
Tag Archives COVID-19

Comment: The power of acknowledgement
We may need to drop the 'win the argument' mentality more often
Well, it sure has been a long haul with this pandemic, hasn’t it? I wonder what the world is going to look like in six months. Will we all remember how to socialize in real life once we re-emerge from these cycles of lockdowns and semi-lockdowns? Will we regain ground on the mental health front? […] Read more

Workers call strike at Olymel hog plant in Quebec
Producers urged to prioritize heavier hogs when shipping
Talks toward a new contract for unionized employees at meat packer Olymel’s hog slaughter and processing plant in Quebec’s Beauce region have ended in a strike. The Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction-CSN, which represents over 1,000 staff at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City, called an “indefinite” strike effective Wednesday morning, the union […] Read more

Fed cattle prices see a boost
The Markets with Deb McMillin, from the May 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Fed cattle Tighter front-end supplies and higher cut-out values on both sides of the border have boosted fed cattle prices. Although not climbing as rapidly as the cut-out value, the Canadian fed cattle price saw a $2/cwt increase between late March and April 9. The second week of April saw a fed steer average of […] Read more

Planes of biosecurity
Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke
Simply defined, biosecurity encompasses procedures intended to protect humans and animals from disease or harmful biological agents. Animal biosecurity is a general description for measures designed to protect Canada’s animal resources from foreign and endemic infectious and parasitic disease agents at national, regional and farm levels. Many of the concepts related to biosecurity formally started […] Read more
Canadian Angus Association changes convention plans
Purely Purebred, news from the April 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Due to the uncertainty in the industry and unknowns around future COVID-19 restrictions, the Canadian Angus Association board has decided to cancel the 2021 CAA Convention, scheduled to take place in Saskatoon from June 10 to 12. The 2021 CAA AGM will be moved to Angus Central, the office in Rocky View County, Alberta, with […] Read more

Federal budget to offer direct payments to farmers for carbon pricing
Other new 'green growth' funding also on deck
The federal government’s 2021 budget offers up new spending to support farmers combatting climate change through targeted investments — and, in some cases, direct payments. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland released the budget Monday, showing the majority of new spending will take place over three years and be largely focused on “green growth.” “Budget 2021 announces […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs down on demand concerns
'We got a little bit ahead of ourselves'
Chicago | Reuters — CME Group hog futures fell sharply for the second day in a row on Friday, with the most-active June contract sinking 2.9 per cent to its lowest since March 23. Cattle futures also were weaker, with the June live cattle contract notching its seventh straight losing session. The market was correcting […] Read more

Set-aside funded for Quebec hog, cattle, big game producers
Feds, province pledge $21.8 million AgriRecovery plan
Farmers tending feeder hogs, fed cattle and big game animals such as elk, red deer, bison and wild boar in Quebec can expect $21.8 million in AgriRecovery to compensate for COVID-19’s drag on the province’s slaughter capacity. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and her Quebec counterpart Andre Lamontagne on Thursday announced their governments’ respective 60-40 […] Read more

Cargill shuts Ontario chicken plant against COVID
Other packers being sought to take birds
Agrifood firm Cargill is seeking slaughter space for Ontario chickens at other processors after temporarily closing its London poultry packing plant Tuesday against an outbreak of COVID-19 among workers. The company said Tuesday it was “taking this step out of an abundance of caution as our local workforce deals with the community-wide impacts of COVID-19.” […] Read more

Canadian bull wins big at Oklahoma
Purely Purebred, news from the April 2021 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Congratulations to HAROLDSON’S UNITED 33D 36G on winning Grand Champion polled Hereford bull and Supreme Champion bull at the 2021 Cattlemen’s Congress in Oklahoma City. He is the first bull calf to ever be selected for the Top 10 Bull Lineup at Canadian Western Agribition, then go on to win the Polled Hereford Show at […] Read more