Reading Time: 2 minutes Dairy service providers are starting to return to farms. Most on-farm services, including animal classification, animal welfare assessment and milk testing had been suspended due to COVID-19. Why it matters: Independent management information helps farmers make animal and farm business decisions. Lactanet, which provides on-farm milk volume and content testing, started going back onto farms […] Read more
Tag Archives dairy
Dairy services gradually return to farms
Milk testing and classifying service organizations create step-by-step plans
Dairy Xpo cancelled, new poultry show still on
Management of the Canadian Dairy Xpo had hoped to run the show this summer after it was postponed from its usual April date
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Dairy Xpo (CDX) tried to hold on, during this terrible pandemic year for events, but in the end, a summer date in Stratford wasn’t possible. Gatherings of people are restricted to five in Ontario, and that means that events like CDX which attract more than 10,000 are unable to continue. Why it matters: […] Read more
Opinion: Federal government knew impact of CUSMA timing on dairy
Reading Time: 3 minutes The federal government is willing to let Canadian dairy producers lose out on millions of dollars as a result of the new trade deal with the United States and Mexico. When MPs in Ottawa listened to testimony from agricultural leaders on the passage of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in February, the bulk of concerns were […] Read more
Piglets aborted, chickens gassed as pandemic slams meat sector
"We have to have less hogs somehow"
Reading Time: 5 minutes Chicago | Reuters — With the pandemic hobbling the meat-packing industry, Iowa farmer Al Van Beek had nowhere to ship his full-grown pigs to make room for the 7,500 piglets he expected from his breeding operation. The crisis forced a decision that still troubles him: He ordered his employees to give injections to the pregnant […] Read more
EU sets out COVID-19 support for farmers
Moves meant to stabilize markets
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission proposed measures on Wednesday to support farmers hit by the coronavirus restrictions, including aid to store surplus dairy and meat products. Under the proposals, the Commission will grant aid for private storage of milk powder, butter and cheese as well as beef, sheep and goat meat for a […] Read more
U.S. announces coronavirus aid for farmers, food buys for poor
Direct payments, mass purchases planned
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion relief program to help U.S. farmers cope with the impact of the coronavirus, including $16 billion in direct payments to producers and mass purchases of meat, dairy, vegetables and other products (all figures US$). The U.S. Agriculture Department is partnering with regional […] Read more
Trump administration aims to buy milk, meat to help farmers, Perdue says
Homeland Security to ease visa rules for ag workers
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — The U.S. government plans to buy milk and meat from farmers as part of an initial US$15.5 billion effort to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Wednesday. The decision comes amid rising pressure from the U.S. farm lobby for government purchases as growers and […] Read more
Test period underway for vertical milk storage in Ontario
Approved sampling protocols must be expanded for towers to come into use
Reading Time: 4 minutes A test period has begun on a 600-cow dairy farm near Maryhill for the use of a 40,000-litre vertical milk tank. It isn’t currently legal for use on-farm to cool and store milk in Ontario because milk truck drivers can’t see, smell and sample the milk as prescribed under the Milk Act. Why it matters: […] Read more
Pandemic planning leads to staff cuts at Agropur
Dairy co-operative enters 'business continuity' mode
Reading Time: 2 minutes Dairy co-operative Agropur’s “business continuity” plan against the COVID-19 pandemic calls for job cuts and layoffs for about three per cent of its total workforce. Longueuil, Que.-based Agropur announced Thursday it will eliminate 60 positions and temporarily lay off another 200 employees, all from its Canadian operations. In the “unprecedented context” of COVID-19, Agropur said […] Read more
Dairy sector shuts down most visits from off-farm providers
In agriculture, dairy farms are among those most called-on by outside services
Reading Time: 3 minutes New additions to Gerrit Herrema’s dairy barn have made it easier for his family to abide by recent directions to avoid contact with milk truck drivers to reduce COVID-19’s spread. “We have boot washes and other biosecurity measures in the barn. We need to take these measures in order to minimize the damage,” said Herrema, […] Read more
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