DNA Genetics Purchases Genetic Nucleus Farm In Canada
DNA™ Genetics is excited to announce our purchase of a genetic nucleus farm in Canada. The farm, located in Manitoba, will be populated in early 2020.
As our business has grown in Canada, this purchase is a natural progression to supplying the Canadian market with continued genetic improvement. We currently import boars into Canada through two quarantine locations in western and eastern Canada. This has served us and our customers well over the past 15 years, but with our business growth and emerging disease threats this purchase makes logical sense.
The Canadian farm will be populated with all three of our genetic lines: Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc.
“DNA Genetics is committed to having the Best People, Best Pig, and Best Genetic Option for pork producers in all the markets we serve,” said Brett Bonwell, CEO of DNA Genetics. “This is a strategic commitment to Canadian pork producers, and this new farm will be instrumental in continuing to provide them with these three pillars of our business.” •

Canadian Bio Systems Expands Team
CBS Team welcomes Jassen Jackman in key sales role supporting Feed Science Platforms
New people, new progress and groundbreaking technologies are leading the charge for Canadian Bio-Systems (CBS Inc.) as the expanding bio-based feed technology innovator powers ahead with a ramped-up, science-focused agenda for 2020.
CBS Inc. has announced the addition of industry veteran Jassen Jackman to its burgeoning sales team. The company, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and serving an expanding customer base internationally, is also rolling out broadened availability of its flagship Feed Science Platforms, highlighted by novel Yeast Bioactives technology and other key advances.
Jackman, based in Cochrane, Alberta, brings strong science background, agriculture industry experience and passion for serving producers to CBS Inc., bolstering support for both domestic and international customers focused on efficient, sustainable, high-performance production. Jackman has an MSc. in animal nutrition from the University of Saskatchewan and over two decades of diverse agriculture industry experience in a variety of roles including in the feed industry. •

First Trade Mission
Agri-Food exporters watching closely and hoping for progress as Minister Ng undertakes first foreign visit as trade minister
Dan Darling, President of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) recently issued the statement below ahead of Minister Ng’s first foreign visit to Switzerland as Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade. While in Davos-Klosters, Minister Ng will chair a meeting of the Ottawa Group; will attend a meeting of the Cairns Group, a coalition of 19 agricultural exporting countries that work together to advance the liberalization of agricultural trade and will meet with EU Trade Commissioner, Phil Hogan.
“We are pleased that Minister Ng is robustly defending the global trading system so early on in her mandate. We are hopeful that the progress made to date by the Ottawa Group of like-minded countries toward WTO reform will intensify under Minister Ng’s leadership and that the full functionality of the Appellate Body is soon restored. Failure to preserve the WTO’s core dispute settlement functions will completely undermine the entire rules-based global trading system, and it is fitting the Minister has taken up this foundational issue as part of her first foreign trade mission. •

AWNA Welcomes New Honorary Life Member
Terry Hockaday, a long-time member of the Alberta Farm Writers’ Association, was presented recently with Honorary Life Membership to the association.
Terry founded Meristem in 1992. He grew up on a mixed farm in Minitonas, Manitoba – an operation he still runs today in partnership with family. With a B.Sc. in Agriculture, and editorial positions at some of Canada’s leading agriculture publications such as Country Guide and Canadian Cattlemen, Terry became a partner in Fieldstone Marketing and Public Relations. Fieldstone is one of the heritage companies of AdFarm. During his extensive career in agriculture communications and running Meristem, he has worked with many of Western Canada’s farm organizations, companies and government departments.
Terry has been a long standing AFWA supporter and member for 40+ years and has taken an active role in AFWA’s development, and provided good counsel and guidance to the AFWA and the CFWF and their governess facilitation, activities and initiatives over four decades. •
Publishers Note: some PHC readers might recognize Terry from Banff Pork Seminar, he along with his company have provided excellent coverage prior, during and following Banff Pork Seminars for years. Congrats Terry!