Saputo plans to close six U.S. plants

 

Saputo Inc. is going to close six plants in the United States and shake up its cheese network.

It will be closing facilities in Lancaster and Green Bay, Wis., in Tulare and South Gate, Calif. Saputo said its plants in Big Stone, South Dakota and Belmont, Wis. have already been closed.

It plans to expand its automated cut-and-wrap facility in Franklin, Wis.

Saputo’s financial report said its U.S. sector priorities include strengthening its innovation pipeline, developing new products, continuing to grow brands and expanding volume “with key customers.”

It also said it experienced a “negative $61 million impact . . . and $15 million of duplicate operational costs” in its U.S. operations.

Its revenues dipped marginally to $17.3 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March and recorded $654 million in profits compared with $755 million the previous year.

It has 18 facilities in Canada and 29 in the U.S.

JBS adding to Alberta beef plant

 

JBS U.S.A., part of the world’s largest meat-packing company, is building an $80-million distribution centre at Brooks, Alta., where it operates Canada’s second-largest beef-packing plant.

Cargill has the largest, also in Alberta, and the third-largest which is at Guelph and has been idled by a three-week strike.

The project will increase shipping capacity by up to 40% per cent, will reduce storage costs, minimize errors and improve worker safety, JBS said.

PED hits Oxford County nursery

 

There has been an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus at a nursery in Oxford County.

U.S. food priices

This week’s government inflation data shows negligible changes in supermarket checkout prices in recent months, while food prices at the wholesale level fell in May for the second straight month.

But that's the U.S., not Canada's supermarket oligopoly.

Calgary man claims his cancer caused by Roundup

A Calgary man who lived on a farm at Carman, Man., has filed a lawsuit saying chemicals he was exposed to resulted in a cancer diagnosis.

Roundup which has glyphosate as its active plant killer is included in the claim filed against Bayer, Monsanto, Corteva and ABC Corp.

The plaintiffs in the case are Kevin Giesbrecht and his common-law spouse, Jennifer McAlpine, who now live in Calgary. According to court documents, Giesbrecht lived on the family farm in Carman from 2002 to 2012 and visited the farm frequently in subsequent years.

Between 2008 and 2022, Giesbrecht’s father had leased a portion of his land for field trials, first to Corteva Agriscience Canada (doing business under Hyland Seeds) in 2008, then to Monsanto (now Bayer) in 2013 and 2020 for field trials.

In December 2023, Giesbrecht was diagnosed with chronic stage 4 follicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

The statement of claim argues that Giesbrecht, who lived within 100 metres of the leased fields, was exposed to chemicals, most notably glyphosate, while on the farm, which ultimately led to his cancer diagnosis.

The statement of claim says that Giesbrecht wasn’t properly informed of the risks of being exposed to those chemicals and alleges that Monsanto was aware that glyphosate was a carcinogen but covered it up.

Soon after Bayer bought out Monsanto, the company paid $9.6 billion, without admission of liability, to settle outstanding glyphosate lawsuits in the United States.

Three farmers to join Kent Agriculture Hall of Fame

 

Stephen Denys of the former Chatham Township, the late Harry Lawson of the former Township of Zone, and the late Keith McLean of Morpeth, Ontario are this years inductees to the Kent Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Denys has been passionate about in crop production, protection, marketing and seed development for more than 50 years.

Lawson worked to change by-laws and regulations to benefit the agricultural community including working towards fair settlements for gas and hydro corridors across agricultural land to avoid.

McLean was an active learner of sustainable farming techniques. He stressed the importance of balancing agricultural land and natural cover and emphasized using windbreaks and cover crops to reduce wind erosion.

The event honouring the three men will take place Tuesday, November 19 at the Hidden Hills Golf and Country Club in Oungah. 

Rabid bat alert issued in Huron-Perth

The Huron Perth Public Health unit is urging people to take precautions to prevent exposure to bats after a Stratford resident was bitten by one that has rabies.

Residents are asked to call public health if there has been contact with a bat.

"If you are bitten or scratched by a bat, or if infectious material (such as saliva) from a bat gets into your eyes, nose, or a wound, wash the affected area thoroughly and seek immediate medical attention,” said Public Health Inspector Patrick Landry.

“If you awaken to find a bat in your room, a child’s room, or the room of another household member, call HPPH.”

Overall, one to three per cent of Ontario's bat population is infected with rabies, which is a viral disease that is fatal to humans.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reports that there were five bats with rabies identified so far this year in Ontario.