Grocery supply chain will directly impact availability and price of food in coming months: food professor
Getting products to market is a global effort, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and seasonal factors, food delivery in the Maritimes is experiencing some delays.
Professor Sylvain Charlebois conducts research in the area of food distribution. He has been closely watching the grocery supply chain in the Maritimes.
“I have seen some pictures from Halifax and they are not pretty,” said Charlebois.
According to Charlebois, food vendors are now sending cautionary letters to all major grocery stores.
“Like Loblaws and Sobeys, telling them that they won't be able to fulfill all orders," he said.
Charlebois expects a direct impact on the availability and price of food, especially produce, over the next three months.
“They are actually discouraging any promotions,” said Charlebois.
Several factors continue to cause breaks in the supply chain, including the requirement that all truckers entering Canada from the United States show proof of vaccination.
Jim Cormier, from the Retail Council of Canada, says the government was asked to delay the vaccine mandate.
“One thing that we asked, along with other business associations across the country, was a longer runway from saying when this was going to happen until when it is enforced, to allow us to get to through some of these winter months,” said Cormier.
Blasts of winter weather have also disrupted deliveries.
“That's one that happens with or without a pandemic,” said Cormier.
In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for Loblaws said the company has faced some delays, but “overall, our stores in Nova Scotia are managing inventory quite effectively. We do not have any substantive shortages or inventory issues."
As for the impact on local restaurants, the manager of Durty Nelly’s, a Halifax pub, says their business is getting enough of what it needs and they will make do with what they can get.
“It's a random issue of different stuff week on week,” says Eugene McCabe.
On the other hand, the owner of The Wooden Monkey, a restaurant with locations in Halifax and Dartmouth, says her reliance on local products has been a difference maker so far.
On top of everything else, Charlebois is closely examining grocery store staff shortages caused by the Omicron variant.
“I am actually expecting some stores in the Atlantic region to close temporarily,” said Charlebois.
A possible move that would further impact the availability and price of food.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.