When obscure commodity and supply-chain stories become mainstream news, you know that commodities have become a big deal. And so it seemed May 21 when the first half hour of CBC radio’s flagship current affairs program, The Current, was dedicated to lumber supply-chain woes. It followed news that people had chopped down and stolen trees […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus
Drive-in concerts offer safe space for musicians and fans
Live music in Canada was brought to an abrupt halt by the pandemic. Shows and festivals were cancelled, and still have not made a return more than a year later. It sparked many creative alternatives for music lovers, including live drive-in concerts. Country artist Justin Labrash performed drive-in concerts across Saskatchewan in 2020. Now, he’s […] Read more
Supply managed sectors hit unevenly
Supply management provided a stabilizing factor for dairy and poultry farmers in the pandemic’s first year, a new academic analysis argues. “The initial impacts on these two sectors were less than others due to the stability and co-ordination provided by the supply management marketing systems,” writes a team of University of Guelph researchers in an […] Read more
Free COVID-19 course for foreign workers, employers now available
An online course to help producers and international farm workers protect themselves from COVID-19 is being launched. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is offering the free guide in English, French and Spanish. Participants will learn methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19, which has caused deaths and illnesses on Canadian farms […] Read more
More co-ordination, diversity needed for post-pandemic trade: report
Better co-ordination across government agencies, creating more export opportunities for agri-tech and increasing a focus on trade are recommendations found in a parliamentary report focused on international trade and COVID-19. The standing committee on international trade released its interim report in May, outlining four recommendations. Starting last October, MPs from each of Canada’s major political […] Read more
Ag export surge not caused by COVID: study
China’s rebuilding of its pig herd and India’s relaxation of lentil import tariffs get credit for last year’s boom in sales
Canada’s crop, meat and other agricultural exports boomed in the first year of COVID-19. But rather than being a product of the pandemic, that surge in sales came despite the disruptions of the disease, a new analysis concludes. “Three commodity groups dominated Canada’s agricultural trade performance in 2020, and all appear to be due in […] Read more
Farmers deserve better than feds’ choice of COVID-19 testing firm
The company tasked with managing coronavirus tests for travellers entering Canada continues to cause headaches for farmers and the international workers they employ. Switch Health is managing the initial tests being given to travellers within 24 hours of entering Canada, and the second test given several days later. Over one year into the pandemic, it […] Read more
Man. signs internet agreement
Manitoba farmers are hoping a new deal might finally bring decent internet and cellphone coverage to most areas. Keystone Agricultural Producers “welcomes the announcement that the government of Manitoba has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xplornet to connect more than 125,000 unserved or underserved Manitobans to reliable, high-speed internet,” said KAP president Bill Campbell. […] Read more
Innovation helped processors survive COVID
Sector benefited from government’s willingness to keep borders open and declare food industries an ‘essential’ service
Canada’s food processing industry has come through the pandemic better than many feared. But the long-term impact is too early to assess and the future shape of the industry impossible to tell. “The overall effect of the actions taken by food processing firms depends on whether the restructuring of production activities is productivity-accelerating or productivity-decelerating,” […] Read more
4-H members carry on despite COVID
Pandemic restrictions have kept many members apart but have also prompted them to hone new communications skills
Members of 4-H can add resilience to their resumes after a second year of holding activities online, including shows, public speaking and achievement days. Joe Mangin, leader of the Minitonas Beef club said their Manitoba club met in person once in the past 18 months. Instead, the club communicated and met through group chats, email […] Read more
