Another cattle sale is in the books, and even though it was unusual thanks to COVID-19, it is being seen as a success.
“We were actually quite pleased with our weekend,” said Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association member Kim Jo Bliss.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty in the industry right now with packing plants and stuff, so we were somewhat concerned because the effects of all that trickle down. We were a little bit nervous, because we want our producers to do well. But really we felt that we had a pretty decent sale. The truth is farmers always want more, that’s just the way it is, but I think generally most people that we’ve talked to and heard from were actually quite pleased with the results.”
The most recent sale took place this past Saturday, April 25, and while the old way of doing things had to be changed in light of COVID-19 prevention measures, Bliss said a good number of animals went through at decent prices.
“We had 1425 animals we sold,” she said.
“The prices were okay. They were like what we’re seeing in from the West a little bit. Usually it’s higher in Southern Ontario, but it was very similar to the West so they were decent. We’re not setting records or anything like that, but considering…”
Bliss noted she and some of the other producers in the area had noted that a decent winter and spring had led to good quality animals for this sale, with average prices for some animals reaching $245 per pound.
Of course, with physical distancing measures in place from the provincial government in an attempt to flatten the curve of COVID-19 spread, things had to be done differently for the sale, such as limiting those in attendance that day to buyers and staff, but Bliss said the community was largely understanding of the restrictions they implemented.
“Generally speaking everybody did respect it really well and so that was nice,” said Bliss. “It’s difficult, to be honest with you, because there are places in the process that you’re working together. So it is hard, but we felt that we had a good weekend and we had somebody assigned to watch the door, and then she went every half an hour and disinfected the door handles.”
As the cattle sale was deemed an essential business by the province, it is exempt from the number of people that can be working at a time, though the government and the Beef Farmers of Ontario still recommended that every reasonable precaution be taken to limit interactions and observe best practices to stop the spread of COVID-19. Bliss noted that farmers in the area are lucky that they were deemed essential, and know that rules have to be followed to keep it that way.
“We’re continuing on with our business, though somewhat difficult. If we don’t follow the rules, we won’t be there this fall and it’s really important for our district, our farmers, to have that option in the fall. So we took it seriously. I think that we did a decent job. It was different, there’s no doubt about it, but I think it went well.”
While business has continued on mostly as normal, Bliss said that disruptions that do occur can sometimes come from unexpected places.
“There’s been some disruption, but generally speaking it’s business as usual,” she explained.
“I think the challenge for all of us is calling ahead. Like calling to make sure we can pick up something, because we just generally go to town and get what we need and go home. I think there’s some challenges with that, but the cattle and everything else continues on. They don’t have a clue that the world has slowed down right now. So that part is good.”
Bliss also noted that the Cattlemen’s Association is expecting to hear back soon in regards to funding for rebuilding parts of the sales barn that were damaged in a fire that occurred in Sept. 2019.
Overall, in spite of some difficulties due to the pandemic, Bliss said she’s encouraged by the support for local farmers she’s seen in the district.
“A lot of people are supporting local, looking for meat and stuff like that, and that is appreciated,” she said.
“I hope if anything comes out of this situation, I really hope that we do appreciate all that we can produce, not just in Canada but right here in Rainy River. We are able to feed a lot of people with what we have in our own district, provided the abattoir stays running. I hope everybody stays safe, but I also hope that we learn from this as well.”
