The federal government should be taking a more assertive position in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. When the first batch of vaccines arrived in Canada, Ottawa released recommendations on who should receive the first doses — but the ultimate discretion was left to individual provinces. Recommendations, according to the federal government, were made to […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 — page 24
Comment: Vaccines need national co-ordination
Denmark to compensate mink farmers after nationwide cull
Copenhagen | Reuters — Denmark, the top exporter of mink furs, will compensate its mink farmers with up to 19 billion Danish crowns (C$3.95 billion) following an order last year to cull the country’s entire population. Denmark’s entire herd of some 17 million mink, one of the world’s biggest and highly valued for the quality […] Read more
Farm sector part of emergency child care extension
The programs support families where students are learning remotely
Farmers and those who support the food and agriculture product supply chains now qualify for a no-cost child care program. As of Jan. 27, the program will be open to a new list of workers along with several other categories, in addition to other essential workers who were previously eligible. The program aims to help […] Read more
Opinion: The privilege of many problems
Availability, authenticity and accountability are the hallmarks of a trusted food supply
“A person with empty stomach has one problem, but a person with full stomach has many.” Most Canadians are not used to worrying about access to food. Despite a few short-term impacts resulting from adjustments in the supply chains, even COVID-19 left the shelves stocked. According to recently released research by the Canadian Centre for […] Read more
Ontario backs ‘horse experience’ businesses for horse upkeep
Trail ride operations, riding schools, others eligible
Ontario horses whose jobs with riding schools, camps and trail rides were lost or cut back during the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for funding toward their upkeep. The province on Thursday announced a $3 million equine hardship program would launch starting Monday (Jan. 18) help “horse experience” businesses cover animal maintenance costs. The program […] Read more
Trump administration mulls industry-wide biofuel waiver
Comment period would end after Trump's exit
New York | Reuters — The Trump administration is considering requests from the oil refining industry and its backers for a sweeping nationwide waiver to exempt them from their obligations to blend biofuels, a measure they argue would help them weather the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency […] Read more
USDA unveils more COVID-19 aid, mostly for livestock farmers
Funds earmarked for farmers under contract
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Friday it will pay an additional US$2.3 billion in COVID-19 aid to farmers, directing more money to livestock producers suffering from disruptions in slaughtering and restaurant demand for meat. The aid, which comes from money allocated to USDA from previous pandemic stimulus legislation, follows […] Read more
Food processing workers get Phase 2 vaccine access
Meat processors and investigators eligible for COVID vaccines in next phase
Livestock producers and processors are more optimistic now that processing workers and inspectors will be vaccinated as part of Phase Two. “We recognize first responders, healthcare workers, and those in long-term care must be prioritized in terms of first access to vaccines,” said Rob Lipsett, Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) president. “However, we are thankful […] Read more
Managing COVID, female leadership and the climate plan
Federal agriculture minister looks ahead to 2021 and back through a challenging 2020
Questions and answers have been edited for length. Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau recently talked to Glacier FarmMedia Ottawa reporter D.C. Fraser in a year-end interview. Looking back at the year, what was the biggest personal challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic for you? Trying to identify those who were the most in […] Read more
Rural vaccine rollout will need to be prioritized
Moderna could be the only vaccine option for parts of rural and Northern Ontario
Rural and northern areas of Ontario will likely not see a vaccine rollout until the early part of 2021, and then the limited numbers will mean prioritization. The Moderna vaccine, which doesn’t require the same stringent ultra-cold storage protocols as its Pfizer-BioNTech counterpart, is ideal for distribution in rural, northern and remote areas. The question […] Read more
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