Farms.com Home   News

COVID-19 and the Agri-Food Market

One of Canada's leading food expert says the recent drop in oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, will affect the entire agri-food market.

Sylvain Charlebois, a professor of food policy at Dalhousie says the turmoil is already hurting grains and livestock.

He says the Canadian dollar, which is being pounded by the markets remains the wild card. I spoke with the professor this week.

"These are interesting times. We have actually never seen an event affecting demand like the virus right now forcing people to stay home and not spend as much on food. On the supply side, Saudi Arabia has made things interesting by starting an oil price war, which has made oil cheaper around the world. Transportation is getting cheaper which is going to help when it comes to logistics."

"Right now, everything is on the table. It is hard to predict at this point, but I am convinced that supply chains remain resilient. If you look at China, for example, they are already showing signs that things are getting back to normal. They did contain this outbreak quite rapidly."

"I think that the biggest concern around the world is the United States of America. I'm not convinced that people believe that the Americans can be responsibly trying to understand this outbreak, up until Trump's address. You can see the markets aren't reassured at all. Until we know exactly what we are dealing with, it is going to be tough. I think everyone is hoping for a vaccine, and until that happens, there will be a lot of uncertainty."

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Better Farming Ontario - Proudly Serving the World's Best Farmers for Over 25 Years

Video: Better Farming Ontario - Proudly Serving the World's Best Farmers for Over 25 Years


For over 25 years, Ontario Federation of Agriculture members have trusted Better Farming as a source for information to help them farm profitably, with insights and best practices for cash cropping, soil health, pest and weed control, livestock, and farm business management.

Watch this video to learn more about Better Farming and its relationship with producers across Ontario.

Message from Better Farming:

To our OFA farming readers, thank you for your time and your trust, for 25 years now. We look forward to continuing the journey with you.