North America
NJSA regional youth conference, Dec. 1
The National Junior Swine Association (NJSA) Regional Youth Leadership Conference will take place on Dec. 1, at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., and the registration deadline is Nov. 9.
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Maple Leaf to purchase Puratone
Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods has moved to acquire the Puratone Corp., the third-largest hog production company in Manitoba. The transaction is reported at $42 million, including livestock, facilities and interests in some joint ventures.
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Seed prices going up, but so will revenues
Farmers will pay significantly more for the seed planted in 2013 but they will make up for it with higher returns on their investment, predicts a Purdue University agricultural economist.
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CAST accepting nominations for Borlaug award
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) announces that nominations are now open for the 2013 Borlaug CAST Communication Award. This honor recognizes professionals actively working in the agricultural, environmental or food sectors who are promoting agricultural science in the public policy arena.
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Target places a bulls-eye on gestation stalls
With its iconic bulls-eye trademark, Target is making its mark on the gestation-sow stall issue. The nation’s second-largest discount retailer wants its pork suppliers to eliminate the gestation-stall housing system from its supply chain by 2022.
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Short course targets swine design engineers
The University of Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture Program is offering a new three-day seminar for swine producers and design engineers. The “PE Short Course – Design and Construction of Livestock Manure Systems to Meet MDNR Regulations” runs Nov. 14-16.
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Joint effort will explore alternative to antibiotics
A unique two-year research project is being undertaken by Diamond V and the National Animal Disease Center (NADC) of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to identify alternatives to traditional antibiotics for use in farm animals; the study will focus on swine.
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Companies close to deal on off-patent GMOs
The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announced they have completed the first phase of an industry framework for addressing off-patent, single-trait seed biotechnology.
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Lot of work left on Canada-EU trade deal, both sides say
Canada and the European Union still have plenty of work to do on a proposed free trade treaty that is supposed to be finished by the end of the year, officials from both sides said on Thursday.
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Hurricane Sandy disrupts northeastern distribution
Wholesale produce distribution in the Northeast remains in limbo in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Distributors aren’t certain how long business will remain at a standstill after the Category I hurricane slammed into New York and New Jersey, devastating homes and businesses and closing supermarkets and restaurants.
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Cash rents rise in 2012 but should remain steady in 2013
USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service has released the county-by-county breakdown of its 2012 survey of cash rents. As with most things this year, prices are up.
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