Farmer Brian Derksen seeds wheat on May 2, 2017 near Miami, Man., about 80 km south of Portage la Prairie. (Screengrab from Allan Dawson video)

Federal COVID-19 response for ag sector remains unclear

Imports of farm labour, crop inputs among concerns

Canada’s agriculture sector is waiting on details of a federal response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as its concerns pile up. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has stated it understands “the importance of a stable labour force enabling Canadian food supply, and (is) committed to giving Canadians and businesses the support they need” but is not […] Read more


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Call your vet before you go to clinic during COVID-19

Different vet clinics have adopted different protocols

Animal welfare is paramount during COVID-19 — but so is human health. That’s why Darrell Dalton, registrar of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, recommends you call ahead before you go to your vet. “Different practices have taken different measures and different steps,” he said. “Some of the small practices are limiting the number of people […] Read more

The coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China, is new and until now, had not been found in humans.

Simple goes bad

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, a public health emergency. It’s just another stop on the Zoonotic Highway, a simple respiratory infection that matured into a global health emergency. Health agencies around the world have tried to smother the threat, but efforts seem flawed. History repeats itself: the novel […] Read more


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Livestock auction marts to decide on next steps

Livestock Marketing Association of Canada pondering next move in face of pandemic

You may want to call first to see if it’s open, but many auction marts in Alberta were still having sales on Tuesday morning. The Livestock Marketing Association of Canada has a conference call set for this evening to discuss COVID-19 safety measures for staff, customers and buyers, said Chance Martin, an LMAC director and […] Read more



Oil is an “imperfect barometer” for how other commodities will perform, FCC’s J.P. Gervais says. (Screengrab from Farm Credit Canada video via YouTube)

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

An image created by Nexu Science Communication, together with Trinity College in Dublin, shows a model structurally representative of a betacoronavirus, the type of virus linked to COVID-19. (Nexu Science Communication via Reuters)

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


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Ag chem industry watching COVID-19’s spread

MarketsFarm –– China is a major producer of agricultural chemicals — and disruptions to production would have a ripple effect on North American supplies of crop protection inputs, such as herbicides and insecticides. Plant closures and transportation issues due to the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus are being followed closely, but the Canadian industry is reportedly […] Read more

CBOT May 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, wheat, corn up on economic stimulus hopes

Recovery continues off COVID-19-related pressure

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soybean futures rose on Tuesday on technical buying and expectations for a co-ordinated global effort to offset the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates in an emergency move designed to shield the world’s largest economy from the COVID-19 virus, whose global […] Read more