Cargill Archives | Canadian Cattlemen

China suspends beef imports from Cargill plant

High River plant on long list of blocked facilities

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News July 6, 2020

China has temporarily suspended imports of beef from Cargill’s major beef packing plant at High River, Alta., part of a long list of meat plants blocked in the last half of June. The Reuters news service on Monday published a list of meat packing plants from around the world which during June and early July […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. senators question packers over exports to China during pandemic

USDA shows record pork exports to China in April, raising questions about rising U.S. meat prices

By Tom Polansek, GFM Network News June 25, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Two prominent U.S. Senate Democrats are pressing America’s top meatpackers to disclose by month’s end how much pork, beef and chicken they shipped to China during the coronavirus outbreak while warning of possible meat shortages at home. The request from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker increases scrutiny of companies such […] Read more

Crops, Markets

Grain exports flow fast as pandemic lockdowns clear rail capacity

Traffic accelerates on lower coal, crude volumes

By Rod Nickel, GFM Network News June 18, 2020

Winnipeg | Reuters — Canadian grain exporters are boosting sales in a slumping global economy, as demand for commodities like oil weakens and frees up railway space. Brisk crop movement in a country that relies heavily on rail is a bright spot during pandemic lockdowns, which have hammered most industries. “We’ve had an almost unlimited […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. meatpacking workers often absent after plants ordered to reopen

"There's still so many risks"

By Andy Sullivan, Tom Polansek, GFM Network News June 16, 2020

Chicago/Washington | Reuters — Smithfield Foods is missing about a third of its employees at a South Dakota pork plant because they are quarantined or afraid to return to work after a severe coronavirus outbreak, according to the workers’ union. Tyson Foods was forced to briefly close its Storm Lake, Iowa plant — a month […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

Cargill halts public reporting of quarterly results

By Reuters, GFM Network News June 3, 2020

Reuters — Privately held U.S. agribusiness Cargill said on Wednesday it will no longer issue public releases on quarterly earnings, halting the disclosures that the company has provided since 1996. Cargill, the largest privately held company in the United States, said it will continue to publicly disclose annual revenue and the percentage of operating cash […] Read more

Livestock, Reuters

Cargill to shut Montreal-area meat plant temporarily

Company says 64 workers tested positive for COVID-19

By Reuters, GFM Network News May 11, 2020

Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian arm of U.S. agribusiness Cargill said Sunday it would soon temporarily shut a Montreal-area case-ready meat plant after 64 workers tested positive for COVID-19. The plant is at Chambly, a South Shore suburb of Montreal, one of the worst hit cities in Canada. Cargill said it was winding down […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Cargill’s High River plant reopens with two slaughter shifts

Cutting line to resume Wednesday

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News May 5, 2020

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

Livestock, Reuters

As meat plant infections rise, Canada lets packers choose when to close

Beef plants at heart of Alberta's largest COVID-19 community outbreaks

By Rod Nickel, GFM Network News May 1, 2020

Winnipeg | Reuters — In Cargill’s High River, Alta. plant, supplier of more than one-third of Canada’s beef, 391 workers were sick with COVID-19 when the company suspended operations, according to provincial health officials. But Maple Leaf Foods decided to idle a poultry plant for eight days, in Brampton, Ont., after just three workers were […] Read more

Recent online comments have unfairly targeted workers at meat-processing plants for the coronavirus outbreak.

News

Public education, without scapegoating, key to slowing COVID-19

As community leaders in Brooks and High River work to ensure people understand public health directives, they’re also trying to counter unwarranted condemnations

By Lisa Guenther April 30, 2020

Note: This is the final instalment of a three-part series. Read the first article here. And the second article here. Alberta public health officials working desperately to curtail the spread of COVID-19 must find a way to reach the most vulnerable populations without encouraging racist undertones in online comment sections and the affected communities. Workers […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Reuters

Cargill to restart High River beef plant Monday

Over 750 workers confirmed with COVID-19

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 30, 2020

Ottawa | Reuters — Cargill said Wednesday it will start to reopen its beef processing plant at High River, Alta. on Monday after the plant was forced to close down because hundreds of workers had become infected with the coronavirus. In a statement, Cargill said it would resume operations after a 14-day temporary shutdown, with […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy up after crop ratings dip

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures drift lower on beef demand worries

Elanco forgoes Canadian poultry insecticide rights for Bayer deal

GFM Network News