The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is recommending that all essential agri-food employees on Ontario farms get tested for COVID-19, as the virus continues to stubbornly spread on some farms. Testing workers on farm can help limit the spread of the disease, says the OFVGA. Why it matters: Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 on […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19
OFVGA recommending on-farm COVID-19 testing
Farmer group concerned about temporary workers moving among farms
Study looks at COVID-19 and food system
The hope is that the results will help strengthen food system emergency planning
Two of Canada’s leading think tanks in agriculture and food policy are working together to try to understand the implications of and lessons from COVID-19’s effects on the Canadian food system. Why it matters: The COVID-19 crisis has shown some weaknesses in the Canadian agri-food system, although food has remained widely available. The Arrell Food […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures drop as China tightens food import restrictions
USDA report bearish on cattle futures
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures retreated on Monday, with actively traded nearby contracts sinking more than three per cent and hitting life-of-contract lows amid worries about pork exports to China, which has stepped up oversight of imported goods due to COVID-19. China’s customs authority said on Sunday it had suspended poultry imports […] Read more
Opinion: Business risk management reform remains possible
Among the long list of complaints to government from producers in recent months, their concern over business risk management programs has been the most consistent. Other grievances remain. The carbon tax is an irritant, but the now-futile campaign against it has lost steam throughout the pandemic. Lack of labour and access to foreign trade markets […] Read more
Mexico to resume sending farmworkers to Canada after safety agreement
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico will resume sending temporary farmworkers to Canada after the two countries reached an agreement on improved safety protections for labourers on Canadian farms during the coronavirus pandemic, the Mexican government said Sunday. Mexico said last Tuesday it would pause sending workers to farms with coronavirus infections after at least […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Futures drop ahead of USDA data
Cattle on Feed report could be bearish Monday
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures fell on Friday, as hog producers and cattle ranchers continue to struggle with a massive backlog even as many slaughterhouses come back online. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report, released Friday after the market close, showed May feedlot placements at 99 per cent compared […] Read more
TFW program to be overhauled after COVID-19 outbreaks on farms
"The piece that's missing is enforcement"
Winnipeg | Reuters — Canada is overhauling its temporary foreign worker program, a government spokeswoman said on Friday, after coronavirus outbreaks on Ontario farms sickened hundreds and led Mexico to demand assurances of proper safeguards. As part of the review, surprise inspections of working and living conditions on farms will immediately increase, Ashley Michnowski, communications […] Read more
Food exporters to China asked to declare produce coronavirus-free
Declaration puts onus on exporters for product safety
Beijing | Reuters — China’s customs authority has asked food exporters to the country to sign a declaration their produce is not contaminated by the novel coronavirus, three people who received a letter said on Friday. The declaration, seen by Reuters, may be an effort by China to reduce the additional testing it has carried […] Read more
Turkey farmer donation helps young people
Kids Help Phone and 4-H Canada will be the beneficiaries
Glacier FarmMedia – COVID-19 has been a weird and stressful time for most Canadians. Social isolation and incessant news about the pandemic can affect people in different ways, particularly kids, who may not have someone to talk to. That’s why Turkey Farmers of Canada has donated an additional $80,000 to Kids Help Phone and 4-H […] Read more
Uruguayan shearers flown in to relieve sweltering Spanish sheep
Expert shearers authorized to enter country amid COVID-19 pandemic
Villafale, Spain | Reuters — Brought to Spain on a special flight amid the coronavirus lockdown, some 250 Uruguayan sheep shearers race against time to shear millions of Spanish sheep as sweltering summer temperatures hit. The Uruguayan shearers come to Spain every year, where farmers value them for their skills, their speed and particular care […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
