Glacier FarmMedia – The outlook is cautiously optimistic for Canadian beef and pork trade, say industry experts, so long as the worst effects from the pandemic are over. Fawn Jackson of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Phil Boyd of Turkey Farmers of Canada and livestock and meat market analyst Kevin Grier each said demand for beef, […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 — page 40

Long-term market outlook appears promising for pork and beef
Demand for Canadian beef was up by 17 per cent in 2019 over 2018

U.S. livestock: Live cattle backslide amid cautious slaughter improvements
Lean hogs down on supply backlog
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, pulling back after a rally last week on signs that meatpackers may be working through backlogs of market-ready cattle, traders said. Although slaughter rates have returned to pre-coronavirus levels, cattle remain heavier after backing up in feedlots when processing plants closed this spring […] Read more

U.S. meatpackers try air cleaning tech after COVID-19 outbreaks
Chicago | Reuters — Two of the world’s largest meatpackers said on Friday they have installed ultraviolet air cleaning equipment in some U.S. plants, as pressure mounts on food companies to protect workers amid growing concerns about airborne transmission of the coronavirus. JBS USA, owned by Brazil’s JBS SA and one of four major U.S. […] Read more

Feds proposing to expand wage subsidy program
Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government wants to expand an emergency wage subsidy program so that all businesses suffering losses from the COVID-19 outbreak will benefit, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Friday. Morneau told a news conference that Ottawa would drop an earlier requirement stipulating that businesses needed to show a 30 per […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle end steady to firmer
Lean hogs dip after weekly advances
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed steady to firm on Friday, stabilizing after a two-session rally attributed to speculative buying and signs that meat packers may have worked through much of a backlog of market-ready cattle, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) August live cattle futures settled unchanged at 103.275 cents/lb. and […] Read more

Flour market slow and steady
Future growth could depend on the new pandemic-driven affinity for baking
In a world of uncertainty, Canada’s milling industry remains stable in both demand and growth. Gordon Harrison, president of the Canadian National Millers Association (CNMA), says grain flour (particularly wheat) is expected to stay a staple food in Canada. As well, he says increases in domestic consumption are possible despite changes in regulatory, environmental, and […] Read more

Non-essential travel limits extended at U.S. borders with Canada, Mexico
Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — Restrictions on non-essential travel at U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico will be extended through Aug. 21, Canada and the United States announced Thursday. “Canada and the United States have agreed to extend the current border measures by one month until Aug. 21, and we’re going to keep working closely […] Read more

Ontario bumping up Risk Management Program by $50 million
The program has been re-opened for applications until July 30
The Ontario government has come through a year earlier than expected with an additional $50 million for the provincial Risk Management Program (RMP). Ontario Premier Doug Ford made the announcement today at Craven Farms in Chatham-Kent, as he visited farms and processors in the area. Why it matters: Several areas of Ontario agriculture have […] Read more

Ontario to insure for crop loss due to lack of labour
AgriInsurance offering hailed as a first in Canada
Ontario’s federal/provincial AgriInsurance program has been temporarily expanded to include coronavirus-related labour shortages as a covered cause for crop loss. Producers already enrolled in an eligible production insurance plan and hit by crop losses due to labour disruptions during the 2020 growing season will be able to get further insurance coverage, the Ontario and federal […] Read more

China’s slower meat imports seen worsening its protein shortage
Beijing | Reuters — China’s dwindling pace of meat imports, thanks to its tough measures against coronavirus contamination, will provide further support for prices already buoyed by a severe shortage of pork, analysts said. Purchases of pork and other meats have soared this year after domestic production shrank 30 per cent following an outbreak of […] Read more