COVID having impact on livestock industry
Poll
Government policy
Recent COVID outbreaks at Cargill High River and the Olymel meat packing plant in Red Deer are not yet having a widespread impact on the market, says Chuck MacLean, founder of Porter and MacLean Livestock Management and former chair of Canada Beef and the Alberta Beef Producers, but added to other pressures could lead to even higher consumer prices. Olymel’s recent temporary closure after a major COVID outbreak will hit pork producers, who have been struggling for awhile already, even harder because it will back up product, MacLean says
“I can’t imagine who could afford to produce pork for what they are trying to sell it for,” says MacLean.
COVID having impact on livestock industry
Poll
Yes
By Tim Kalinowski on February 23, 2021.
Canadian Press file photo
Cows and their calves graze in a pasture on a farm near Cremona, Alta. in this file photo.
Recent COVID outbreaks at Cargill High River and the Olymel meat packing plant in Red Deer are not yet having a widespread impact on the market, says Chuck MacLean, founder of Porter and MacLean Livestock Management and former chair of Canada Beef and the Alberta Beef Producers, but added to other pressures could lead to even higher consumer prices. Olymel’s recent temporary closure after a major COVID outbreak will hit pork producers, who have been struggling for awhile already, even harder because it will back up product, MacLean says
Meatpackers union argues Cargill undermined efforts in outbreak
Marcy Nicholson, Bloomberg News VIDEO SIGN OUT
Cargill Inc. is facing accusations at a Canadian hearing that it undermined union leaders trying to protect workers at an Alberta beef plant during one of the industryâs worst Covid-19 outbreaks.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 is making its case as hearings continue this week with the Alberta Labour Relations Board, days after a police investigation into a COVID-19 death of a plant employee last May brought renewed attention to Cargillâs actions during last yearâs outbreak at its High River facility. Hearings with the provincial agency started in the middle of last year.