imagination is great when combined with scientific ability.
For more information, contact:
Lorne Babiuk, Director and CEO
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
Phone: (306) 966-7475
A ground-breaking vaccine for cattle, brought to commercial viability by the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon, is a major addition to the Canadian beef industry's quality and safety arsenal.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has just approved the distribution of the vaccine to Canadian veterinarians. Based on a discovery by University of British Columbia researcher Brett Finlay, the science behind the vaccine was refined by a VIDO research team headed up by Associate Director of Research Andrew Potter.
The new vaccine greatly reduces the amount of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria shed by cattle into their environment that works by stopping the attachment of the E. coli bacteria to the intestinal surface in cattle.
VIDO Director and CEO Lorne Babiuk says this makes Canada the first country in the world to access a vaccine for the E. coli O157:H7 strain.� This is also the first time animals will be vaccinated to protect human health.
Our producers have always prided themselves on the safety and quality of Canadian beef, said Babiuk. This will be one more way we can maintain that standard.
The new vaccine will be commercially distributed through Bioniche Life Sciences Inc., an Ontario-based company.� Babiuk says some of it will be marketed within six months, and it is expected to be widely available to veterinarians within 18 months.
Babiuk notes that urbanization is putting increasing pressure on the environment for cattle producers, and if we can reduce the threat of contamination, this will support the safety of our food supply.
Babiuk says he expects that the E. coli vaccine will likely not be widely used by individual producers for their herds; however, he can see a day when it is used in feedlots.
The issue depends on how processors view this, said Babiuk. At some point, the large buyers of beef may require certificates of vaccination as a part of their standards.
The success of this development is encouraging VIDO to research vaccines for other closely related bacteria that produce similar toxins, include Salmonella and other E. coli strains.
The new vaccine's development was supported by numerous investors, including the Canada Beef Industry Development Fund and the Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund.
Babiuk is pleased to see another world first from VIDO, which is based at the University of Saskatchewan.
It takes great minds and vision, he said. Imagination is great when combined with scientific ability.
For more information, contact:
Lorne Babiuk, Director and CEO
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization
Phone: (306) 966-7475
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Good soil management pays off in spades for farmers
Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
The 19th annual meeting and conference of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association (SSCA) will take place February 14 and 15 at the Saskatoon Inn in Saskatoon.
The SSCA is a non-profit producer organization. Its vision is to promote conservation production systems that improve the land and the environment for future generations. According to Juanita Polegi, the Assistant Manager of the SSCA, both the association and its annual conferences have come a long way since their early beginnings in terms of how they work at achieving that vision.
In the old days, conferences used to focus on how producers could practice basic soil conservation. We used to teach things like direct seeding and promote its benefits, Polegi said.
Now, many of these practices are quite common, their benefits are well-known, and we've advanced a ways beyond that initial stage. Now, we're helping producers to improve their competitive advantage, discussing the latest agronomic information that will enhance their ability to look after the environment and at the same time enhance their production. The two very much go hand-in-hand, and we try to help producers maximize both, she added.
This year's conference, entitled Farming Moving Forward, will feature sessions on a number of important topics, including: new crop technologies, beneficial soil microbes, grass and cows, the environment and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, alternative uses for prairie crops, improving pesticide efficiencies, and new and emerging issues.
We've chosen a different format for this year's conference, but our lineup of speakers is going to be as solid as ever,� said Polegi, noting that 32 different presenters will be addressing delegates over the course of the two-day event.
We've got a mix of researchers and farmers. The researchers are going to be relating their latest findings on a variety of topics, and farmers are going to be commenting on how they employ that research in their own farm situations.�
Another popular session will be a Youth Vision for Agriculture presentation by two schools participating in the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) initiative. According to Polegi, AITC put together a hypothetical farm, then asked the schools to propose short-term and long-term plans for the viability of the operation.
We always find it really interesting to see how the kids take the information that they've got, their own experiences, their experiences with their parents, the research that they do, and the kinds of solutions that they come up with for the hypothetical farm, she said. That's always a crowd pleaser.
