COVID-19 Archives - Page 44 of 49

File photo of a truck arriving at a Smithfield Foods pork plant at Smithfield, Va. on Oct. 17, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Tom Polansek)

Smithfield shutting South Dakota pork plant indefinitely

Major packer warns of meat shortages during pandemic

By GFM Network News April 12, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Sunday it will shut a U.S. plant indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees and warned the country was moving “perilously close to the edge” in supplies for grocers. Slaughterhouse shutdowns are disrupting the U.S. food supply chain, crimping […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock

Quebec pork plant to restart at reduced pace

Olymel plant closed due to COVID-19 cases

By Glacier FarmMedia staff, GFM Network News April 12, 2020

Olymel plans to gradually bring a hog plant in Quebec’s Mauricie region out of a two-week shutdown starting Tuesday following a number of COVID-19 cases among its employees. The meat packing arm of Quebec-based Sollio Co-operative Group announced Saturday it will resume slaughter and cutting operations at Yamachiche, Que. starting Tuesday. Nine people working at […] Read more

File photo of a quality control check on fresh peppers in a Canadian vegetable packing plant. (Jeffbergen/E+Getty Images)

Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work

Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers

By Glacier FarmMedia staff, GFM Network News April 10, 2020

The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Futures slide as COVID-19 worries roil market

Concerns over meat processing pace drag on cattle, hogs

By GFM Network News April 10, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures slumped again on Thursday, volatility roiling the market as it faced resistance over surging stocks and growing concerns that meat packers will close plants in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Lean hog future prices slipped for a second session on concerns about the domestic glut of hog supplies and […] Read more

A man walks with his pet dog as he talks to a vendor who sells dog meat at a market during the local dog meat festival at Yulin in China’s Guangxi Autonomous Region on June 21, 2018. (File photo: Reuters/Tyrone Siu)

Livestock, Reuters

China reclassifies dogs as pets, not livestock

New guidelines drafted in post-virus regulatory push

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 9, 2020

Shanghai | Reuters — China has drawn up new guidelines to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock, the agriculture ministry said, part of a response to the coronavirus outbreak that the Humane Society called a potential “game changer” in animal welfare. Though dog meat remains a delicacy in many regions, the ministry of agriculture […] Read more

A corn crop west of Grunthal, Man. on Aug. 17, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Crops, Markets, Reuters

USDA raises corn, soy, wheat supply outlook

Ending stocks expected up on slowing export demand

By GFM Network News April 9, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Agriculture Department raised its outlook for domestic supplies of corn on Thursday on expectations for reduced usage by ethanol producers, as demand for the alternative fuel has been cratering due to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The government also bumped up its wheat and soybean ending stocks view […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Reuters

Smithfield shuts South Dakota pork plant over COVID-19

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 9, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, is temporarily closing a massive plant at Sioux Falls, S.D., the company said Thursday, after more than 80 workers there tested positive for coronavirus. The shutdown is the latest disruption to the U.S. food supply chain from the pandemic and comes as grocery store […] Read more

Columns, Hart Attacks

Perhaps I spoke too soon on the coronavirus

COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world on its head

By Lee Hart April 9, 2020

Well, since I last shared my views on the COVID-19 pandemic a couple weeks ago, I am pleased to report that I was completely wrong, and although I am 100 per cent healthy, the spread of the coronavirus has affected/changed just about every other aspect of my life today and into the foreseeable future. I […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

USDA to probe surging beef prices versus falling cattle prices

Tyson says will co-operate with department's investigation

By GFM Network News April 9, 2020

Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Agriculture Department will investigate why a surge in beef prices because of coronavirus-related hoarding did not translate into higher cattle prices for farmers, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Wednesday. The investigation adds scrutiny on the small group of meat companies such as Tyson Foods and Cargill that dominate […] Read more

ICE May 2020 canola with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

Canola, Crops, Markets

ICE weekly outlook: Canola market floating headline to headline

By Phil Franz-Warkentin, GFM Network News April 9, 2020

MarketsFarm — The ICE Futures canola market moved lower during the week ended Wednesday, but activity was choppy as futures reacted to broad swings in global financial markets. While the looming growing season should be starting to garner some attention, the COVID-19 pandemic “has grabbed all of the headlines and all of the oxygen out […] Read more

Pulse Weekly: Exports down month-to-month

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures surge, hogs up

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn sink to contract lows as large supply weighs

GFM Network News