Grapes Archives | Manitoba Co-operator

Federal program to protect farms, workers from COVID-19 underway

'Highest-risk' farming operations to get priority, Bibeau says

Applications are now open for a federally-administered $35 million emergency on-farm support fund to help limit the impacts of COVID-19 on farms and on-farm workers. Aimed at farm workplaces and employee living quarters, the fund is being managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), but cost-shared with participating producers at a 50-50 level. Money is

Los Angeles County firefighters patrol the front fire lines Friday night from the Bobcat Fire near Juniper Hills, California on Sept. 18, 2020.

Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: As California burns, so does our winter lettuce

Canada has always relied on imported fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter months

By Sylvain Charlebois September 25, 2020

California is on fire. Although most of the fire-affected territory has nothing to do with agriculture, the smoke is so intense that it could damage many crops. As the fall approaches, the California fires could affect our food supply in Canada for the coming months. Like the labour issues affecting farmers this summer domestically, this

Crops, Weather

Charred U.S. west’s ‘wet ashtray’ wine grapes left to birds

By GFM Network News, Karl Plume September 23, 2020

Reuters — Heavy ground smoke clouded Hanson Vineyards in Oregon’s picturesque Willamette Valley for more than a week following a Labour Day windstorm that kicked up wildfires across the western United States. Jason Hanson expects his crews may only harvest five tons of grapes, including his Chardonnay and Gamay varieties, down from the 25 to

Crops, Weather

‘Lightning siege’ sparks wildfires across California wine country

Almost 11,000 strikes reported over 72 hours

By GFM Network News August 20, 2020

Vacaville, California | Reuters — Lightning strikes sparked dozens of wildfires in northern California’s wine country on Wednesday, burning dozens of structures and forcing thousands to flee their homes. California was hit by nearly 11,000 lightning strikes in 72 hours, sparking 367 fires, nearly two dozen of them major, as the state suffered a record

Livestock, Markets

Feds line up projects for surplus food program

NGOs backed to gather, distribute 12 million kg of food

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News August 14, 2020

The federal government has lined up eight projects to source and distribute perishable produce, meat, eggs and seafood piling up across Canada due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the federal pandemic response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in early May that Ottawa would budget $50 million for a food surplus purchase program. The

File photo of 10-pound sacks of potatoes loaded on pallets at a Canadian distribution centre.

Markets

Federal surplus food program now taking applications

Qualified NGOs sought to move, distribute perishables to 'populations in need'

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News June 16, 2020

A federal program to get food to those who need it, using stockpiles of perishables created by the COVID-19-related shutdown of the dining sector, is now taking applications. The $50 million Surplus Food Rescue Program — which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telegraphed in a funding announcement May 5 — will take applications from “organizations addressing

Markets

Tam concerned over alcohol, junk food use during pandemic

By David Ljunggren, GFM Network News June 8, 2020

Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s top health officer on Sunday expressed concern over higher consumption of alcohol and junk food during the coronavirus epidemic, suggesting this could be a sign of worsening mental health. The total number of Canadians killed by the coronavirus edged up by 0.9 per cent to 7,773 from 7,703 on Saturday,

Markets, Weather

Canadian farmland trending less affordable in FCC report

Average values continue rising across board

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News April 6, 2020

The average value of farmland in Canada is continuing to rise faster than farmers’ ability to generate revenue from it, Farm Credit Canada’s latest Farmland Values Report suggests. The report, released Monday, shows the average value of Canadian farmland rose 5.2 per cent in 2019 over 2018, the smallest year-over-year increase since 2010, and down

Crops, Markets

How COVID-19 is upending global food supply chains

Cows fed strawberries in India, watermelons rot in U.S., okra not reaching Canada

By GFM Network News, Naveen Thukral, Nigel Hunt, Rajendra Jadhav April 4, 2020

Satara/Singapore/London | Reuters — In the fertile Satara district in western India, farmers are putting their cattle on an unorthodox diet: Some feed iceberg lettuce to buffalo. Others feed strawberries to cows. It’s not a treat. They can either feed their crops to animals or let them spoil. And other farmers are doing just that

Crops

Distilleries make sanitizers to meet pandemic demand

COVID-19 sparks demand for hygiene products

By GFM Network News March 20, 2020

Toronto | Reuters — Some Canadian distilleries and breweries have started producing hand sanitizers alongside alcoholic drinks as the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus stokes demand for hygiene products. The move comes after Health Canada this week relaxed rules on the sale of hand sanitizers, disinfectants and protective equipment on a temporary basis to

Britain to protect pork pies, whisky with new scheme after EU exit

U.S. livestock: Hog futures fall for third day in a row

Feed weekly outlook: Feedlots booking for winter underpin bids

GFM Network News