Chicago | Reuters — With the pandemic hobbling the meat-packing industry, Iowa farmer Al Van Beek had nowhere to ship his full-grown pigs to make room for the 7,500 piglets he expected from his breeding operation. The crisis forced a decision that still troubles him: He ordered his employees to give injections to the pregnant […] Read more
Piglets aborted, chickens gassed as pandemic slams meat sector
"We have to have less hogs somehow"
CUSMA pact to take effect July 1, USTR says
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday said he has notified Congress that the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement will take effect on July 1, a month later than initially proposed. In a statement, Lighthizer said both Mexico and Canada had taken measures necessary to comply with their commitments under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada […] Read more
G20 ag ministers say COVID-19 measures shouldn’t disrupt food supply
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
CFIA funded to build up inspection corps against COVID-19
Short spells of disruptions still to be expected at food plants
Ottawa — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is spending $20 million to hire, train and equip additional staff members to limit disruptions resulting from COVID-19. With meat packers and food processing plants considering extended hours as they adjust to taking extra measures to combat the pandemic, CFIA was in need of a response to […] Read more
Joint U.S.-Canada border approach to pandemic seen as well-managed
Ottawa — The compromise between Canada and the U.S. to maintain the flow of goods between the two countries while limiting the trans-border flow of people during the COVID-19 crisis is a collaborative approach that serves as a global example, trade observers say. Alan Bersin, a global fellow at the Wilson Centre, said the border […] Read more
Ag industry a potential ‘bright spot,’ post-pandemic
Agriculture could lead economic rebuild, ATB official says
Alberta’s ag sector will be key in rebuilding the province’s economy once the pandemic is over, says the director of research for economics at ATB Financial. “Overall, I think one of the bright spots in a really dark economic situation in the province is our agriculture and agri-food sector,” Rob Roach said. “It’s still producing. […] Read more
Farmers to know soon whether new wage supports work for them
Top-up also en route for low-wage essential workers; CERB also tweaked
Ottawa — Agricultural employers may soon find out whether changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program, and other new federal supports on the way, will result in more workers for the sector. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Wednesday said officials are reviewing requests from employers to see which ones will qualify to have 100 […] Read more
Increased federal support for TFWs welcomed
Ottawa — The Canadian Horticultural Council says Monday’s federal announcement offering $50 million to help cover the extra costs associated with importing foreign workers this year is welcomed support. “We are finding that there are a lot of increased costs this year with COVID-19 and bringing in the employees, so having the extra money will […] Read more
Federal government to backstop TFW isolation with funding
Employers backed to provide mandatory two-week isolation
Farming and agrifood employers bringing temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to Canada will get per-worker support to make sure those employees can self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday announced up to $50 million for such employers to put such measures in place. As part of its response to the COVID-19 […] Read more
Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work
Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers
The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs […] Read more