Reading Time: 3 minutes If the pandemic has you looking at your will and wondering how to split your farm up, you’re not alone. “COVID has increased the anxiety about our wills for all of us who are a little bit older,” said Merle Good, owner of GRS Consulting. “When I’ve talked to farmers about it, they’re starting to […] Read more
Pandemic has many thinking about the future of the farm
If you plan to leave land to your off-farm child, you need a strategy that makes sense for the farm business
2020 grain market review: The year that felt like a decade
MarketsFarm – The column in this space a year ago led with the line ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same.’ That line was a jumping off point for a decade-in-review piece pointing out some of the through lines of the grain markets during the previous ten years. Well, the pandemic hit […] Read more
Celebrating everyday things is a gift in 2020
Reading Time: < 1 minute What was your favourite story in the paper during the past year? That’s an easy one — it was the front-page story of the May 18 paper bearing the headline, Life and its blessings continue during these troubled times. Or at least the uplifting stories of seven families from rural Alberta struck a chord with […] Read more
China meat assoc calls for exporters to disinfect shipments to prevent COVID-19
Beijing | Reuters – Chinese meat importers and processors have called on exporters in countries with COVID-19 outbreaks to step up checks on shipments before they are sent to the world’s biggest market, the country’s top industry group said. “China has been importing a large quantity of meats this year, and has detected virus on […] Read more
Cargill to reopen Guelph beef plant after coronavirus outbreak
Reuters – Cargill Inc plans to begin reopening its Guelph, Ont., beef processing plant next week on Dec. 29, days after it closed the facility due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections among workers, the company said. Last week, Cargill voluntarily agreed to the temporarily closure as 82 workers tested positive for the virus and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans touch six-year high on Argentina strike, weather
Grains complex rebounds after stepping back on news of new coronavirus strain
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybeans climbed to six-year highs on Monday as weather and export troubles in Argentina outweighed concerns of a new coronavirus strain hitting Britain. Corn and wheat futures traded near even as soybeans supported the grains complex. Chicago Board of Trade most-active soybeans gained 23-1/2 cents to $12.47-1/2 per bushel, after […] Read more
Ban on food aid restrictions blocked at WTO
WTO says outcome 'disappointing' in difficult year
Geneva | Reuters — World Trade Organization members were at odds on Friday over a proposal that would ban countries from restricting food aid deliveries, potentially complicating the response to a feared COVID-fuelled humanitarian catastrophe next year. The proposal was one of two related to the pandemic that failed to make headway at a three-day […] Read more
Guelph beef plant idled against COVID-19 outbreak
Cattle set-aside plan en route, BFO says
Agrifood giant Cargill is temporarily halting production at its beef processing plant at Guelph, Ont. in the wake of a significant COVID-19 outbreak among employees. The company announced it would “begin the process to temporarily idle” the Dunlop Drive plant effective Thursday (Dec. 17). “This was a difficult decision for our team who are operating […] Read more
Tyson fires seven managers after probe into COVID-19 wagering
Employees had been suspended following lawsuit
Reuters — Tyson Foods said Wednesday it had fired seven managers at an Iowa pork plant after investigating allegations that they took bets on how many employees would catch COVID-19. The independent investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, came in response to a lawsuit filed by the son of a worker at […] Read more
Slimmed-down cattle organization looks forward to better days
During a dark year, there have been some silver linings, say officials with Alberta Beef Producers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta Beef Producers is heading into the new year by celebrating some wins, and by proceeding with the slimming down of the organization’s governance model. The province has approved the governance changes, chair Kelly Smith-Fraser said at the organization’s virtual town hall, held at the end of November. “The geographical zones have been reduced from […] Read more
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