Reading Time: 2 minutes Sao Paulo | Reuters –Brazilian food processor JBS SA has invested more than 100 million reais ($19.3 million) in health, safety and contingency measures at all its Brazilian production units, according to a Wednesday company statement that comes as the novel coronavirus continues to ravage local meat plants. The company said the funds were invested […] Read more
JBS invests $19-million in safety measures amid COVID-19 pandemic
Alberta loosens animal slaughter rules after pandemic hit packers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters – Canada’s main cattle-producing province, Alberta, said on Wednesday it would allow the slaughter of animals on farms for meat sales to consumers, loosening regulations after the coronavirus pandemic interrupted production at its biggest packing plants. Alberta previously restricted the consumption of meat from animals slaughtered outside of government-inspected plants to farmers and their […] Read more
National COYF cancelled for 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minute The national Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer (COYF) event, previously scheduled to be held in Saskatoon in December this year, has been cancelled due to COVID-19. In a statement in the ‘Land Leader’, the official publication of the COYF program, Steve Cooper, the organization’s chair, said, “the Saskatchewan Hosting committee for the 2020 National Event advised […] Read more
BASF unveils InField Innovation Tours
Reading Time: < 1 minute BASF is making it easier, and during the pandemic, safer for farmers to get information about its products. On July 27 it launched a new website allowing farmers to visit the company’s research farms virtually. “InField Innovation Tours is a unique, virtual tour experience that enables anyone, from anywhere, to journey into our fields and […] Read more
Loblaw beats profit estimates as online sales surge
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Loblaw beat quarterly revenue and profit estimates on Thursday, driven by a near-fourfold jump in online sales, as stay-at-home Canadians used the retailer’s pickup and delivery services to stock up on bread, milk and eggs. With consumers still limiting their trips outdoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said it would invest […] Read more
More COVID support needed: study
Agriculture funding has challenges beyond pandemic needs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new report by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy says the level of federal government support offered to Canada’s agriculture sector during the COVID-19 pandemic has been inadequate. Ottawa should take additional steps to reduce the financial burden on farmers by providing additional financial assistance, ensuring a more stable […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle backslide amid cautious slaughter improvements
Lean hogs down on supply backlog
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, pulling back after a rally last week on signs that meatpackers may be working through backlogs of market-ready cattle, traders said. Although slaughter rates have returned to pre-coronavirus levels, cattle remain heavier after backing up in feedlots when processing plants closed this spring […] Read more
U.S. meatpackers try air cleaning tech after COVID-19 outbreaks
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Two of the world’s largest meatpackers said on Friday they have installed ultraviolet air cleaning equipment in some U.S. plants, as pressure mounts on food companies to protect workers amid growing concerns about airborne transmission of the coronavirus. JBS USA, owned by Brazil’s JBS SA and one of four major U.S. […] Read more
Feds proposing to expand wage subsidy program
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government wants to expand an emergency wage subsidy program so that all businesses suffering losses from the COVID-19 outbreak will benefit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Friday. Morneau told a news conference that Ottawa would drop an earlier requirement stipulating that businesses needed to show a 30 per […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle end steady to firmer
Lean hogs dip after weekly advances
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed steady to firm on Friday, stabilizing after a two-session rally attributed to speculative buying and signs that meat packers may have worked through much of a backlog of market-ready cattle, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled unchanged at 103.275 cents/lb. and […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
