CANADA MUST REASSURE NERVOUS TRADING PARTNERS THAT ITS BEEF IS SAFE . . .  NO HARDWOOD, NO BUSINESS: RIVERS BEND WILL CLOSE DOORS . . . DO NOT ALLOW PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES REGULATIONS, SAYS BROAD COALITION TO PRIME MINISTER . . . WHOLESALE MEAT SPECIFICATIONS DOCUMENT PUBLISHED . . . OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

CANADA MUST REASSURE NERVOUS TRADING PARTNERS THAT ITS BEEF IS SAFE
Source: The Calgary Herald
South Korea’s move to block imports of Canadian beef in the aftermath of this country’s latest case of Mad cow disease is an indication that Canada must act quickly to reassure nervous trading partners, one expert says. On Tuesday, the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said the birth farm of the animal in question – Canada’s first case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) since 2011 – has been identified as part of an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (read more)

NO HARDWOOD, NO BUSINESS: RIVERS BEND WILL CLOSE DOORS
Source: The Chronicle Herald
Rivers Bend Wood Products Inc. is shutting down because it can’t access enough local hardwood. The Antigonish County hardwood flooring manufacturer will close its doors this week, laying off the 11 employees that remain from a workforce of 17. “Am I angry?” company co-owner Paul van de Weil said Wednesday, repeating a question. “No. But I’m disappointed and I’m worried about the future for hardwood in Nova Scotia. … There should be a future for it, but that’s not how we’re managing our industry.” Rivers Bend is the latest and potentially not the last hardwood business in northern Nova Scotia to shut down because it can’t access the wood. (read more)

DO NOT ALLOW PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING AQUACULTURE ACTIVITIES REGULATIONS, SAYS BROAD COALITION TO PRIME MINISTER
Source: EAC
Business leaders, commercial and recreational fishing associations, scientists, lawyers, and environmentalists are calling on Prime Minister Harper to halt the implementation of the proposed Aquaculture Activities Regulations. The changes will exempt the aquaculture industry from the Fisheries Act provisions that “prohibit the release of deleterious substances into water frequented by fish.” Despite broad based opposition since the beginning of the regulatory change process, which started in 2011, the government of Canada has moved ahead in implementing these changes. “These regulations will set back Canadian aquatic environmental protection measures several decades,” states Bill Ernst, a retired Environment Canada toxicologist. “They will eliminate Environment Canada’s role in enforcing the law with respect to aquaculture and hand responsibility over to Health Canada who do not have an undivided environmental protection mandate.” (read more)

WHOLESALE MEAT SPECIFICATIONS DOCUMENT PUBLISHED
Source: The Meat Site
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published the Wholesale Meat Specifications Document (WMSD) for fresh beef, lamb, poultry, pork, turkey, and veal on its website. The document reflects the harmonization of the terminology used for wholesale cuts of meat between Canada and the United States. The U.S. wholesale meat cut terminology is reflected in the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications document. Canada and the U.S. have been working together to create a common approach to wholesale meat cut nomenclature. (read more)

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATION PROCESS HALTED
http://novascotia.ca/lae/healthandsafety/documents/DMWHSRLetter.pdf

WALMART TO BOOST FRESH FOOD HANDLE IN CANADA
http://www.grainews.ca/daily/walmart-to-boost-fresh-food-handle-in-canada

REMINDER TO REGISTER WITH THE P.E.I. CATTLE PRODUCERS
http://www.peicattleproducers.com/admin/news/Memo%20regarding%20registration%20Feb%2013,%202015.pdf

BASF: BIOFUELS DIGEST’S 2015 5-MINUTE GUIDE
http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2015/02/18/basf-biofuels-digests-2015-5-minute-guide/