Olymel has temporarily closed one of its pork processing plants in Quebec after multiple employees at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. The large pork production company has decided to close its facility at Yamachiche, Que. for 14 days as of March 29 after nine employees were confirmed to have the virus. All employees who... Read More
Category: Livestock
The Harmony Beef slaughter plant at Balzac, Alta. halted processing on Friday after an employee who works at the facility tested positive for COVID-19. According to Harmony spokesperson Crosbie Cotton, the company was informed by Alberta Health Services on Thursday that an employee who had not been at work for several days had tested positive.... Read More
Just two short weeks ago, no one was really sure what was ahead for the COVID-19 virus lockdown and social distancing — but now cities are ghost towns, and grocery store shelves and coolers are suspiciously absent of some key items; beef, pork, and chicken among them. A flurry of retail buying may have emptied... Read More
Canada's domestic food and agriculture supply chains have been put to the test and (the hoarding of toilet paper, flour, and meat notwithstanding) held up exceptionally well under the sudden panic-buying ahead of the COVID-19 self-isolation directive. Al Mussell, research lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems, says that these supply chains have proven to have a... Read More
The Chicken Farmers of Canada have announced its new executive following its recent annual general meeting, and has unveiled a new logo as well. Continuing as chair is Benoît Fontaine, from Stanbridge Station, Que., a chicken and turkey grower. He has served on the board since 2013 and has been chair since 2016. First vice-chair... Read More
Some of Canada's largest meat processing companies are publicly announcing their COVID-19 response measures in an effort to offer reassurance and transparency to the public and others in the food supply chain. While minimizing the human health risk associated with having a large number of employees working at a single facility is the primary concern,... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says it's prioritizing critical services to preserve the integrity of Canada's food safety system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with that, the agency says it has temporarily suspended "low-risk activities that do not immediately impact the production of safe food for Canadians." The list of critical activities includes the following:... Read More
Regenerative, restorative, and climate-smart agriculture — they're all terms with roots firmly planted in farmers' commitment to improving soil heath. Farmers who subscribe to these philosophies typically commit to five core practices: minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing soil diversity, keeping soil covered, maintaining living roots year-round, and integrating livestock. But how quickly should farmers be integrating... Read More
The last three years in agriculture have been trying times from a profitability perspective, and through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) American producers have received financial assistance in the form of a direct payment for the past two years. Many policy followers suggested that with 2020 being an election year and the Phase One deal... Read More
Update, as of 11pm EDT Friday, March 20: The Canadian government confirmed late Friday that it will be exempting seasonal agricultural workers from the travel restrictions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. "The participation of temporary foreign workers on our farms and our food businesses is absolutely necessary," says Minister of... Read More