Canada’s beef producers can’t catch a break. The latest problem is beef import suspensions by China, South Korea and the Philippines sparked by the discovery of an atypical case of BSE found in Alberta. This setback is stacked upon problems related to the western Canadian drought, including forage shortages and high feedgrain prices. COVID-19 adds […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 virus
Farmers must prepare themselves for another world crisis
Will the freefall in the Turkish lira spark a global crisis? How about a Russian invasion of Ukraine? Or another clash between China and one of its neighbours or geopolitical rivals? What if the follow-up to the omicron version of COVID-19 is a variant equally transmissible but more lethal? There are all sorts of sparks […] Read more
Reflection can unlock deeper learning
Lately, I have been wondering if COVID lockdowns and cold weather are taking a toll on my brain and my energy level. I became concerned that I was spending too much time thinking. Pre-COVID, I was accused of being too serious, too analytical. I like asking questions. In fact, my granddaughter, Hazel, and I, have […] Read more
Trucker restrictions hit Manitoba hog industry
As soon as vaccine requirements were imposed on truckers crossing the border, shipments of Manitoba pigs and soymeal got cancelled. “We’re already hearing reports that shipments of weanlings have been cancelled because of a lack of trucks and drivers,” Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork Council, said in an interview. “I’ve had reports of […] Read more
U.S. grocery shortages deepen as pandemic dries supplies
Jan 14 (Reuters) – High demand for groceries combined with soaring freight costs and Omicron-related labor shortages are creating a new round of backlogs at processed food and fresh produce companies, leading to empty supermarket shelves at major retailers across the United States. Growers of perishable produce across the West Coast are paying nearly triple […] Read more
COVID again impacts Cargill plant
COVID-19 has affected workers at Cargill’s meat-packing plant in High River, Alta., the scene of an outbreak in 2020 that was the largest in North America. “The facility remains operational, though at a slightly reduced capacity to its typical pandemic output,” the company said in a statement Jan. 10. “Safety measures at the facility, including […] Read more
Canada resists pressure to drop vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers
OTTAWA, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is pushing ahead with a vaccine mandate for international truckers despite increasing pressure from critics who say it will exacerbate driver shortages and drive up the price of goods imported from the United States. Canada will require all truckers entering from the United States to […] Read more
Vaccine resistance may threaten truck traffic
Canada and the U.S. will soon require truckers to be vaccinated if crossing the border, potentially disrupting trade
Canada-U.S. agricultural trade could become backed up once vaccine mandates hit truckers in January. People in the grain logistics system say they fear many Canadian and American truckers might be unvaccinated and therefore banned from crossing the border after mid-January. “It is going to have an impact, no doubt,” said Diane Gray, president and chief […] Read more
COVID puts Ag Days on hold
Manitoba Ag Days has been postponed. The annual farm show, held every January at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, will not take place Jan. 18-20 because of new public health orders in Manitoba. On Dec. 27 the Manitoba government announced a 250 person limit on all public gatherings, including hockey games, concerts and other events […] Read more
Feds blasted on foreign worker safety
Canada’s auditor general had scathing words for the federal department tasked with protecting temporary foreign workers on farms during COVID-19. Karen Hogan last week released four performance audits into COVID-19 programs, including how the government would ensure access to food if shortages developed and another on governance at the Canadian Dairy Commission. Employment and Social […] Read more
