File photo of piglets grazing in a U.K. pasture. (Grandbrothers/iStock/Getty Images)

Britain facing mass cull of pigs due to butcher shortage

London | Reuters — Britain’s farming industry has warned that hundreds of thousands of pigs may have to be culled within weeks unless the government issues visas to allow more butchers into the country. An acute shortage of butchers and slaughterers in the meat processing industry has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and Britain’s post-Brexit immigration

The Garden City container terminal at Savannah is operated by Ports America on behalf of the Georgia Ports Authority. (Photo courtesy Georgia Ports Authority)

Canada’s CPPIB to buy major U.S. port terminal operator

Canada Pension Plan's play furthers its infrastructure push

Reuters — Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) said on Wednesday it had agreed to buy Ports America, one of the largest marine terminal operators in the U.S., from investment firm Oaktree Capital Management. While no valuation was given in the announcement, the deal values Ports America at over US$4 billion, according to two sources


A recent survey estimated that about 60 per cent of Canadians have used QR codes at a restaurant or in a grocery store in the last month.

Comment: The rise of the QR code

They’ve been around awhile now, but the pandemic has given them a new prominence

QR codes have been in our lives for a very long time. Before the pandemic, we used them a few times a year on average, tops. Now, most Canadians will use a QR code almost every week, and in some cases, daily. Implications for the food industry can be significant. Once deemed a clever tool

Antonio Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, virtually addresses a pre-summit event. (Video screengrab via UN.org)

U.N. looks for recipe to tackle global food dysfunction

Reuters — Billions of people are overweight, millions are hungry, one third of food is wasted and the way the world produces, processes and consumes food generates one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said on Thursday at the first global summit on the future of food. The aim of the summit is



Biden administration plans tougher action to rein in meat prices

Biden administration plans tougher action to rein in meat prices

U.S. plans to funnel money towards smaller meat producers and workers

Reuters – The Biden administration plans to take a tougher stance toward meat-packing companies it says are causing sticker shock at grocery stores. Four companies control much of the U.S. meat-processing market, and top aides to President Joe Biden blamed those companies for rising food prices in a blog on Sept. 8. As part of a set


The pandemic taught us many lessons in the animal health field

The pandemic taught us many lessons in the animal health field

Beef 911: The supply chain stayed strong and co-operation made it stronger, and that’s very important

The direct contact between veterinarians and producers and pharmaceutical reps and technical services veterinarians has begun to open up again. Each pharmaceutical company had different restrictions on travel and rules on in-person contact and, of course, are fully abiding by the local health rules of the different provinces. The good news is that during the pandemic, the manufacturing and

Many restaurant operators have next to no cushion to increase wages.

Comment: Labour issues in food industry nothing new

Our labour market has been broken for years — the pandemic and recovery are just revealing it

“We’re hiring” signs are simply everywhere. Some blame overly generous employment insurance programs which are keeping many highly capable individuals in their homes. Others will point to the younger generation not willing to work or are blaming the virus itself, because people are in fear of it. Rumours of agism have also emerged to explain


Parking lot signage outside an advance polling station in Winnipeg’s Tuxedo Industrial area on Sept. 12, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

Federal agriculture minister leading on election night

CPC, NDP ag critics prevail; BQ critic in tight race

Canada’s incumbent agriculture minister was among the MPs expected to hold onto their seats in Monday’s snap federal election, in which Justin Trudeau’s Liberals return with a second minority government. As of Tuesday morning just after midnight CT, Marie-Claude Bibeau was leading in her Sherbrooke, Que.-area riding of Compton-Stanstead by a spread of over 3,300

A view near the Canadian end of the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Windsor and Detroit and is considered one of North America’s busiest trade routes. (Steven_Kriemadis/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. extends travel restrictions at Canada, Mexico borders

Washington | Reuters — The United States on Monday extended restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico through Oct. 21 that bar nonessential travel such as tourism by foreigners despite Ottawa’s decision to open its border to vaccinated Americans. Canada on Aug. 9 began allowing fully vaccinated U.S. visitors for nonessential travel. The