Keeping up to date with COVID-19 details and recommended protocols is challenging for everyone at this time. CAHRC has created a dedicated web page with the latest information, recommendations, employee management tips, tools (posters, policies) and links to authorities. These details will help you respond to the pandemic and limit the impact and spread of […] Read more
Tag Archives coronavirus

COVID-19 and farm workers: How do we manage on the farm?

Impacts on ag expected as COVID-19 rocks markets
Farmers urged to manage expenses
Stocks continuing to plunge during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic have left agricultural producers in Canada concerned about the potential impact. Thursday marked the biggest drop in Canadian stocks in 80 years, highlighted by many economists warning the country is on the brink of recession. Beyond growing fears of COVID-19’s economic impact, oil and gas stocks […] Read more

Parliament hustles through CUSMA ratification
Implementing bill passes before Commons adjourns until April 20
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s Parliament rushed through ratification of the new Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade pact on Friday before taking a three-week break to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, a top government official said. Canada was the last of the three signatories to formally adopt the pact, prompting congratulations from the United States […] Read more

Feed weekly outlook: Seasonal restrictions underpin grains
Coronavirus fallout being watched
MarketsFarm — Seasonal weight restrictions and spring road bans are providing some underlying support for feed grain bids in Western Canada, with the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak also being followed closely. “Winter weights are coming off, which is restricting the areas (feedlots) can pull from,” said Allen Pirness, of MarketPlace Commodities in Lethbridge, adding “there’s a […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat firm, corn flat as financial markets steady
CBOT soybean futures sag
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures closed fractionally higher on Friday and corn ended flat, stabilizing as wider financial markets regained some ground after plummeting on fears of the economic fallout from the global coronavirus outbreak. But soybean futures fell, hitting life-of-contract lows as crop weather in South America improved, bolstering expectations of large […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Lean hogs, cattle limit down on coronavirus fears
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell their expanded daily limit on Friday on fears that the coronavirus pandemic could curb consumer demand for meat and threaten the workforce at slaughterhouses, traders said. “The germophobia is in full force,” said Don Roose, president of Iowa-based U.S. Commodities. Traders are considering that more widespread […] Read more

U.S. ethanol industry ‘bleeding’ on oil collapse, coronavirus
New York | Reuters — U.S. ethanol producers are feeling the pain as margins on the corn-based fuel slumped this week to an eight-year low for this time of year, weighed by concerns over lower fuel demand from the coronavirus and the recent collapse in oil prices. The coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn, soy drop to six-month lows
Wider markets sell-off continues
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell to six-month lows on Thursday as another rout on Wall Street underscored uncertainty about economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic as well as demand for agricultural commodities, analysts said. Wheat futures followed the weak trend. Chicago Board of Trade May corn settled down 8-3/4 cents […] Read more

Fraser: What will be the long-term impact of COVID-19?
Analysis: A pandemic runs the risk of driving nations further apart
As developments around the COVID-19 coronavirus change rapidly, I can’t help but speculate on the longer-term effects of it. By now, much has been made of the economic impact it — alongside the Saudi Arabia-Russia oil trade war — will have on global economies. While it’s guesswork to estimate the total impact without knowing how […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sag as virus woes fuel recession fears
Bearish market sentiment also drags on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures fell on Wednesday, with several deferred months setting contract lows as fears of a global recession sent global equity markets tumbling and fueled uncertainty about consumer demand for beef, traders said. “The cattle market really follows what is going on with equities, and equities are down near […] Read more