In addition, the conference will feature two bear-pit sessions: one on crop management and one on cattle and grain.� An evening banquet will include the presentations of the SSCA Award of Merit to a deserving individual and the Farm Family Award for excellence in conservation.
Polegi says the conference is one that has appeal to both grain farmers and livestock producers, and many of the sessions overlap the two sectors. People who attend are going to find out a lot about their soil resource and how to manage it well, be it through proper grazing techniques or proper crop production, she said.
As producers manage the soil resource better, it becomes more productive, and it just becomes a continuous cycle. Take care of soil and the soil will take care of you.
Anyone interested in attending the conference can register by calling the SSCA toll-free at 1-800-213-4287. Registration is $95.40 per person for SSCA members before February 2, and $116.60 after. For non-members, the fees are $116.60 per person before February 2, and $137.80 after. GST has been included in all fees quoted.
More information on the conference can be found on the SSCA website at www.ssca.ca.
For more information, contact:
Juanita Polegi, Assistant Manager
Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association
Phone: (306) 786-1526
E-mail: jpolegi@ssca.usask.ca
Website : www.ssca.ca
The 19th annual meeting and conference of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association (SSCA) will take place February 14 and 15 at the Saskatoon Inn in Saskatoon.
The SSCA is a non-profit producer organization. Its vision is to promote conservation production systems that improve the land and the environment for future generations. According to Juanita Polegi, the Assistant Manager of the SSCA, both the association and its annual conferences have come a long way since their early beginnings in terms of how they work at achieving that vision.
In the old days, conferences used to focus on how producers could practice basic soil conservation. We used to teach things like direct seeding and promote its benefits, Polegi said.
Now, many of these practices are quite common, their benefits are well-known, and we've advanced a ways beyond that initial stage. Now, we're helping producers to improve their competitive advantage, discussing the latest agronomic information that will enhance their ability to look after the environment and at the same time enhance their production. The two very much go hand-in-hand, and we try to help producers maximize both, she added.
This year's conference, entitled Farming Moving Forward, will feature sessions on a number of important topics, including: new crop technologies, beneficial soil microbes, grass and cows, the environment and reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, alternative uses for prairie crops, improving pesticide efficiencies, and new and emerging issues.
We've chosen a different format for this year's conference, but our lineup of speakers is going to be as solid as ever,� said Polegi, noting that 32 different presenters will be addressing delegates over the course of the two-day event.
We've got a mix of researchers and farmers. The researchers are going to be relating their latest findings on a variety of topics, and farmers are going to be commenting on how they employ that research in their own farm situations.�
Another popular session will be a Youth Vision for Agriculture presentation by two schools participating in the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) initiative. According to Polegi, AITC put together a hypothetical farm, then asked the schools to propose short-term and long-term plans for the viability of the operation.
We always find it really interesting to see how the kids take the information that they've got, their own experiences, their experiences with their parents, the research that they do, and the kinds of solutions that they come up with for the hypothetical farm, she said. That's always a crowd pleaser.
In addition, the conference will feature two bear-pit sessions: one on crop management and one on cattle and grain.� An evening banquet will include the presentations of the SSCA Award of Merit to a deserving individual and the Farm Family Award for excellence in conservation.
Polegi says the conference is one that has appeal to both grain farmers and livestock producers, and many of the sessions overlap the two sectors. People who attend are going to find out a lot about their soil resource and how to manage it well, be it through proper grazing techniques or proper crop production, she said.
As producers manage the soil resource better, it becomes more productive, and it just becomes a continuous cycle. Take care of soil and the soil will take care of you.
Anyone interested in attending the conference can register by calling the SSCA toll-free at 1-800-213-4287. Registration is $95.40 per person for SSCA members before February 2, and $116.60 after. For non-members, the fees are $116.60 per person before February 2, and $137.80 after. GST has been included in all fees quoted.
More information on the conference can be found on the SSCA website at www.ssca.ca.
For more information, contact:
Juanita Polegi, Assistant Manager
Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association
Phone: (306) 786-1526
E-mail: jpolegi@ssca.usask.ca
Website : www.ssca.ca
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Labels:
associations,
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bio-fuels,
breeders,
equestrian,
events,
exports,
feed,
grains,
pulse,
seeding