HAVANA (Reuters) — Cuba is seeking help from the World Food Programme to guarantee the supply of subsidized powdered milk for children, according to a report in state-run media, a sign of deepening economic woes on the communist-run Caribbean island. Cuba first announced in February that it was struggling to shore up milk supply as […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus
Top to bottom crisis among rural vets
CALGARY — With the University of Calgary’s veterinary school soon to be educating more than three times as many students as it began with in 2008, one might assume the veterinarian drought will soon be over. That won’t even keep rural vet numbers flat, let along fill the growing gaps that are leaving livestock and […] Read more
COVID mutates rapidly in white-tailed deer, but here’s why we don’t need to worry – for now
At some point during the pandemic, Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, spread from humans to white-tailed deer in the United States. In 2021, scientists revealed that 40 percent of white-tailed deer sampled in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York state had COVID antibodies. Surveillance of these deer continues, and a new study by researchers […] Read more
Supply chain problems ease
Ag equipment brands see fewer supply disruptions than what was seen during the pandemic but they aren’t completely gone
Any producer who purchased, or tried to purchase, new equipment over the past couple of years, as COVID raged, likely had to wait an unusually long time to take delivery, due to supply chain disruptions. Along with inflating wait times for delivery, the disruption pushed retail prices through the roof due to record high ocean […] Read more
Immigration ag program extended
The federal government has extended the Agri-Food Immigration pilot program until May 2025. The program provides a pathway for temporary foreign workers employed at greenhouses, mushroom farms, livestock farms, meat-packing plants or retail butcher shops to become permanent residents of Canada. The three-year program started in 2020, but Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser said May […] Read more
Health anxiety can have major impact
Excessive fear can lead to questionable food and wellness choices, but heightened awareness also seen as beneficial
Deana Williams found that her health-related anxiety spiked during the pandmic, particularly after a family member was hospitalized, and in critical condition, after contracting the Delta variant of COVID-19.
COVID hiccups may make meeting season a little weird
One vice-president had COVID. So did the organization’s policy manager. They both took part in the meeting through a Zoom link. One farmer from a long way away was there in person. The internet service on his farm is so bad that trying to participate through Zoom is impossible. Some farmers and observers were there […] Read more
COVID victory garden ended up for the birds
Careful fencing was able to protect the garden patch from most wildlife, but feathered friends became a different matter
In May of 2020, I planted a COVID-19 Victory Garden. Many others were doing the same in their backyards. I chose to plant mine in the field across the road from the farmhouse. The field included a six-acre piece that had never yielded much, perhaps because of a wide strip of Manchurian elms, which formed […] Read more
AIM back on track after COVID-19 interruption
Almost 30,000 people had the opportunity to watch demonstrations from more than 500 exhibitors at the Saskatchewan show
The first Ag In Motion outdoor farm show to feature live crowds since the COVID-19 pandemic attracted 29,954 people for the event held July 19-21. Visitors to the Discovery Farm near Langham, Sask., saw product demonstrations from 543 different exhibitors, covering more than 100 acres. “I really think it was a good show,” said show […] Read more
Farmers markets hope to recover from pandemic
Health measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 were hard on farmers markets, but sector hopes the worst is over
Sick of COVID-19 restrictions, farmers market owners and vendors hope to see business return to normal this summer. “We’re really excited to open,” said Brenda Johnston, who owns the Red Market Barn near Kenosee Lake, Sask. “It’s their summer, it’s their tradition… it’s something I know most people are really looking forward to.” When the […] Read more
