By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Friday June 26, 2020

Jun 26, 2020 | 9:48 AM

Canada’s main beef-packing plants are returning to normal operations after COVID-19 outbreaks in the spring but there is still a glut of cattle to be processed.

The outbreaks caused closures and slowdowns at beef-processing plants in Alberta.

Hardest hit were the Cargill plant at High River, which shut down for two full weeks before reopening to reduced capacity, and the JBS Canada plant at Brooks, which operated with just a single shift a day for a full month.

Together the two plants process about 70 per cent of Canada’s beef.

Cargill said its facility is now operating at 95 per cent capacity and should be back to normal next week.

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JBS said its plant is now fully operational.

Dennis Laycraft with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association said it’s welcome news but it will take months to reduce a backlog of about 130,000 cattle caused by the pandemic closures and slowdowns.

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CN Rail said it will spend $305 million on rail projects in Alberta this year.

Work will include construction of double tracks to allow more trains to pass on CN’s mainline.

The maintenance program will focus on the replacement of rail and ties, as well as maintenance work on level crossings, bridges, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.

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The British Columbia government said it is moving to protect residents and seasonal workers from COVID-19 while ensuring the temporary labourers have a safe place to stay as they work in orchards and fields this summer.

A statement from the Ministry of Agriculture said it is providing funds to local governments to create designated campsite accommodations.

The sites would meet health and safety requirements set by the provincial health officer to slow the spread of COVID-19.

One campsite is planned for the Oliver area in the southern Okanagan and two more are slated for Creston in southeastern B.C., with the province providing about $60,000 for each site.

The ministry says seasonal workers must also complete a new online COVID-19 awareness course outlining the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers to meet B.C.’s pandemic-related rules.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF