Reading Time: 3 minutes Updated — Whether in a strike or a lockout, workers at one of Canada’s biggest beef slaughter plants took another step toward the picket line this week by voting to reject the company’s latest contract offer. A vote conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 went to the […] Read more
Cargill serves lockout notice on High River workers
Company 'willing to keep meeting' after offer rejected
Cargill beef plant workers serve strike notice
Without a deal, High River workers will walk Dec. 6
Reading Time: 3 minutes Unionized workers at Cargill’s cattle slaughter and processing plant at High River, Alta. will start strike action next month unless a deal can be reached with the company, their union said Wednesday. A strike would begin at High River no sooner than Dec. 6 at 12:01 a.m. if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached […] Read more
B.C. calling halt to mink farming
Live mink on farms to be banned in 2023
Reading Time: 4 minutes British Columbia’s remaining mink farmers are “devastated” by the province’s proposal to phase out their industry over risks related to COVID-19. The province announced Friday it’s starting the process toward a permanent ban on mink farming — beginning with a ban on mink breeding, followed by a ban on live mink on farms by April […] Read more
APEC ministers call for curbs on farm, fuel, fishing subsidies
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington/Wellington | Reuters — Pacific Rim trade and foreign ministers on Tuesday pledged to sustain the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic while pursuing talks to curb subsidies for fisheries and agriculture at a forthcoming World Trade Organization meeting. The ministers from the 21 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries said in a communique issued after […] Read more
Conservatives’ Barlow to return as federal ag critic
NDP, Bloc incumbent critics to return
Reading Time: 3 minutes A former agriculture critic for the federal opposition Conservatives will again handle the file when the House of Commons resumes sitting in two weeks. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole on Tuesday named John Barlow, MP for the southwestern Alberta riding of Foothills, as shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security. As ag critic, Barlow replaces […] Read more
U.S. border reopens to Canadian land travelers
Travel business sees 'tremendous pent-up demand'
Reading Time: 3 minutes Toronto | Reuters — A steady stream of Canadian visitors, particularly retirees headed to U.S. sun spots, crossed the U.S. border by car on Monday for the first time in 20 months as Washington lifted travel restrictions. Traffic was heavy at times at some U.S. border posts such as Bluewater Bridge, Michigan near Sarnia, Ont., […] Read more
The class of COVID
These three new graduates are as passionate as ever, and even more resilient
Reading Time: 3 minutes In Canada’s colleges and universities, the last two years have seen unprecedented challenges coupled with myriad struggles to convert to virtual teaching. Few programs have been more impacted than agriculture, which relies on such an intense combination of classroom, lab, and field and barn training. But was there a silver lining from “COVID-19?” According to […] Read more
Coronavirus infections at U.S. meat plants far higher than previous estimates, House subcommittee hears
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cases and deaths from COVID-19 among workers at the leading U.S. meatpacking plants were three times as high as previously estimated, according to a report by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis seen by Reuters. The subcommittee surveyed major meatpackers Tyson Foods, JBS USA, Cargill, National Beef , and Smithfield Foods, which together control over 80 percent […] Read more
ADM profit more than doubles on strong crush margins, vegoil demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Global grain trader Archer-Daniels-Midland Co said on Tuesday its third-quarter profit more than doubled, as strong oilseed crushing margins and rising vegetable oil demand boosted its core agricultural services and oilseeds unit. The Chicago-based U.S. grains merchant is anticipating the favorable demand and margin environment to continue supporting results in the fourth quarter and foresees […] Read more
Canada to wind down broad-based COVID aid programs
Feds opt for targeted measures as economy recovers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will not extend existing broad-based COVID-19 support programs for companies and individuals when they expire on Saturday because the economy is recovering well, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Thursday. Instead, Ottawa will introduce more targeted and less costly measures for hard-hit sectors such as the tourism industry. The new […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
