Olymel management has announced today (Sept 10) the start of a second slaughter shift at its newly renovated hog slaughtering, cutting, and boning plant at Ange-Gardien, Montérégie (formerly Agromex – F. Ménard). The addition and $3 million investment has created 150 new jobs so far, bringing the number of employees over the 700 mark, with 100… Read More
Category: Pork
Olymel’s management has announced resumption of operations at its hog slaughterhouse and cutting plant at Vallée-Jonction, in Beauce, Que. The result of the vote by members of the Olymel workers union at the location ratified the agreement in principle and return-to-work protocol reached on August 29. The vote puts an end to the strike that began… Read More
Editor’s Note: Late Sunday Olymel and its unionized employees came to an agreement in principle. Olymel announced it would delay a cut of the evening shift until Wednesday, September 1, pending a vote on the agreement. A four-month long strike at a Quebec Olymel plant is set to continue, as Friday morning the union representing… Read More
A protracted labour dispute at a Quebec Olymel hog processing plant has resulted in the company announcing a “significant” reduction in activities at the Vallée-Jonction hog slaughterhouse and cutting plant. Olymel says it has assessed every option and weighed “the concerns and uncertainty that this strike continues to cause for the plant’s supplies and deliveries to… Read More
Canadian pork production is increasingly in demand around the world, which is why the Canadian Pork Council (CPC) is committing to policies that will support a value chain that supports growth, in the upcoming federal election. Rick Bergmann, CPC chair says that Canadian pork producers work hard every day to provide high quality, nutritious, affordable,… Read More
The deadly pig disease that has devastated China’s hog herd has been found in the Dominican Republic, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. The USDA confirmed the presence of African swine fever (ASF) in the Caribbean country on July 28. The discovery fuels concerns about the disease, which does… Read More
A Quebec-based company that sells a digital platform for controlling environmental conditions in barns and automating tasks is set to be acquired by Ingersoll Rand. The owners of Maximus have entered an agreement to be bought by the global industrial company in an all-cash deal worth $135.4 million. Headquartered in Montreal, with around 100 employees,… Read More
Maple Leaf Foods is announcing that it has reached an agreement to purchase four pig farms in central Saskatchewan from the Polar Pork group of companies. The acquisition will increase Maple Leaf Foods’ overall pig supply and production capacity, the company says. Subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, the purchase is expected to close in… Read More
If you’ve never seen wild pig damage on your farm, that’s a good thing. That said, farmers in several provinces including Ontario should be on alert for signs of wild pigs living in the area. Wild pigs are invasive and not native to the province and can cause significant damage to crops, pester and predate… Read More
If you’re a livestock producer in Ontario and are wondering where the renewal form is for the Risk Management Program, wonder no more: they haven’t been sent out yet. The usual deadline to enrol lamb, cattle, hogs, and veal sales for the current year is April, however last year and this year’s deadlines were pushed… Read More
Ontario’s Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) has elected a new chair and vice chair and two new directors to its board at its recent annual general meeting. Brian Miller, a Huron County farmer and the poultry industry representative on the board, steps up as chair of the organization, while Don Gordon, a farmer from the… Read More
Canada’s Competition Bureau has turned down a request to look into concerns that a lack of competition has allowed the price of deadstock pickup from farms to skyrocket in parts of the country. The Manitoba Pork Council filed a complaint earlier this year, noting a ten-fold increase in prices charged by Rothsay Rendering for fallen… Read More
It has been a trying year for the pork industry in Canada, but that’s not to say it’s been entirely negative. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the industry very hard at the outset, and has continued to be a challenge at the farm, processing, and trade levels. However, demand has been strong throughout the pandemic, and… Read More
A Conservative private member’s bill that aims to address the risks from biosecurity breaches and trespassing on farms was approved at the second reading stage in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Brought forward by Foothills MP John Barlow, Bill C-205 would amend the Health of Animals Act to “make it an offence to enter,… 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