Year Of Volatility For Dairy Farmers

Dec 30, 2020

Dairy Farmers of Canada says 2020 was a year of volatility.

Vice President David Wiens made the comments during his year-end interview.

"It started off back in March, when they first started to close things down," he said. "When that happened, there was this immediate spike in demand, especially for fluid milk right then, and then a couple of weeks later, the demand started to go down and as we learnt, a bit later, was because the food service industry was shutting down as well, particularly restaurants and hotels."

Wiens says demand for dairy picked up later in the year.

"Over the summer and into fall now we've seen a steady increase in demand. It's been a year of volatility for us, especially earlier on. Back in spring we reduced production very quickly to match the demand and since then we have been increasing our production and of course that all takes a while because with cows, when you reduce production, you can not just immediately, on the spur of the moment, go back to where you were."

Click here to see more...

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.