Western Canadian Pork Producers Scrambling Following Olymel Closure

Pork producers are scrambling following the temporary closure of one of the largest hog slaughter facilities in the country due to a major COVID-19 outbreak.

 

Tyler Fulton, Director of Risk Management at Hams Marketing Services, commented on the situation at the Olymel Plant in Red Deer, Alberta.

 

"It's early days but it's no doubt a tough blow. When you've got an industry that is set-up really with just-in-time delivery on their live animals, any time a significant plant goes down for an extended period of time, it really makes it difficult to help manage the flows," he said. "We're all hoping that first of all that employees will be healthy and be able to return soon and that the total impact on the industry is limited to hopefully just a few days or at most a few weeks."

 

Olymel has informed all hog suppliers of the Red Deer plant on the situation and has suspended all pending deliveries until further notice.

 

As for the markets, Fulton says they have really taken off over the last two or three weeks.

Video: Planting Corn with Classic Allis-Chalmers Tractors | Full Field Action

Step into the field for a full day of spring fieldwork as this farm plants corn using classic Allis-Chalmers power near Arcanum, Ohio. In this video, the farm is working ground with an Allis-Chalmers 8050 pulling a Salford field cultivator and Brillion Culti-Packer to prepare the seedbed. Right behind, an Allis-Chalmers 7020 handles planting duties with a 12-row White planter, putting this year’s corn crop in the ground. You’ll see a mix of aerial drone footage and ground-level views capturing all the action, along with a voiceover that dives into the history and legacy of these two Allis-Chalmers tractors. It’s a great look at how reliable, older equipment is still getting the job done during spring planting season. If you enjoy classic farm equipment, corn planting, and real-world field action, this one is for you.