Reading Time: 2 minutes Cargill’s southern Alberta beef packing plant, estimated to be responsible for over a third of Canada’s beef processing capacity, restarted Monday after a two-week COVID-19-related shutdown — but at a quicker pace than previously expected. The company said in a statement Monday it is resuming operations at the High River plant “with two shifts” in […] Read more
Cargill’s High River plant reopens with two slaughter shifts
Cutting line to resume Wednesday
New Brunswick ag groups rip province’s ban on foreign workers
Risk during pandemic 'simply too great,' premier says
Reading Time: 2 minutes New Brunswick farmers who employ temporary foreign workers (TFWs) are calling for the provincial government to reverse its new COVID-19-related ban on entry of TFWs who haven’t yet arrived. The provincial government on Tuesday updated a mandatory order under its pandemic state of emergency to restrict TFWs from entering the province. The new restriction doesn’t […] Read more
Grains, oilseeds, pulses hold their own amid pandemic
Reading Time: 3 minutes MarketsFarm — Prices for grains, oilseeds and pulses are not as bad off as livestock values are due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Neil Townsend, chief market analyst for FarmLink Solutions in Winnipeg. FarmLink hosted a webinar Wednesday to provide its outlook for the coming crop year. One thing Townsend stressed was there is […] Read more
COVID-19 surges at reopened JBS Colorado beef plant, union says
A sixth worker has died, UFCW local chief says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — COVID-19 cases at a JBS meatpacking plant in Colorado have more than doubled “in a number of days” and a sixth employee died of the virus, a union official said on Thursday, underscoring the risks of U.S. meat plants reopening. The beef plant at Greeley, about 65 km north of Denver, […] Read more
Canada’s Farm Show postponed
New date not yet set for former Farm Progress Show
Reading Time: 2 minutes One of Canada’s biggest agricultural events has crossed itself off the 2020 summer calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s Farm Show, which rebranded in December from its former Canada’s Farm Progress Show identity, announced Monday it has officially postponed to an as-yet unconfirmed date. The annual show, organized by the Regina Exhibition Association (REAL), […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soybean futures down off gains
Chicago wheat also weak
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell on Friday after three straight days of gains as investors took some risk out of the market due to demand uncertainty stemming from the global coronavirus pandemic, traders said. Wheat futures also were lower, with forecasts for some rain in key production areas of Europe […] Read more
Farm groups offer finance committee food security for thought
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) continues to pressure the federal government to offer more support for farmers as it looks to mitigate impacts of COVID-19. One of few parliamentary functions continuing to operate in the pandemic, the Commons standing committee on finance is responsible for studying and reporting on matters related to government spending. […] Read more
Calgary Stampede cancelled for 2020
Province's limits on gatherings cover all major summer events
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s confirmation that its restrictions on gatherings include all annual summer events has led organizers of the Calgary Stampede to cancel the event for the first time in 97 years. “As a community celebration, the cancellation of our annual event comes with our community and public health and safety front of mind,” Stampede president Dana […] Read more
G20 ag ministers say COVID-19 measures shouldn’t disrupt food supply
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dubai | Reuters — Agriculture and food ministers from the Group of 20 (G20) countries agreed at a virtual meeting on Tuesday that emergency measures to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus must not upend global food supply chains. Their extraordinary meeting came as coronavirus lockdowns across the world slow global food supply chains, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures firm
Cattle futures slip with stock sell-off
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures advanced for the second day in a row on Tuesday, with supplies remaining tight due to shutdowns at slaughterhouses due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cattle futures were weaker, pressured by a sharp drop in equity markets. “Cattle are more closely tied with the economy,” said Don Roose, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
