Olymel Reopens Red Deer Facility

Mar 05, 2021

Olymel's Red Deer, AB pork processing facility started its gradual reopening on Thursday.

The company has been working with Alberta Health Services and Occupational Health and Safety during the process.

Slaughter operations resumed on Thursday with cutting room operations set to return on Friday

Since the temporary closure, Olymel had been managing the flow of pigs from its own farms in order to facilitate a return to normal when operations resumed.

The Olymel plant was closed in mid-February following a COVID-19 outbreak that has been linked to at least 500 cases since November, and now a fourth death is also related to that outbreak.

The Olymel plant at Red Deer is one of the largest hog slaughter plants in Western Canada.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.