The hog industry is in crisis mode, cattle feedlots are losing buckets of money and cow-calf producers are sweating bullets. Few anticipated the magnitude at which meat-processing plants would be hit with shutdowns and slowdowns due to COVID-19. Our food supply chain is proving to be fragile, due largely to the high level of concentration. […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus
Rural doctors reduce services in Alberta
Alberta Medical Association says there is a risk doctors may leave province after government starts paying them less
Some rural doctors in Alberta are deciding to offer fewer services, saying new measures imposed by the province are putting their practices in jeopardy. The changes mean there is significant risk that many might decide to permanently close their practices, said Dr. Christine Molnar, president of the Alberta Medical Association, on April 17. “What’s happening […] Read more
Sask. COVID-19 plan remains flexible
Dates for later phases of Saskatchewan’s five-phase plan to lift the province’s COVID-19 restrictions will depend on what happens in the first two, Premier Scott Moe said last week while announcing the plan. He also said it’s too soon to tell if large sporting and entertainment events will be allowed this summer. Dr. Saqib Shahab, […] Read more
Pandemic changes public’s perception of food
A professor specializing in food distribution says the crisis has shifted the discussion from convenience to survival
The food industry is pulling off nothing short of a miracle during the pandemic, according to a prominent food distribution and policy analyst. But that could change, said Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and scientific director at the Agri-food Analytics laboratory at Dalhousie University in Halifax. “It’s been amazing to watch…. This tsunami […] Read more
Border changes seen as COVID-19 bright spot
Senior U.S. official praises how Canada-U.S. and U.S.-Mexico borders have been managed to restrict spread of the virus
Rather than a disaster, the Canada-United States border has been a shining example of how to deal with crises, said trade experts on a Wilson Centre panel. The way the Canada-U.S. border and U.S.-Mexico border have been managed during the COVID-19 crisis provides hope for the rest of North America’s economy. “Instead of being an […] Read more
Pandemic expected to lower revenues
More than half of the Saskatchewan farmers who responded to an online survey earlier this month said they are bracing for reduced farmgate revenue and lower commodity prices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey, conducted by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, suggested that 68 out of 128 survey respondents (55 percent) […] Read more
Cargill to reopen Alta. beef plant next week
Cattle producers welcomed yesterday’s news that Cargill’s beef processing plant in High River, Alta., plans to reopen May 4, two weeks after a hiatus caused by widespread worker illnesses with COVID-19. The initial slowdown and then halt of plant operations, coupled with a slowdown at the JBS processing plant in Brooks, Alta., has led to […] Read more
Set-aside proposal concerns raised
Cow-calf producers worry holding back feeder cattle to better match slaughter capacity will lower prices for their calves
Calves being born in herds across Western Canada are the start of a beef supply chain now weakened by one link: slaughter plants closed or running at reduced speeds as workers contract COVID-19. Members of the Western Stock Growers Association are among the producers of those calves and they have concerns about a proposed set-aside […] Read more
4-H clubs meet online as activities continue
Calves will be sold through an online auction, and members will learn how to conduct meetings using social media apps
For 4-H members, their motto “learn to do by doing” may have to temporarily change to “learn to do by zooming.” With the suspension of Alberta 4-H activities until May 31, many 4-H clubs have met using the meeting app Zoom, and some clubs are planning online auctions of their calves instead of the traditional […] Read more
Stampede cancellation will hit Alberta hard
Besides the iconic rodeo, events such as heavy horse displays and sheep shearing demonstrations will also be affected
Cancellation of the 2020 Calgary Stampede will deal a blow to the Alberta economy and also to the summer plans of professional cowboys, chuckwagon racers, volunteers and tourists. The annual showcase of western culture was officially cancelled April 23. Last year’s event had an economic impact of an estimated $540 million in the Calgary region, […] Read more
