Seasonal foreign workers face uncertain timeline to return home due to pandemic-related border crossing restrictions
In the spring Ontario farmers were concerned COVID-19 border closures would stymie efforts to get the much-needed foreign workers into Ontario. Now it appears the pandemic might be hindering efforts to get those same workers back home to their families. Why it matters: Smooth operation of the seasonal foreign worker program is critical to the […] Read moreTag Archives COVID-19 — page 29
Return home stalled for some foreign workers
Seasonal foreign workers face uncertain timeline to return home due to pandemic-related border crossing restrictions
Tyson suspends staff as suit alleges managers set up COVID pool
Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods said Thursday it suspended employees without pay and hired former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder to conduct an investigation in response to a wrongful death lawsuit that alleges managers at an Iowa pork plant took bets on how many employees would catch COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures tumble on demand worries
Corn values also weigh on feeder cattle, hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures tumbled on Thursday on worries about demand for beef and pork as soaring coronavirus infections across the country threatened more restaurant and food service closures and forced more Americans to shelter at home. Investors also fear a repeat of the livestock processing disruptions seen in the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures retreat as COVID surge stokes demand worries
CME lean hog futures end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures fell on Wednesday as rising coronavirus infection rates stoked concerns about potential supply-chain disruptions and reduced demand for beef as health restrictions shutter restaurants and discourage travel. U.S. stocks dove on Wednesday as investors weighed surging COVID-19 infections and mounting shutdowns against encouraging vaccine developments. An April plunge […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soy continue rallies
MarketsFarm — Commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) have appreciated a significant rally over the past weeks. Last week’s world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detailed lower-than-expected ending stocks for soybeans, which were bullish for soybean values. “Beans are on a mission right now,” said […] Read more
Irritated trade partners push back on China’s coronavirus food tests
Canada rips testing as 'unjustified trade restrictions'
Beijing/Geneva | Reuters — Major food-producing countries are growing increasingly frustrated with China’s scrutiny of imported products and are calling on it to stop aggressive testing for the coronavirus, which some say is tantamount to a trade restriction. China says it has found the virus on the packaging of products from 20 countries including German […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up as Wall Street rallies
COVID-19 worries remain in picture
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures ended mostly higher on Monday on spillover support from soaring equities markets, although gains were limited by worries about rising coronavirus infections and likely restaurant closures. News of a second promising COVID-19 vaccine lifted both the S+P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average to record highs on […] Read more
High food prices hurting India’s poor
Inflation pain expected to persist for months yet
New Delhi | Reuters — India’s retail inflation may stay elevated for at least three more months after hitting a six-year high in October, as excess rain has damaged standing crops and seedlings, while edible oils that the country imports have become expensive. The high prices are a particular cause of concern for India’s hundreds […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures sag as COVID surge threatens meat demand
Demand uncertainty also weighs on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures slumped on Friday as soaring coronavirus cases raised expectations for lockdowns on commerce that will hurt demand for meat from restaurants, hotels and other venues, analysts said. Cities and states across the country have moved to re-impose restrictions to tame new spikes in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Additional […] Read more
China, COVID ruined pork party
Canadian pork exports were surging from December 2018 to May 2019, but then trade disputes and packer slowdowns got in the way
Glacier FarmMedia – Canadian hog producers were on the path to good times before Chinese complications and COVID-19 derailed producers, Statistics Canada analysis shows. However, the recovery of the North American packing industry since the pandemic shock and the return of China to buying Canadian pork have reversed some of the damage. Why it matters: […] Read more
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