The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) is recommending the immediate reinstatement of a set-aside program that was implemented during the BSE era to address the challenges with beef processing capacity being created by COVID-19. The CCA says it's in discussions with the federal government about implementing the program to encourage producers to hold cattle longer when... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
There is plenty of concern across the agriculture sector during this time of crisis, especially when it comes to labour shortages. In order to keep the supply chain open, we need access to workers that are trained to do the job. Plenty of packing plants are facing weeks' worth of closures, while some are facing... Read More
The decision to close a processing plant as it relates to COVID-19 infection of staff is a complicated one. Food processing plants have strict protocols and clear guidance on food safety issues, but the advent of a human disease pandemic is a new territory for all — processors included. Ultimately, the decision to close a... Read More
As of April 13, the Government of Canada is allocating $50 million to help farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers with support for temporary foreign workers. Even before COVID-19 was an issue, the agriculture and food sectors already faced significant labour shortages. The advent of COVID-19 has delayed many temporary foreign... Read More
Changes to the Canada Summer Jobs Program as a result of COVID-19 could mean real help for the agriculture sector. Because of social distancing and the closure of non-essential services, several companies will not be hiring students and youth to fill summer jobs. The federal government is in the process of re-allocating those funds into... Read More
For those of us that work from home regularly, good broadband connectivity is essential. But in rural areas of Canada, effective broadband — capable of handling video calls, online classes, and more — is largely unavailable or exceeding expensive. During this global pandemic, thousands of farm and rural residents are sharing the reality of trying... Read More
Agriculture is full of traditions and customs that are passed on from generation to generation on the farm. At the same time, the industry is changing immensely in front of our own eyes creating a very uncertain future. Even pre-COVID-19, agriculture had some real soul-searching to do to meet the challenges ahead in the agri-food... Read More
I've seen over the last few days a lot of stories, comments, and mixed messages about farmers having to dump milk. I thought I'd clear a few things up with my perspective, direct from the farm. We were included in the farmers asked to dump milk. We dumped a little over 4,000 litres of raw,... Read More
Canada's agriculture industry is grappling with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. From all sides, the economic and human toll is far-reaching and still in a rapid state of flux. What the last few weeks have taught us, however, is that there are critical pinch points in our food supply chains that need to be... Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says until further notice, it will not be placing a priority on compliance with new food safety regulations that are set to take effect this summer. New rules for manufactured foods under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations are set to come into force on July 15, 2020. However, due... Read More