An important step forward was taken May 27 for the Canadian beef industry, as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recognized Canada as negligible risk for Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). “The recommendation by the OIE’s Scientific Commission to grant Canada negligible risk status for BSE is a historic closing of the BSE era for… Read More
Since the spring, packing plants and their workers have been under the microscope in dealing with COVID-19. Early on, plants scrambled to get ahead of the virus while workers attempted to follow new protocols to keep themselves safe. The Canadian Meat Council, which represents federally licensed meat packers and processors, is now asking for essential… 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
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
The Canadian meat industry has made a $50,000 donation to the Red Cross to support the response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China. “We see daily what an impact this virus has had on our customers in China and are aware of all the efforts made on the part of the Chinese to… Read More
Although there’s no official statement released on the prime ministers website yet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tweeted out that Canadian pork and beef exports to China will resume. To note, the prime minister thanks newly appointed Ambassador to China, Dominic Barton. He’s had the position since September 4th, and was quoted saying, “The relationship… Read More
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) is calling on the various government parties for action this upcoming election, as they feel they’ve been in the dark for upwards of three months. The CMC says China’s temporary suspension on pork and beef exports is costing those in the industry close to $100 million. If it persists, the… Read More
Over the past number of years, there has been an increase in labour shortages for both meat processors and those in mushroom production. To put it in perspective, there are nearly 1,700 empty butcher stations at meat processing plants across Canada, and as far as mushroom production goes, their job vacancy rate has almost doubled… Read More
The federal government announced more than $1 million will be going towards Canadian Meat Council (CMC) initiatives. Member of Parliament Chris Bittle made the announcement today in Niagara Falls, Ont., on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau at the CMC’s 99th annual conference. According to a news release, in collaboration with the Canadian… Read More
A shortage of butchers and issues with the current Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program has been a struggle for Canadian processors, says the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). To address the issue, the Canadian government has announced a three-year agri-food immigration pilot project to bring full-time, non-seasonal agriculture workers to Canada. The pilot will include policy… Read More
The Canadian Food Price Report for 2019 was unveiled this week, and the findings raised the eyebrows of many, including those within the Canadian Meat Council (CMC). The report was put out by the University of Guelph and the University of Dalhousie. The two schools cite the price of meat is set to decline as more people are… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has made a change to its labeling rules for packers that moves the Canadian pork industry a step closer to benefitting from the Canada-European Union trade agreement. A change to the CFIA Manual of Procedures will now allow packers to apply EU health mark labels after meat has been… Read More
Whether it’s through the Trans-Pacific Partnership or not, Canada’s meat processors say they need a trade deal with Japan to maintain exports. While Australia and New Zealand remain hopeful the TPP can move forward, the 12-country deal’s future looks bleak after President Trump followed through on his campaign promise to withdraw the U.S. from the agreement this… Read More
Last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) released its report of and 21 recommendations for changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. While the program applies to any industry in Canada, it is largely used by the farming and agriculture processing industries…. Read More