Rodeo — it’s sport, it’s entertainment, it’s western culture, agriculture, heritage and recreation. That span of categories is likely the reason rodeo stock contractors don’t qualify for existing funds and programs designed to ease businesses through the economic throes of COVID-19. Many are facing severe financial hardship. Pandemic restrictions coincided with what would have been […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus

Food unlikely to spread COVID: CFIA
Food is not a likely source or route of transmission for COVID-19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. No cases of the illness have been reported in connection with food or food packaging, it said in a Sept. 14 news release. As well, the agency confirmed that domestic poultry and pigs do not pose a […] Read more

Agribition sets up online show ring
Entries open Sept. 22 for Canadian Western Agribition’s virtual purebred beef show. The Agribition Evolution Series includes 11 breed shows that will culminate in a supreme championship during the week that the show would have welcomed livestock and visitors, said chief executive officer Chris Lane. “We started on this after it was clear we wouldn’t […] Read more

Food unlikely to spread COVID: CFIA
Food is not a likely source or route of transmission for COVID-19, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says. No cases of the illness have been reported in connection with food or food packaging, it said in a Sept. 14 news release. As well, the agency confirmed that domestic poultry and pigs do not pose a […] Read more

WTO says COVID benefits ag trade but not farmers
A new report from the World Trade Organization suggests agricultural trade has performed better than other sectors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, but contends producers are feeling the pressure of lower food prices. “While overall merchandise trade fell sharply in the first half of 2020, agricultural and food exports increased by 2.5 percent during the first […] Read more

Plants whittle down COVID backlog
Slaughter levels have been above year-ago levels for the past two months, with daily kills now close to pre-COVID levels
The backlog of slaughter ready cattle is slowly working its way through the system, according to market data. Canfax senior analyst Brian Perillat told participants of the recent Canadian Beef Industry Conference that slaughter levels have been above year-ago levels for the past two months, with daily kills now close to pre-COVID levels. “We have […] Read more
Food sector recalibrates as Canadians flee larger cities
Canadians seem to want to flee urban centres. The food industry will need to keep a close eye on the trend. As well, real estate markets are overheating in regions outside of major cities. Recent real estate reports suggest sales are up 20 percent in many rural markets and prices have increased by at least […] Read more

Man. tightens COVID restrictions in Brandon
The Manitoba government is taking steps to control the COVID-19 outbreak in Brandon. The province has increased the risk level in the Prairie Mountain Health Region, which includes the city of Brandon. The risk is now designated as orange, or restricted, the second highest response level in Manitoba With the “restricted” designation, public gatherings will […] Read more

Virus led to food challenges
McDonald’s Canada was among the food services deemed essential during the COVID-19 crisis and unlike some sectors, it was able to source the supplies it needed, including beef. Francesca DeBiase, McDonald’s vice-president and chief supply chain officer, said the company’s contingency plan and relationships with suppliers got it through the early volatile days of the […] Read more

It’s time to support our own
Discrimination based on being an identifiable other should be an obvious problem in our society, especially for places like ours, with relatively tiny populations and huge interdependency for success. Yet, we still manage to do it. What sort of harvest does this bring us? What yields could be worth acting out against our own? If […] Read more