Members of the cattle industry in Alberta say they’re already feeling the trickle-down effects of Cargill Meat Solutions’ decision to scale back operations after staff were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
The plant in High River reduced shifts earlier this week, and in the days since, feedlot operators and producers have been feeling the impacts.
Ryan Kasko, General Manager of Kasko Cattle Ltd., said his lot has been at somewhat of a stand-still. “I can’t send any cattle to slaughter, and so I can’t get any new cattle in,” Kasko said.
His feedlot north of Coaldale, Alta., currently has about 8,000 cattle. He said it costs roughly $3/day to feed each animal. “Now they’ve got the additional cost of feeding these cattle in the meantime,