Sobeys sales, profits decline

While sales are still up significantly compared to before the pandemic, Empire reported that its fourth-quarter sales decreased  by 1.3 per cent, to $6.9-billion. 

Net earnings declined from $177.8 to $171.9 million.

“Consumer behaviour has begun to stabilize,” Empire said.

Empire owns Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo and others.

While overall sales declined only slightly, same-store sales dropped by 6.1 per cent over the 13 weeks ended May 1. Same-store sales is an important industry measure that eliminates changes from adding or closing stores.

The company increased its quarterly dividend paid to shareholders by 15.3 per cent, to 15 cents per share.

Turkey board, processors resume talks

The Ontario Association of Turkey Processors and the Turkey Farmers of Ontario marketing board have resumed negotiations.

They were scheduled to participate in an Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal hearing this week, but at the last minute it was adjourned so negotiations could continue.

No more details have been made available – eg. If the appeal is over prices or production volumes.

Mexico bans Smithfield pork

Mexico has banned pork from Smithfield’s plant at Tar Heel, North Carolina, the largest hog-slaughtering plant in the world.

Pork exports to Mexico have increased by 58 per cent this year, more than offsetting a decline in United States exports to China.

Mexico cited concerns with skins on the hogs from Smithfield.

Smithfield is owned by WH Group of China.

Trade talks open with Indonesia

Canada and Indonesia have agreed to open trade talks.

Canadian beef Halal-standard meat packers hope to gain better access and Cereals Canada said a deal could expand on existing sales.

Canadians “expressed a high level of support for a possible Canada-Indonesia CEPA” during public consultations earlier this year, the government said in a news release.

Supply-managed sectors expressed support for a deal, so long as the federal Liberals uphold a commitment to not provide any more market-access to supply managed goods.

Across the board, there is broad support for Canada to pursue a bilateral deal with Indonesia at the same time it seeks a broader pact with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is headquartered in Indonesia.

Canada and the ASEAN group held two rounds of exploratory talks, in 2018 and 2019, toward a possible trade pact. Four ASEAN nations — Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei — are already parties to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade pact with Canada.

By itself, Indonesia is “one of the top destinations for Canadian cereal crops and a gateway into the rapidly growing Asia Pacific region,” said Dean Dias, CEO of Cereals Canada.

Indonesia, he said, “is a major market and source of growth, especially for Canadian wheat exports. Consumers there buy 11 per cent of Canada’s wheat exports to the world, bringing over $600 million in value on average to Canadian farmers and exporters each year.”

Cereals Canada, he said, expects the CEPA negotiations to “strengthen 

the stability of market access over the long-term.”

CFIA lays charges against Ryding-Regency

Ryding-Regency, its related companies and executives are to appear in court in Toronto on Aug. 10 to face three charges laid by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The CFIA said on its website today that:

“As a result of an investigation by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), charges were laid on June 10, 2021 against Ryding-Regency Meat Packers Ltd., Beef Boutique Ltd., Canadian Select Meat Inc., and Anthony Petronaci, Ellen Cosman, and Chuck Oulton of Toronto, Ontario for the following alleged offences:

1.   Section 15 of the Safe Food for Canadians Act: provided to an Inspector of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency false or misleading information and/or statements.

2.   Section 82(2) of the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations: failure by the operator to immediately notify the Minister and take immediate action to mitigate the risk after establishing that food presents a risk of injury to human health.

3.   Section 4(1)(a) of the Food and Drugs Act: selling an article of food that had in or on it any poisonous or harmful substance.”

Ryding-Regency remained closed after the CFIA suspended its licence in 2019, leaving Ontario’s beef industry short of slaughter capacity. 

In March, beef farmer Eugene Burgin, of Eusi Farms at Forest, took over the plant and renamed it TruHarvest Meats. 

 

Potato board regs amended

The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission has approved changes to the Ontario Potato Board regulations to:

·       change the name of the "soups and stews" negotiating agency to the "frozen products" negotiating agency;

·       provide processing potato negotiating agencies with the ability to decide whether to appoint an observer to witness negotiation, and to

·       remove outdated references to the Farm Products Grades and Sales Act and the Canada Agricultural Products Act (Canada).

 

Chicken farmers honour frontline workers

Chicken Farmers of Ontario is inviting its members and federal, provincial and municipal elected officials to nominate frontline heroes from their communities.

The winner will be drawn at random and will get a free chicken dinner and the opportunity to direct a donation to a foodbank or charity from the marketing board’s CFO Cares Program.

Nominations will close on July 23, 2021. Winners will be selected by random draw in late July.