Meat coolers are going to look a lot different as we navigate COVID-19, but according to the Canadian Meat Council, each step of the livestock processing chain is collaborating, communicating, and committed to keeping food moving to grocery stores. Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, says the livestock processing sector is… Read More
Category: Food Processing
During the NAFTA renegotiations, it was continually reinforced by Canada and the U.S. that the beef supply chain between the two countries is highly integrated. From a trade perspective many look at this as a positive, but that does mean we share in market risk. Early on Monday, April 13, RealAgriculture was notified by feedyards… Read More
The week has started off with more livestock processing issues, as the industry attempts to deal with COVID-19. Cargill’s High River, Alta., beef plant is the latest in a growing list of plants to either slow its slaughter line down or shut it down entirely due to COVID-19 risks. According to several sources, the High… Read More
The decision to close a processing plant as it relates to COVID-19 infection of staff is a complicated one. Food processing plants have strict protocols and clear guidance on food safety issues, but the advent of a human disease pandemic is a new territory for all — processors included. Ultimately, the decision to close a… Read More
As of April 13, the Government of Canada is allocating $50 million to help farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers with support for temporary foreign workers. Even before COVID-19 was an issue, the agriculture and food sectors already faced significant labour shortages. The advent of COVID-19 has delayed many temporary foreign… Read More
Olymel says it will be resuming operations at its hog slaughter and cutting plant at Yamachiche, Quebec on Tuesday, April 14 after closing for more than two weeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The plant, which normally processes 28 thousand pigs per week, has been closed since March 29, after nine employees tested positive… Read More
The dairy world has been turned upside down seemingly overnight. Whether it’s north or south of the Canada/U.S border, dairy farmers have to dump milk as the entire value chain adjusts to the disappearance of restaurant and foodservice dairy demand and a spike in retail demand. Michael Dykes, CEO of the International Dairy and Food… Read More
Changes to the Canada Summer Jobs Program as a result of COVID-19 could mean real help for the agriculture sector. Because of social distancing and the closure of non-essential services, several companies will not be hiring students and youth to fill summer jobs. The federal government is in the process of re-allocating those funds into… Read More
I’ve seen over the last few days a lot of stories, comments, and mixed messages about farmers having to dump milk. I thought I’d clear a few things up with my perspective, direct from the farm. We were included in the farmers asked to dump milk. We dumped a little over 4,000 litres of raw,… Read More
Canada’s agriculture industry is grappling with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. From all sides, the economic and human toll is far-reaching and still in a rapid state of flux. What the last few weeks have taught us, however, is that there are critical pinch points in our food supply chains that need to be… Read More
This is an updated story Maple Leaf Foods has closed its Brampton poultry processing plant after a total of three staff members have now tested positive for COVID-19. Initially, the company had announced no closures after individual staff members had tested positive at two plants: the Brampton plant and the Heritage plant at Hamilton, Ont…. Read More
There are some really great things happening during this COVID-19 pandemic. Families are eating dinner together and reconnecting over board games and puzzles; people are learning new hobbies and skills, such as cooking and baking; and, people of all walks of life are sewing and welding whatever they can to help the health industry fight… Read More
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking at cash prices, lean hog futures, weaners, or fat hogs — hog prices were down, down, down, across the board by the end of the first week of April. The crash echoed in the cattle markets, comes as the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hits North America and… Read More
Dairy Farmers of Ontario has advised farmers that milk dumping, in rotation, will occur beginning this week, as the industry adjusts to the new demand curves during COVID-19 and the social distancing it requires. Several provinces, Ontario included, saw a large spike in demand at the onset of the virus-induced isolation period. However, the resulting… Read More
Olymel has temporarily closed one of its pork processing plants in Quebec after multiple employees at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. The large pork production company has decided to close its facility at Yamachiche, Que. for 14 days as of March 29 after nine employees were confirmed to have the virus. All employees who… Read More