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Dairy cattle

(PortOfHalifax.ca)
General, Markets

Ottawa expected to ‘officially’ declare ag an essential service

The Western Grain Elevator Association says that designation will clarify things and help to keep grain moving

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s grain industry expects the federal government will soon officially declare agriculture an essential service. Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA), says that designation will have a practical application. “Hopefully it ends all confusion about grain workers at elevators, railway workers and anybody else required for moving grain, as to […] Read more
A small room off the milkhouse, encompassing the front of the tank, helps to limit contact with the milk truck driver at the Herrema farm at Uxbridge, northeast of Toronto. (Gerrit Herrema photo)
Dairy Cattle, Livestock, Machinery

Dairy sector shuts down most visits from off-farm providers

In agriculture, dairy farms are among those most called-on by outside services

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Reading Time: 3 minutes New additions to Gerrit Herrema’s dairy barn have made it easier for his family to abide by recent directions to avoid contact with milk truck drivers to reduce COVID-19’s spread. “We have boot washes and other biosecurity measures in the barn. We need to take these measures in order to minimize the damage,” said Herrema, […] Read more
(Assnat.qc.ca)
General, Weather

Quebec ag lender offers break on loan payments

Crop insurance enrolment deadline also postponed

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Quebec’s provincial farm lending agency is set to offer a six-month moratorium on loan repayments to any customers who ask for one, against what it describes as a “crisis” for the ag sector. La Financiere agricole du Quebec (FADQ) said Saturday the six-month stay would help lighten the obligations for farm businesses, providing them liquidity […] Read more
"We had to cover all the ‘what-if’ scenarios,” says John Schenkels (r) with new partners Jim (l), and Kyle Beckwith.
Dairy Cattle, Guide Business

Pooling resources

Three farms each faced its own reasons preventing it from making major investments for the future. Then they had a new idea

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Reading Time: 5 minutes There can be points in a farming career where you’ve established a solid business but you hesitate to make any further major investments unless there is either a clear successor or a plan to transition out. That’s the point at which John Schenkels of Schenkels Farms Inc. in Miramichi, N.B., had found himself. Since taking […] Read more
(Video screengrab from Cattlevids.ca)
Beef Cattle, Livestock, Markets

COVID-19 shifts bull buyers online

As auction marts move to curb the disease's spread, technology is connecting buyers and sellers

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Reading Time: 3 minutes As bull sale season stretches into the spring, online sales are helping the industry cut COVID-19 risks while facilitating commerce. The Livestock Market Association of Canada (LMAC) last week held an emergency meeting on how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, and decided to follow Health Canada’s lead on limiting crowd size and encouraging social […] Read more
(Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)
General, Markets

Cash advance repayment deadlines extended

FCC gets added capital to boost lending capacity

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian farmers who have repayment deadlines coming up on their cash advances between now and the end of April will get extra time to repay those loans. The federal government on Monday announced a stay of default on loans coming due on or before April 30 under the Advance Payments Program (APP), among other measures […] Read more
File photo of Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau speaking in Winnipeg in February 2020. (Dave Bedard photo)
General, Markets

Plans in development to get temp foreign workers into Canada

Maximum stay for 'low-wage' stream workers extended to two years

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada now plans to seek authorizations for flights to get foreign temporary and seasonal farm workers into the country, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said Saturday. The federal government said this week that temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and workers coming to Canada under the Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program (SAWP) will be exempt from the current federal […] Read more
Update your emergency plan and consider a wide range of ‘what-if’ scenarios, says Rebecca Husted, an expert in emergency planning for livestock. (Supplied photo)
Livestock, Weather

Ahead of any emergency, plan for the worst

Disaster planning is not a pleasant task but it's vital that producers have a plan, expert says

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Identify your resources and review your plan, says an expert in emergency planning for livestock. The COVID-19 pandemic is a very different type of emergency, said Rebecca Husted, a teacher of technical large animal emergency rescue. “Most disasters like fires and floods have people moving around, but in COVID-19, people are not supposed to move […] Read more
File photo of a quality control check on fresh peppers in a Canadian vegetable packing plant. (Jeffbergen/E+Getty Images)
General, Reuters

Temporary foreign workers to be allowed in, Canada reiterates

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Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will allow temporary foreign workers with valid visas to enter the country, officials said on Friday, offering possible salvation to the agriculture industry even as Ottawa moves to limit the spread of a coronavirus outbreak. Canada’s labour-strapped farms rely heavily on nearly 60,000 temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to help plant […] Read more
Commonly used surfaces, such as truck door handles, should be cleaned more often. (Kali9/E+/Getty Images)
General, Machinery

Take extra steps to keep farm workers safe during COVID-19

Add biosecurity practices, or ramp up the ones you already employ

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Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers concerned about the spread of COVID-19 can learn from the hog sector on the matter of protecting themselves and their workers, says a leading expert on biosecurity in the pork industry. “This is the world of biosecurity that the swine industry deals with on a daily basis,” said Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinarian counsellor for […] Read more

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