(Reuters) — Subsidiaries of meat processor JBS USA LLC have agreed to implement infectious disease preparedness plans at seven U.S. plants in the wake of a congressional report finding that the industry largely failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among workers. The agreement was announced May 27 by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus — page 2
World returns to same-old, same-old economic realities
Did you do a lot of “this time is different” thinking about the markets during the pandemic? Did you flip your savings from boring mainstream stocks and mutual funds into meme stocks, cryptocurrencies and SPACs? Did you buy residential real estate, figuring that, “it always goes up.” Or, if you’re of a less markets-oriented persuasion, […] Read more
China’s COVID outbreak curbs soybean demand
Restaurant closures during recent lockdown reduce the country’s soyoil consumption, which is expected to cut imports
BEIJING, China (Reuters) — Plunging demand for soyoil in China is expected to cut consumption of the oilseed in the world’s biggest user as lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID have shuttered restaurants and canteens, according to traders and analysts. China is the world’s top consumer of edible oils, with millions of restaurants guzzling […] Read more
Could corn cure COVID? Is there finally a valid reason to eat your vegetables?
Canadian approval was recently granted for a plant-based COVID-19 vaccine called Covifenz. This marks the first time anywhere in the world a COVID-19 vaccine grown in plants has been approved. Developed by a Quebec company called Medicago, this is another example of a new world of opportunity called molecular farming. Plants are modified to produce […] Read more
U.S. to spend $2.1 billion to strengthen food system
WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) – The Biden administration will announce on Wednesday more than USD$2.1 billion in funding to shore up weaknesses in the country’s food supply system exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will unveil the new funding, designed to enhance […] Read more
COVID-19 lockdowns could delay Chinese corn
Country has restricted movement to slow spread of the virus, making it difficult for farmers to return from their city jobs
BEIJING, China (Reuters) — Corn planting in one of China’s major producing areas could be delayed as many of the region’s millions of farmers struggle to return home from temporary city jobs because of strict coronavirus lockdowns. Any delay to planting could hit output in the world’s No. 2 corn producer, where corn prices are […] Read more
More Canadian wheat acres, less canola in 2022: StatCan
WINNIPEG (MarketsFarm) — Canadian farmers intend to plant more wheat and less canola in 2022, according to the first survey-based estimates from Statistics Canada for the upcoming crop year released today. Canola area is forecast at 20.9 million acres by the government agency, which would be down by seven per cent from the previous year […] Read more
Food crisis response must hit the rails
Layered on top of COVID-19 supply chain disruptions and the existing global food crisis, the fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has become a massive threat to global food security. Canada can contribute to averting the worst outcomes, but only if we anticipate the situation and are prepared to work toward meeting the demand. […] Read more
STARS ambulance service played role in COVID-19 care
STARS helicopters likely come to mind in emergencies such as highway crashes and farm accidents. But as of Jan. 12, the helicopters flew 175 missions in Saskatchewan related to COVID-19. Tammy Beauregard, donor relations and development officer in Saskatchewan, told the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities annual convention last month that the missions included actual […] Read more
White-tailed deer potential reservoir for COVID-19 virus
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many unknowns. Where did the virus come from? What are the main disease manifestations? Certainly, many public health experts and veterinarians were also wondering: will it infect animals? Within a few months, we had some answers, including insight into the animal situation. The virus can infect […] Read more
