Agriculture
Olymel temporarily closes due to COVID-19
This is a news release from Olymel L.P.
Olymel announces the temporary closing of its Red Deer plant
Olymel management is announcing the temporary closing of its hog slaughtering, cutting and deboning plant in Red Deer, Alberta. Despite the testing protocols and sanitary measures already in place, as well as the close collaboration of Alberta Health Services to deal with a resurgence of positive cases of Covid-19 among plant employees, Olymel management believes that the conditions are no longer assembled to continue normal operations in a safe and efficient manner.
After notifying the union, Olymel management drew up an orderly temporary closing plan for an indefinite period. Over the next few days, plant management will mobilize the staff necessary to cease operations and complete the facility closure as soon as possible. The sanitary measures will continue to be in effect at the plant during the shutdown and Olymel management will be in contact with officials at Alberta Health Services to continue working closely with this organization.
Olymel sincerely hopes that all employees at the Red Deer plant who have tested positive for Covid-19 soon regain their health. The company will follow up with all employees to ensure their quarantine period is being respected and will strongly encourage all staff to get tested before returning to work. Olymel will also continue ongoing investigations to determine what may have caused such a large outbreak of Covid-19 cases since January 20.
Olymel management has also informed all hog suppliers of the Red Deer plant of the situation and has suspended all pending deliveries until further notice.
Statistics Canada says fewer fresh fruits and vegetables were available to Canadians in 2022, due to factors such as ongoing supply chain issues, labour shortages and price increases. Assorted fruit is shown at a market in Montreal on Thursday, June 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Statistics Canada says fewer fresh fruits and vegetables were available to Canadians in 2022, due to factors such as ongoing supply chain issues, labour shortages and price increases.
StatCan says the amount of available fresh fruit declined by more than five per cent in 2022 from the previous year, to 72.9 kilograms per person.
Even though there was a 12.7 per cent increase in domestic fruit production, it was not enough to keep up with an increase in exports and a decrease in imports, the agency says in a report released today.
The availability of fresh vegetables — excluding potatoes — was 64.7 kilograms per person in 2022, a decrease of nearly six per cent from 2021.
Just like with fruits, Canada’s vegetable production increases in 2022 were not enough to keep up with a rise in exports and a drop in imports, StatCan says.
The agency says some Canadian food industry sectors experienced record production in 2022, but also exported more food internationally than the previous year.
It says the entire industry was affected by pandemic-related supply chain issues, such as shipping delays and shortages of labour and products.
StatCan also cites price increases as one of the factors. Extreme weather, the war in Ukraine and energy costs severely impacted global food prices last year.
Food inflation was stubbornly high in Canada in 2022, outpacing overall inflation. Grocery prices were up 9.8 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021, the fastest pace since 1981.
StatCan’s latest report says the amount of milk available to Canadians also decreased by nearly four per cent in 2022, compared to the previous year.
StatCan says that was mainly caused by a drop in production of one per cent milk and two per cent milk.
In contrast, red meat availability increased by 4.3 per cent in 2022, led by beef as cattle slaughter increased from the previous year. The amount of poultry available to Canadians increased by 1.5 per cent.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2023.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser arrives to a cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Fraser says the government will expand a pilot project to attract more temporary foreign workers to accept jobs in Canada’s agricultural industry for another two years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Ottawa
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the government will expand a pilot project to attract more temporary foreign workers to jobs in Canada’s agricultural industry for another two years.
The government launched the program three years ago to offer temporary workers in the agriculture and food sector a pathway to permanent residency in Canada.
It was due to end later this month but Fraser says it’s going to continue until 2025.
He says the pilot experienced some challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government wants more time to test it out.
The minister also says the family members of workers who make it into the program will be given open work permits so they can earn a living while they’re in Canada.
The agricultural sector is struggling with labour shortages, and the minister says if they’re not addressed it could hurt Canada’s food security.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2023.
My Official Apology to the New York Post
Canada saw decline in fresh fruit, vegetable availability in 2022: StatCan
Notre Dame’s fire-ravaged roof rebuilt using medieval techniques
Court of Appeal overturns ruling directing Ottawa to help repatriate men in Syria
-
International2 days ago
Notre Dame’s fire-ravaged roof rebuilt using medieval techniques
-
Business2 days agoVirgin Galactic completes final test flight before launching paying customers to space
-
Disaster2 days agoIndia train crash kills over 280, injures 900 in one of nation’s worst rail disasters
-
International2 days ago‘I will not bend’: MP Jenny Kwan says she won’t allow China to erase history
-
International16 hours agoVigilantes in Haiti strike back at gangsters with brutal street justice
-
Crime2 days agoMinister ‘shocked’ at reports of Paul Bernardo being moved to medium-security prison
-
International2 days agoFirst-of-its-kind Mars livestream by ESA spacecraft interrupted at times by rain on Earth
-
Alberta17 hours agoSaskatchewan landowners fight against illegal drainage washing out land, roads