Cargill says it is resuming beef processing operations, with support from Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS), at High River on Monday morning (May 4). The company says it will be running two harvesting shifts, with fabrication resuming on May 6. The union representing 2,000 employees at the plant has taken... Read More
Category: Cattle
Update, as of 2pm MDT May 3: A Cargill spokesperson says the company has nothing new to report regarding plans to operate one shift beginning May 4. The union that represents approximately 2,000 workers at Cargill's beef processing plant at High River, Alberta, has filed legal action in an attempt to block the reopening of... Read More
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's become abundantly clear to many that Canada's livestock processing industry is incredibly concentrated to a handful of federal plants. Now, as these plants face partial or short-term closures, many farmers and consumers alike are lamenting the lack of small, local abattoirs. The trouble is, it's not easy... Read More
As beef processing plants adapt to shutdowns and partial closures or processing reductions, the calls of "Will we run out of beef?" have begun. Michael Young, president of Canada Beef, says that in the current scenario consumers will likely see out of stock coolers, which could encourage some panic buying, which makes the issue of... Read More
After a 14-day idle, Cargill's beef processing plant at High River, Alta., will reopen with one shift, starting May 4. Alberta Health Services (AHS) and Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS), announced the plans on April 29th. All employees who are eligible to return to work in the harvest department are being asked to report to... Read More
The Canadian Cattlemen's Association has been lobbying the federal government very hard on a version of the past BSE-era set aside program. The proposal does not have all producers in the feedyard and ranching community onside with the idea, and one of the groups that has spoken out against the set aside proposal is the... Read More
This is an unforgettable time in the cattle markets for ranchers and feedyards. The United States Department of Agriculture released its Cattle on Feed report for April 1, and the results are close to expectations and would be considered bullish in a "normal" market. In the United States, total cattle on feed is down 5... Read More
The value of beef cutouts has reached record highs over the last few days, as packing plant capacity has been reduced by shutdowns in the U.S. and Canada. At the same time, those shutdowns have put immense pressure on cash cattle prices. "In the U.S. for the cash cattle that are trading, they are going... Read More
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect comments from a JBS spokesperson. A JBS spokesperson has stated that the plant is not closed and is operating one shift. JBS did not indicate the amount of cattle that would be slaughtered per day. Alberta OH&S has announced an investigation following the death of employees... Read More
While there is plenty of attention on the growing beef processing crisis in Western Canada, beef producers in Eastern Canada are also struggling with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) has published a video request of the federal government, which includes several voices from the beef industry's eastern producers... Read More