The federal government has announced further updates on how the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) will work, including the option for businesses to open a business account in order to qualify. Announced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic economic shutdown, CEBA is an interest-free $40,000 operating loan. If you repay 75 percent of the… Read More
The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is calling on the federal government to keep its promise on compensation for dairy farmers, stemming from international trade deals that allowed for dairy product access into Canada’s supply managed value chain. “When a dairy farmer makes a commitment, his or her word is gold. We hold our government… Read More
Exceldor says it’s dealing with 27 positive cases of COVID-19 among employees at the farmer-owned co-op’s poultry processing plant at Blumenort, Manitoba, as of Wednesday afternoon. The facility, which was owned by Granny’s Poultry before Granny’s merged with Exceldor last year, employs around 650 people. “We are dealing with cases of community transmission beyond our… Read More
The Manitoba and federal governments have hammered out the details of the province’s cattle set-aside program funding delivered through AgriRecovery. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic economic shutdown and temporary processing plant closures, the federal government announced in early May that it would providing up to $50 million for livestock set-aside programs. Normally, a… Read More
The federal government has stepped in to top up provincial funding for workplace health and safety measures on-farm in Ontario. Agriculture and Agri-Food minister Marie-Claude Bibeau previously announced $35 million for a federally-administered program, and this week, announced $11.6 million for the Ontario version — the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program (EAWPP). Originally announced in… Read More
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association (WCWGA) has made the decision to cancel its 50th anniversary convention. The convention was scheduled for November 24 and 25, 2020, in Regina, Sask. President Gunter Jochum says going forward with the convention wouldn’t be following health and safety regulations that are in place across the provinces. “We determined… Read More
Canada’s largest agricultural co-op is receiving a $150 million injection of capital from Rabobank and three Quebec-based investment funds — an investment it says will help mitigate the effects of COVID-19. Rabobank Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Fondaction are investing $150 million in Sollio Cooperative Group… Read More
The federal government has opened applications for the Emergency On-Farm Support Fund, a $35 million fund to cover the added cost of personal protective equipment, updates to worker housing, and sanitization stations, as examples. The fund was originally announced in late July as part of a $58.6 million commitment by the government. Money can be… Read More
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his government’s $10 billion plan to create jobs and spur economic growth. Through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the government plan includes five major infrastructure initiatives expected to create approximately 60,000 jobs across the country. As part of the Government of Canada’s plan to “build back better,” the three-year plan… Read More
Agriculture leads the economy in Saskatchewan, and with the next provincial election slated for October 26, farmers are keen to know each party’s agricultural platform. Todd Lewis, president of Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) and farmer south of Regina, joined Shaun Haney recently to talk about the organization’s concerns for provincial policies and how… Read More
It appears that Eastern Canada is headed for a second wave of COVID-19, and if Western Canada isn’t careful, it could face one too. The pandemic has had a large impact on the meat processing industry, and in order to avoid a second wave and the subsequent potential disruption to the meat supply chain, industry… Read More
The organizers of CropSphere have made the decision to cancel the 2021 conference in Saskatoon due to the ongoing uncertainties surrounding COVID-19. “The health of our attendees, sponsors, and speakers is our top priority and we want to do our part to ensure everyone remains safe,” states a press release, issued September 28. Annual general… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says its scientists have confirmed that domestic chickens, turkey, and pigs pose no public health risk for transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19. The CFIA’s research also showed these animals did not carry the virus in tissues used for meat or human consumption. There have been no documented cases… Read More
One of the few agriculture tradeshows still on the calendar for an in-person event has now officially been cancelled. Agri-Trade Equipment Expo was to be held November 11 – 13 at Westerner Park, at Red Deer, Alta. Initially, organizers had committed to hold the event despite COVID-19, but in line with provincial health and safety… Read More
We don’t often get to talk about the end of a supply chain here at RealAgriculture; telling all sides of a story is important to us — and so, we present a conversation about the restaurant industry with Marcel Blais, president of Chop Steakhouse & Bar. Don’t miss the RealAg LIVE! segment most Tuesday, Wednesday,… Read More
Register for a RealAgriculture account to manage your Shortcut menu instead of the default.