Co-operation with local health units and vigilance with on-site safety measures are critical to prevent further spread of the virus among workers on farms By: Jackie Clark Despite guidelines put in place by Health Canada and local public health units, and efforts made by farmers and business owners, many migrant workers across the province of Ontario have contracted COVID-19. 18 … Read More

School and childcare closures present challenges, but also give kids the opportunity to help out more on the farm By Jackie Clark As part of the provincial government’s strategy to decrease the spread of COVID-19 throughout the province, public schools and large childcare centres are closed to students until at least May 4, and private schools and daycares until at least … Read More

By: Richard Gray Installing wireless sensors among crops and attaching ‘smart’ ear tags to livestock could help farmers produce more food with less impact on the environment. The bounty of food we can find on supermarket shelves across Europe is the result of knowledge accumulated over thousands of years by generations of farmers. But with the global human population likely … Read More

Federal and provincial agricultural and commodity organizations send a clear message that the aid announced falls short of what is needed to help the ag industry through COVID-19 By: Jackie Clarke Canadian and provincial producer and commodity groups have responded with messages of gratitude, but also disappointment, to the federal government’s $252-million package to help the ag industry through COVID-19 … Read More

By: Craig Klemmer Over the next several weeks, FCC Ag Economics will help you understand the rapidly evolving business environment due to COVID-19. We’re updating our 2020 Grains, Oilseeds, and Pulse Outlook to reflect changes in the operating environment. Profitability is expected to remain tight in 2020 for grain, oilseed and pulse producers. Price volatility has surged through the first three months … Read More

By: Sam Juric The Canadian Federation of Agriculture is calling on the federal government to give more support to the industry during COVID-19. The federation’s president, Islander Mary Robinson who also runs a farm in Albany, P.E.I., says several commodities have been impacted by a drop in demand as a result of restaurants closing in response to the pandemic. Robinson said the federal … Read More

Safeguarding the food system needs to be the highest priority after health care, CFA president said By Jackie Clark Canadian farmers need financial support from the government to ensure the domestic food system remains fully functional, Mary Robinson, Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) president said yesterday at the CFA’s first online press conference. “As farmers, we have carefully considered this message … Read More

By Jackie Clark Travel restrictions introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic have delayed or prevented some temporary foreign workers who would typically provide essential seasonal labour on Ontario farms from being able to arrive in time for spring. Additionally, the closure of non-essential businesses and workplaces has left many Ontarians out of work. To help provide a potential solution for labour shortages … Read More

By: Matt McIntosh During these days of social distancing and other pandemic-suppressing measures, farmers and agribusiness professionals are asking who should be granted access to the farm and facilities and looking at how to manage access. Understand how the virus spreads Ayoob Ghalami is a senior biosafety officer for the Research Oversight and Compliance Office at the University of Toronto, … Read More

By Peggy Brekveld, Vice President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture We’re all living in a new reality as the changes and challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to play out. Last week, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) checked in with our members to find out how they expect this pandemic will impact their farm businesses. Already, 74% of … Read More