Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta Beef Producers recently did something it hasn’t done since the BSE crisis nearly two decades ago — went to the government and asked for money. Ottawa responded by offering $50 million to help cover the cost of feeding cattle stranded by slaughter plant closures and slowdowns — an offer that was appreciated but disheartening, […] Read more
Alberta’s cattle producers facing a wall of worry
The situation is already grim for many, and many more are ‘questioning their future’
‘Learn to do by doing’ sums up 4-H pandemic response
Reading Time: 3 minutes Like many other agricultural groups, 4-H clubs have had to adapt to life under COVID-19. “When they first closed everything down, we said we were going to finish the year, no matter what, and every kid’s steer was going to get sold, no matter what,” said Murray Skippen, general leader of the Fort Saskatchewan 4-H […] Read more
Growers relieved as Alberta garden centres declared an essential service
Product needs to move during the brief spring sales window, veggie gardens are suddenly popular again
Reading Time: 2 minutes Garden centres may not spring to mind when thinking of essential services, but getting that official designation was critical, says the CEO of Landscape Alberta. “It opens the value chain from the agricultural side,” said Joel Beatson, whose organization joined Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association in requesting greenhouses, nurseries and garden centres be classed as essential […] Read more
Quota reduction ends dumping of milk in Alberta
A five-per-cut has eliminated excess supply caused by the pandemic, says Alberta Milk
Reading Time: < 1 minute [UPDATED: May 4, 2020] A reduction in quota has ended the need to dump milk, says Alberta Milk. Changes in demand in March, caused by the pandemic, led to a surplus of milk in March. But a total production cut of about five per cent – comprised of a three per cent cut in quota […] Read more
A virtual farm walk spreads joy far and wide
Reading Time: 3 minutes A little project that started as a way for a family farm to communicate with friends and relatives has become a way to showcase agriculture to the world. Charlotte Wasylik of Chatsworth Farm near Vermilion, made a livestream video tour of her family farm on Facebook Live near the end of March. “We were originally […] Read more
Alberta’s cattle sector takes a direct hit from pandemic
Packing plant closures create a backlog that quickly affects the entire production chain
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s going to be painful, but hopefully COVID-19 in packing plants won’t turn into a nightmare scenario, say the president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association and a leading food industry expert. Alberta’s two big facilities — Cargill’s High River plant and JBS’s Brooks plant — process nearly 75 per cent of the country’s beef. Combined, […] Read more
Supply chain working but canola groups have concerns
Federal field trials need to continue and growers need protective equipment, they say
There have been no issues so far with supplies of inputs and parts, transportation or oilseed processing during the pandemic, canola industry officials report. “We’ve been really focused on making sure farmers have access to inputs and resources to get the 2020 crop in the ground,” Canola Council of Canada president Jim Everson said during […] Read more
It’s a whole new ball game for research associations this spring
Pandemic isn’t having a big impact on field trials but crop walks are very much up in the air
Reading Time: 4 minutes Field trials will go ahead — but showing them off to farmers will all depend, say the province’s research organizations. “There’s been a backing off of group activities,” said Allan Hall, executive director of the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta, the umbrella group for six research and two forage associations. “In terms of […] 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
Cut livestock insurance premiums, says CCA
Cattle producers need an insurance program but aren’t using it because the premiums are too expensive
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Western Livestock Price Insurance Program is not functioning properly due to very high premiums and needs to be quickly revamped, says the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. “We’re having unprecedented volatility for markets. Having tools in place for farmers and ranchers has never been more important,” executive vice-president Dennis Laycraft said during a telephone town hall […] Read more
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