Canada now holds negligible risk status for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), delegates to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) general session decided May 27. The shift to the lowest level of risk for transmission of BSE makes Canada eligible for expanded access to foreign markets for more beef products, previously limited by BSE-era restrictions. …
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BC abattoir volume up 30% in 2020
FALKLAND – The impact of COVID-19 on the BC meat sector was a key theme during the annual meeting of the BC Association of Abattoirs on May 15. “Unprecedented” was how president Bonnie Windsor described the impact in her address. “Facing the increased demand proved challenging, but for the most part I think it was …
Supply management crucial to BC
COVID-19 hit BC hatching egg producers hard as the disease roiled demand for broilers, forcing them to anticipate where demand might lie months in the future. While fully grown broilers can be processed and their meat frozen when demand shifts, hatching eggs can’t be shelved if they’re not wanted. Indeed, the BC Broiler Hatching Egg …
Sunrise Poultry COVID outbreak
Sunrise Poultry in Surrey was well aware of the risk COVID-19 posed its workers and community prior to Fraser Health declaring an outbreak at its plant last week. “COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country and the risk remains,” it stated in a post to its website updating the community on steps it was …
Canada holds off Asian giant hornet restrictions
ABBOTSFORD – Canada has yet to follow the lead of Washington State and move to declare Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) a quarantine pest. On April 7, Washington officials filed for all species in the genus Vespa to be placed on the list of quarantined pests for the state. The hornets were first reported in …
Farmer-chef connections still paying off
FORT STEELE – The province’s showcase of local food producers has been on hold during the pandemic, but the first two Every Chef Needs a Farmer, Every Farmer Needs a Chef events continue to repay attendees. Held in 2018 and 2019, the conferences attracted a total of 500 farmers, chefs and food service professionals from …