Reading Time: 4 minutes They figured their fundraising goal was hugely ambitious — but boy were they wrong. “As I pulled into the dealership at 7:30, there were cars lined up already, and we weren’t starting until 9,” said Steven Dyck, president of Western Tractor. “It was literally to the point where they were lined up down the highways. […] Read more
Want a great big show of community spirit with that?
‘Fry Day’ fundraiser keeps medevac service in the air — and gives community a chance to show its generous spirit
Tam concerned over alcohol, junk food use during pandemic
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s top health officer on Sunday expressed concern over higher consumption of alcohol and junk food during the coronavirus epidemic, suggesting this could be a sign of worsening mental health. The total number of Canadians killed by the coronavirus edged up by 0.9 per cent to 7,773 from 7,703 on Saturday, […] Read more
Insurance customers’ contact info dropped into MASC email
Crown crop insurance agency warns of privacy breach
A contact list of crop insurance customers at Manitoba Agricultural Services Corp. has gone out via email to several dozen of the Crown ag insurance agency’s customers. MASC on Monday said a file containing names and contact information of an unspecified number of AgriInsurance clients was “attached in error” to an email sent last Tuesday […] Read more
Labour shortages persist, hort sector says
Horticultural Council warns sector output will drop for lack of workers, support
Ottawa — The Canadian Horticultural Council warns the federal government is using inaccurate numbers to describe how many temporary foreign workers are currently in the country. During a virtual meeting of the Commons standing committee on agriculture and agri-food, CHC president Brian Gilroy said food security continues to be threatened as a result of labour […] Read more
New Brunswick to lift ban on temporary foreign workers
Damage 'already been done' for farmers, NFU-NB says
New Brunswick plans to end its ban on the entry of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) next week as the province moves to the “yellow” level in its COVID-19 pandemic recovery plan. The ban, announced April 28, will end effective May 29, Premier Blaine Higgs said Friday in an announcement some farmers say comes too late […] Read more
New dean of agriculture named for U of S
Soil science prof Angela Bedard-Haughn takes over Aug. 15
One of Western Canada’s major post-secondary ag institutions will get a new hand at the wheel this summer. The University of Saskatchewan announced Wednesday it has named soil science professor Angela Bedard-Haughn as the dean for its College of Agriculture and Bioresources for a five-year term starting Aug. 15. Raised on a family farm in […] Read more
Trudeau pledges $252 million in COVID-19 aid for farmers, processors
Dairy commission's credit line extended for storage program
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will invest $252 million to help some of the country’s farming and food processing sectors weather the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday, adding more money could come later if needed. The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, one of Canada’s biggest farm groups, asked Ottawa last week for an […] Read more
P.E.I. plans AgriStability top-up, AgriInsurance discount
Province also pledges potato storage funding
Prince Edward Island’s response to COVID-19 includes plans to pump up its farmers’ coverage level under the federal/provincial AgriStability income stabilization program. The P.E.I. government on Thursday announced a support package for farmers including $8.8 million over two years in additional business risk management (BRM) program funds. That includes paying the provincial portion of the […] Read more
Plummeting french fry sales has potato growers re-evaluating
Restaurant closures have slashed demand although ‘chip sales have been great,’ says official
Reading Time: 2 minutes French fry sales are down across North America as tens of thousands of restaurants have closed during COVID-19, which means the potato industry has to adapt quickly. Companies that turn potatoes into french fries, wedges and hash browns are slowing down, because there isn’t enough space to store all the frozen product. In Alberta and […] Read more
EU sets out COVID-19 support for farmers
Moves meant to stabilize markets
Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission proposed measures on Wednesday to support farmers hit by the coronavirus restrictions, including aid to store surplus dairy and meat products. Under the proposals, the Commission will grant aid for private storage of milk powder, butter and cheese as well as beef, sheep and goat meat for a […] Read more
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