Livestock Sector Looks to the Federal Government for Help

Apr 28, 2020

For the past couple of weeks, Canada's livestock sector has been asking Ottawa for help to get through the current crisis with COVID 19.

Many packing plants where livestock producers usually send their animals, are either closed or at reduced shifts because of outbreaks among workers. That's been especially troubling for the pork industry, where hogs need to be shipped to market once they've reached the proper weight.

According to Dennis Laycraft of the CCA, agriculture has been moved to the "top of the list" when it comes to funding priorities for the federal government. The prime minister also hinted at that during one of his daily COVID update on the weekend. The PM said his government is looking at additional ways to support agriculture in the coming days.

If packing plants remain closed for too long, producers could lose hundreds of millions of dollars, and consumer will notice fewer meat choices at their grocery store.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.