The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) has put a number on the emergency fund it wants the federal government to provide for the agriculture and food industry: $2.6 billion. CFA says this amount is based on estimates of the immediate impacts of COVID-19 provided by agricultural commodity groups across the country. The emergency fund is... Read More
Category: Farm Management
As we enter the second month of physical distancing and economic shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, discussions have begun on easing restrictions and potentially allowing some people to get back to work. But we don't know how long that might take, or when it will happen, or what the economic recovery will look like... Read More
I've been thinking a lot lately, as I'm sure you all have been. We're in a quarantine that doesn't have a definite end. And if you're an over-thinker like me, join the club — you're not alone. There's a lot of great advice out there. You could dig for eons on Google reading articles about... Read More
What happens if you, someone else on the farm, or one of your employees gets sick or must self-isolate during the spring planting or calving season? It's a scenario every farm should prepare for in the midst of the current pandemic, says Jennifer Wright. A cough or a runny nose is usually not an excuse... Read More
Beef Farmers of Ontario, Grain Farmers of Ontario, Veal Farmers of Ontario, and the Ontario Sheep Farmers are collectively asking Ontario's Premier and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to immediately move to fully fund the Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing over 50,000 Ontario farmers, the groups say... Read More
The governments of Canada and Manitoba will be providing a total of $160,000 through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to Direct Farm Manitoba to purchase a software platform that will allow Manitobans to order food online from local producers and farmers’ markets, the province says. The funding will also go toward the development of a network... Read More
As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, people are trying to compare this situation to what's happened in the past. From a health perspective, there are parallels to the 1918 Spanish Flu; but from an economic standpoint, many are bringing up the early eighties and even the Great Depression of the '30s. My grandfathers lived through... Read More
Meat coolers are going to look a lot different as we navigate COVID-19, but according to the Canadian Meat Council, each step of the livestock processing chain is collaborating, communicating, and committed to keeping food moving to grocery stores. Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, says the livestock processing sector is... Read More
COVID-19 has been an unprecedented situation. People throughout all sectors are going through a lot with their businesses, and it has shed new light on the word "risk" and risk management. When farmers are doing their strategic risk analysis for the year, and they get to the threat portion, a global pandemic wasn't exactly something... 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