A strain of the potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant bacterium known as MRSA has jumped from livestock to humans, according to a new study.

Data on the production of poultry and eggs are now available for December.

Catalogue number 23-015-X, (PDF, free; HTML, free)

Dairy statistics for Canada and the provinces are now available for December.

Monthly data on stocks, production and value of poultry and eggs are now available for October to December.

Data on stocks of frozen eggs and poultry meats and edible dried egg products in storage as of February 1 are now available.

Catalogue number 23-010-X, (PDF, free; HTML, free)

Catalogue number 23-012-X, (PDF, free; HTML, free)

As of January 1, Canadian farmers had just over 12.5 million cattle on their farms, up 0.5% from January 1, 2011. This was the first year-over-year increase in seven years.

The quantity, price and farm value of purchased wool and wool used on farms are now available for 2010 by province and for Canada.

Catalogue number 23-011-X, (PDF, free; HTML, free)

Improving natural photosynthesis to make new fuels and boost crop production is the focus of new research. It could see us one step closer to bottling the sun's energy or turbocharging plants to produce bumper crops.

Climate warming caused by greenhouse gases is very likely to increase summer temperature variability around the world by the end of this century, new research shows. The findings have major implications for food production.

Plant and computer scientists can now study the underground world of plants with more accuracy and clarity. The revolutionary technique will improve our chances of breeding better crop varieties and increasing yields.

As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden source of arsenic -- an element known to be both toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Organic brown rice syrup has become a preferred alternative to using high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in food. Unfortunately, organic brown rice syrup is not without its faults. Researchers have previously called attention to the potential for consuming harmful levels of arsenic via rice, and organic brown rice syrup may be the latest culprit on the scene.

Bumblebees can use cues from their rivals the honeybees to learn where the best food resources are, according to new research. In a new study, researchers trained a colony of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) to use cues provided by a different species, the honeybee (Apis mellifera), as well as cues provided by fellow bumblebees to locate food resources on artificial flowers.

Society could considerably reduce its carbon footprint if more of us switched to a vegetarian diet, according to new research.

In a study of the molecular underpinnings of plants' pest resistance, biologists have shown that plants use circadian rhythms to both anticipate raids by hungry insects and to time the production of defensive hormones that protect against insect attack. The researchers demonstrated that when the plants' timing was shifted, the plants were defenseless against daytime-feeding caterpillars.

Researchers have taken a major step in the ongoing effort to find sources of cleaner, renewable energy by mapping the genomes of two originator cells of Miscanthus x giganteus, a large perennial grass with promise as a source of ethanol and bioenergy.

Those who have ventured to turn a vacant barn or garage into an aquaculture business have too often been defeated by high energy and feed costs, building-related woes and serious environmental problems. Now researchers are melding building design, fish ecology and aquaculture engineering techniques into a first-of-its-kind "building-integrated aquaculture" (BIAq) model to offer an affordable, more holistic and sustainable approach to indoor fish production located close to markets and able to succeed even in cold climates.