Well it’s started here in oz

[WiltonRanch]

First time I’ve ever saw it local Safeway was stuck with a bunch of milk with limited shelf life like 2 days. Dropped the price to $1 a gallon. Many flapper pies were made and consumed in our respective households. Supply chain must’ve been off kilter cause this stuff was April 8 and next batch was April 24.

[GDR]

If what you say ha to has merit,then why is milk still limited in store my grandson has to go daily for milk which puts him and his family at more risk from exposure to covid . From what I understand is if they ship they have to be paid the regulated rate,so they have to dump instead of giving a break on price (they are protecting their price) but in a time of crisis why cant they relax the restrictions put on by the marketing boards.

I agree it is wasteful, and also think the limits at the store are frustrating, and agree the more trips to the store put more people in danger. But that does not change the issue they are dealing with. Fluid milk needs to be pasteurized, separated and bottled to be sold, if the plants are working to capacity, what more can they do?

Farmaholic, it's not the same as a farmer dumping grain, not even close. Unpasteurized milk has a shelf life of a couple days, if you want a comparison to grain, maybe done 30% moisture grain in the wet bin in 28 degree August weather and your dryer is broken, that might be close.

Agree it would be great to supply the food banks, but again needs to be pasteurized and bottled, cant just dump 30,000 litres from a milk truck in the warehouse.

And for those who say it doesn't need pasturizing, maybe not but it's the law, and between short shelf life and upset stomachs not used to it, would be a disaster. (I grew up on unpasteurized milk)

Bottom line, dont blame the farmer, they are your peers, no different than when the media talks about price spikes in bread or meat, is that your fault?

[bucket]

Compare it to a grain farmer taking perfectly good grain and dumping it into a slough or creek. It hardly makes sense to me either. Giving it away would be better than dumping, processing existed for all the milk in the first place. I understand where the demand dried up but I bet no one has stopped eating yet. Food banks are in need.

Grain farmers are not subsidized or protected like dairy farmers...

I would have no problem with some getting the subsidies in this time if they were making an effort to help others....

The dairy subsidy and the CERB all come from the same pocket....at least keep the people fed...

Eggs being destroyed....fields of vegetables worked under....milk dumped....these are industries protected or helped with government involvement....and yet have zero obligation to help...

If they are dumping milk does it really have to cost 6 bucks for 4 liters??????

[farming101]

I dont know why I am always defending supply management here?? But it's not the Dairy farmers that are wanting to dump their milk. Their is a lack of processing capacity because the usage has changed mainly because of the closing of restaurants. Would it be better for the processor to take it and then they dump it?

Thank you GDR for your comments that are very informative.
Could you comment on the sentence above that I have bolded? Why is there a lack of capacity when prior to the restrictions I would think all the milk was being processed?
Why has the restaurant closing problem impacted the ability to process milk? Is it a distribution issue? Incompatible containers? Just trying to understand.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Thank you GDR for your comments that are very informative.
Could you comment on the sentence above that I have bolded? Why is there a lack of capacity when prior to the restrictions I would think all the milk was being processed?
Why has the restaurant closing problem impacted the ability to process milk? Is it a distribution issue? Incompatible containers? Just trying to understand.

Not certain in this case, but with toilet paper, and vegetables etc. it is that many processors are set up to cater strictly to the commercial/restaurant/wholesale business. Not set up or even approved for the retail market, takes time to switch over production lines, and get all the appropriate approvals.

Supposedly that was the entire shortage of toilet paper, the fact that everyone who used to spend 40+ hours per week at work, plus at restaurants, gyms, malls etc, suddenly started doing their business at home instead, and needing to buy much more TP. while the industrial grade sand paper stuff was unused.

[GDR]

Thank you GDR for your comments that are very informative.
Could you comment on the sentence above that I have bolded? Why is there a lack of capacity when prior to the restrictions I would think all the milk was being processed?
Why has the restaurant closing problem impacted the ability to process milk? Is it a distribution issue? Incompatible containers? Just trying to understand.

Everyone thinks of milk as milk but like anything else there are countless products made, likely more than I know of. Restaurants use huge amounts of cheese (think about just pizza), whipping cream, powdered milk and butter. Yes we use them at home, but not to the same extent. Then think about single serving packaging, how many are not needed for school lunches, work lunches, convenience stores, fast food restaurants etc. And yes supply change and packaging, if you have a food service company that supply's restaurants with 25lb cheese blocks, or milk in crates etc your machines are set up to do that, not fill 4l jugs for Safeway, not to mention Safeway likely wouldnt let you on the shelf. Those same machines for filling 250ml containers dont just switch to 4l jugs.

Perhaps even location of usage may have changed. Like the other thread talking about shopping local. Also where I live lots of people commute to Calgart for work, that are now keeping the couch from flying away. They aren't eating in calgary or buying groceries on their way out of the city.

