Canadian Hog Sector Task Force Receives Stamp of Approval

Aug 16, 2012

Canadian Pork Industry Bracing for Squeeze

The Canadian Pork Council’s request for the creation of a task force has met approval. The Council was pushing for a task force to examine Canada’s swine industry and discuss what measures can be put into place to help pig farmers manage the expected rough period with the potential for major losses.

The Council sent a delegation of representatives to speak to the Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz to discuss the make-up of the representation of the task force. The council was pleased with the positive response from the Minister and has requested that the task force include council representatives from the department of agriculture and the Minister’s office. The council also requested that the task group remain small so that the representatives can meet before the end of August.

The goal of the task force is to write a report outlining their key observations and recommendations to the Minister by the end of August 2012. The pork industry is deeply concerned about the forecast for December corn futures noting that they have risen by 50 per cent over the last two months alone, while feeder pigs have droped by 50 per cent – A huge dilemma moving forward.

"Every province is going through significant economic challenge right now in the industry," says Rick Bergmann, Vice-Chair Manitoba Pork Council. ”The bottom line is the feed scarcity, the drought conditions in the Midwest have really put a very negative spin on where we are right now."

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.