Since the fall of 2019, beef packer profits have received major attention by ranchers and feedyards. Much of the discussion started after the packing plant fire in Kansas, but has exploded recently due to the results of the COVID-19 pandemic. Packers have struggled to stay online due to COVID-19 cases related to the plant, and… Read More
Canada’s equine industry is asking the federal government to help protect the health and welfare of thousands of “working horses” as their owners struggle to cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this week the federal government pledged $252 million in various funding and credit programs aimed at agriculture. The announcement was met… Read More
Progress throughout history has never been linear and, often, a jarring event is needed to force us into facing uncomfortable truths about our own failures. That is not an indictment, but more an acceptance of the reality that progress requires understanding where we’ve fallen flat and then seeking to improve. There was much gnashing of… Read More
As the COVID-19 outbreak disrupts processing in Canada and the U.S., more consumers are looking to buy beef direct from ranchers. In response, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) is creating a directory of members offering direct sales of beef. “We know there’s absolutely no shortage of beef cattle,” says Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president… Read More
The Canadian Beef Industry Conference (CBIC) board, compromised of the Beef Cattle Research Council, Canada Beef, Canadian Beef Breeds Council, Canadian Cattleman’s Association, and the National Cattle Feeders Association, has decided to postpone the in-person conference scheduled for August 11-13th, 2020, until August 17-19th 2021, in Penticton, B.C. The decision was made following uncertainty around… Read More
Manitoba-based pork producer and processor HyLife has announced the purchase of one of Canada’s largest independent hog farming operations. The company has acquired the majority of ProVista Agriculture’s hog production facilities and transportation equipment. The deal includes 37,000 sows and production facilities that employ 252 people in Manitoba and southeast Saskatchewan. It will boost HyLife’s… Read More
We are a long way from getting through the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as provinces and states begin to relax restrictions, we know that a return to “normal” is possibly months away, and that’s not even accounting for the unknown of whether or not this re-opening of the economy will lead to a second wave of… Read More
I was scanning through the news last week, and there was a really good transcription of the exchanges during the house agricultural committee with the Minster of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie Claude Bibeau. Some things really stood out to me from the transcript that showcase a problem as it sits today. What I’ve noticed is… Read More
Cargill says it is resuming beef processing operations, with support from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS), at High River on Monday morning (May 4). The company says it will be running two harvesting shifts, with fabrication resuming on May 6. The union representing 2,000 employees at the plant has taken… Read More
Update, as of 2pm MDT May 3: A Cargill spokesperson says the company has nothing new to report regarding plans to operate one shift beginning May 4. The union that represents approximately 2,000 workers at Cargill’s beef processing plant at High River, Alberta, has filed legal action in an attempt to block the reopening of… Read More
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become abundantly clear to many that Canada’s livestock processing industry is incredibly concentrated to a handful of federal plants. Now, as these plants face partial or short-term closures, many farmers and consumers alike are lamenting the lack of small, local abattoirs. The trouble is, it’s not easy… Read More
As beef processing plants adapt to shutdowns and partial closures or processing reductions, the calls of “Will we run out of beef?” have begun. Michael Young, president of Canada Beef, says that in the current scenario consumers will likely see out of stock coolers, which could encourage some panic buying, which makes the issue of… Read More
After a 14-day idle, Cargill’s beef processing plant at High River, Alta., will reopen with one shift, starting May 4. Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS), announced the plans on April 29th. All employees who are eligible to return to work in the harvest department are being asked to report to… Read More
Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) will make an additional donation of $100,000 and up to 200,000 litres of incremental milk, the producer group has announced. This is in addition to the over 1 million litres donated to food banks annually in partnership with the Ontario Dairy Council (ODC) and the Ontario Milk Transport Association (OMTA)… Read More
Editor’s note: this story was updated on April 29 with new information and a quote from the Dairy Processors Association of Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada. The leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada is accusing the governing Liberals of breaking a promise to delay the implementation of the new North American… Read More