No industry builds excessive processing capacity, if end use changes they will adapt but its unrealistic to think they will change overnight without wastage of a perishable product.

[farming101]

GDR thanks. Hopefully there can be provision made so that anyone who needs milk can get it somehow and in the quantities they want.

This is about milk but could apply to anything that is in demand by the consumer. If there is a shortage then you have pricing problems and inflation. Essential goods and services must be available, accessible and affordable for everyone

Getting back to Mallee's original post I don't think a court is going to hear a claim of negligence just because someone caught a virus in the workplace. If it is claimed that there was willful and blatant disregard for worker safety depending on the nature of the workplace, I suppose they might have a case.

[Sodbuster]

There in no reason that we should be dumping milk, processors should be running at full capacity and if that’s not enough add another shift. The government is already subsidizing the milk industry, so have the processors donate all excess production to food banks, shelters, soup kitchens or whatever worth establishments.

Sorry guys I’m a bit off the subject, probably should of posted in a different thread.

[GDR]

So I was thinking about my own question of why I am always defending supply management on here. Same answer as disagreeing with DML on oil overproduction. As self employed farmers we are all opinionated, makes sense, that just doesn't make us right all the time.
So maybe we need to have faith that other businesses know how to run their business better than an outsider.

If your cousin Fred tells you that you should be harvesting because the sun is out even though its rained the last 4 days. Is that good advice for your business? Or if we give Woodland advice on his cows that he should only raise "steak cows" instead of ones that produce burger or stew meat, does that help?

Sometimes we just dont know what we think we do.

[dmlfarmer]

Back to original post. Walmart is being sued in Illinois for wrongful death when a stocker in a Chicago store died. Reports say: "The family of one Walmart employee near Chicago who died from COVID-19 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the retailer. The suit (2020-L-003938) filed April 6 in Cook County, Ill., alleges Walmart knew about the man’s symptoms and disregarded them.
Wando Evans worked for Walmart for 15 years and died shortly after being sent home on March 23. The lawsuit said Evans, 51, worked as an overnight stocker and maintenance person and told his managers he had symptoms of COVID-19 but was not taken seriously. The suit claims Walmart was negligent because the store was not properly cleaned, nor was it practicing social distancing nor provide protective equipment to employees and didn’t tell other store employees when co-workers became symptomatic. Evans was one of two employees from the Evergreen Park store to die from COVID-19 exposure."

There is another lawsuit filed in Washington State by workers at the Seattle Nursing home that had deaths.

Fox News is preparing for potential lawsuits on their downplaying of the virus and calling it a hoax.

At least one chain store deemed an essential service is planning to close its doors and will only supply essential goods by phone order to limit risk to instore employees and potential lawsuits that could arise due to an employee contracting Covid-19

[GDR]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cargill-meat-plant-union-covid-19-1.5530836

Here we go! Not sure how stupid some of these union bosses can be, maybe, just maybe some of those people might be happy to still have a job.

Look out below for beef prices if Cargill shuts down.

[dmlfarmer]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cargill-meat-plant-union-covid-19-1.5530836

Here we go! Not sure how stupid some of these union bosses can be, maybe, just maybe some of those people might be happy to still have a job.

Look out below for beef prices if Cargill shuts down.

It is not just union bosses responsible. Anyone who loses a family member is a potential client for tort lawyers. Just look at the advertising some law firms including Canadian firms are doing seeking injured individuals from glyphosate. Covid-19 will make glyphosate suits look penny ante if such suits are allowed to proceed.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Seems like as good a time as any to put the new extraordinary powers our government gave themselves to use for good instead of evil. Use them to shut down the unions and ban them in perpetuity.

Wishful thinking, I know.

[Oliver88]

Seems like as good a time as any to put the new extraordinary powers our government gave themselves to use for good instead of evil. Use them to shut down the unions and ban them in perpetuity.

Wishful thinking, I know.

During this pandemic does the RCMP have the authority to arrest thugs blockading railways?
How about unifor blocking entrances on Coops property?

[Guest]

Here in Saskatchewan a nurse travelling to remote native reserves apparently was infected before going there and has spread the disease there.
Reserves are apparently suing the government now.
Your example and this one Could be a real mess unless there are laws protecting the health system and businesses from this kind of thing.

But aside from that if true why in the world wasn’t that nurse tested prior to going there?

And if they can sue In these cases aren’t all governments liable since it’s evident now that about Jan 3 Canada and USA were aware there was a problem?

Unbelievable
The rest of the country appreciates what nurses have done and these ungrateful assholes sue ?
If this is true , Not one nurse should ever go there again
Just amazing how low , low lifes can go
They need to be told to shove this lawsuit right up their ungrateful arses and to look after their own interests from now on
The sad thing is that it wont be the people that live there , it will be another money grabbing trough feeding leader doing it