Effective April 13, Cargill’s protein facility at London, Ont., will wind down and temporarily idle processing due to COVID-19 impacts on the community. The poultry processing facility says as they work in partnership with the union, employees will receive a weekly guarantee of 36 hours of pay, as they reinforce the importance of adhering to… Read More
Regardless of where you are in North America, we can likely agree on one thing: COVID-19 has changed how we behave, and politics is no exception. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous provincial elections across Canada; and as the federal budget release looms closer, it has many asking whether an election will be… Read More
The effects of COVID-19 on agriculture were surprising, and some sectors of the industry were affected more than others — grain and oilseed operations fared much better than say, intensive horticulture crops, in terms of labour. For this RealAg LIVE! host Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Debra Hauer of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council… Read More
The Ontario government is providing $10 million to allow more farmers and agri-food operators to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE), enhance cleaning and disinfection measures, and redesign workstations to better protect workers. Under the new Enhanced Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program (EAWPP), farms and agri-food businesses that hire three or more employees will be eligible for… Read More
The Liberal party’s national policy convention is this week, and as part of the organization’s annual meeting, resolutions can be brought forward from electoral districts across the country. Kody Blois, member of parliament for Kings-Hants, acts as chair of the Rural Liberal Caucus; and as someone from Atlantic Canada’s agricultural heartland, understands the region and sector’s… Read More
Rural and urban communities have felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic differently. From gaps in healthcare, to transport challenges and through to isolation, the pandemic has brought to light some significant differences between city and rural dwellers. Dr. Gabe Woollam, a family physician based at Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador, and president of the Society… Read More
The Government of Ontario released its provincial budget Wednesday, with a big spend on internet and broadband expansion for the province, including rural areas. The announcement of $2.8 billion for expanded broadband will bring the total that Ontario has committed to broadband expansion over $4 billion, with a commitment to connect the entire province by… Read More
This week’s financial news seems to be all about inflation concerns, but our guest today doesn’t share the same concern level as everyone else. JP Gervais, chief economist at Farm Credit Canada, joins host Shaun Haney for today’s RealAg LIVE! RealAg LIVE! streams every weekday at 3 pm E on Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter! SUMMARY… Read More
COVID-19 has impacted each and every economic sector, and the protein processing industry is no exception. From plant shut downs, to slow downs, to outbreaks amid plant staff, and even deaths from the virus, the meat processing value chain has been hard hit by this pandemic. With vaccines now a reality, meat packers through the… Read More
There’s plenty of optimism for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to assist in a global economic recovery, but what happens after mass vaccination? What’s at play to help the global economy recover? Jan Lambregts, head of RaboResearch, global economics and markets at Rabobank, recently joined Shaun Haney to talk all things global finance. Lambregts recently presented… Read More
Alberta pork processing plants have been impacted by COVID-19 outbreaks and control measures, and as a result plants have closed or reduced slaughter capacity. Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today that the AgriRecovery Framework will kick-in for Alberta, with up to $3 million available to assist hog producers impacted by processing shut… Read More
The post-COVID situation for the food industry may be a concern for the average consumer. The impacts might be most felt by the grocery and restaurant sectors and one has to wonder what the business might look like when we emerge from the pandemic. “It depends which country you’re in,” says Dr. David Hughes, emeritus… Read More
A surprising thing happened during the COVID-19 lockdown: grocery stores in Canada didn’t jack prices in comparison to their American counterparts. What’s more, the sales of certain items, such as beef, held very strong — much stronger than many anticipated. That demand helped offset the loss of sit-down dining demand. But as Kevin Grier of Kevin… Read More
Olymel has temporarily closed its hog slaughtering, cutting, and deboning plant at Red Deer, Alberta. “Despite the testing protocols and sanitary measures already in place, as well as the close collaboration of Alberta Health Services to deal with a resurgence of positive cases of COVID-19 among plant employees, Olymel management believes that the conditions are… Read More
Each year, Canadian farms and orchards grow an abundance of fruit and vegetables for both local and export markets. From peaches and pears, to broccoli and asparagus, to processing tomatoes and cucumbers, Canada’s horticultural industry plays a vital role in producing local, fresh food for millions. Many of these farms employ seasonal workers, temporary foreign… Read More
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