Farmers registered with Ontario’s corn, wheat and soybean growers’ groups will vote next month on a proposal for a single marketing board to replace the three boards. The “expression of opinion” vote will be held between Sept. 9 and Sept. 30 at the request of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), the Ontario Soybean Growers […] Read more
Ont. farmers to vote on crop boards’ merger
Maple Leaf delays Toronto plant restart
Tarred with a link to a listeriosis outbreak now connected to six deaths in Ontario and illnesses in four provinces, plus a costly product recall, Maple Leaf Foods has re-thought its plans to reopen an affected Toronto meat processing plant on Tuesday. The food processing company announced Monday night that it will now delay the […] Read more
CEMA now “Egg Farmers of Canada”
Canada’s national egg marketing agency has officially renamed itself Egg Farmers of Canada. The Canadian Egg Marketing Agency (CEMA), as the agency has been known for over 35 years, announced Monday that its official name and logo change has taken place. In a release Friday before the official launch, agency president Laurent Souligny said he […] Read more
Feds back B.C. farmers’ markets
The federal government has pledged over $200,000 for efforts to boost the public profile of farmers’ markets in British Columbia. Speaking Saturday in Burnaby, B.C. MP James Moore announced $219,000 for a strategic plan for farmers’ markets, funded through the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) program, delivered in the province through the Investment Agriculture […] Read more
Drenched Man. farmers to get forage aid program
Manitoba’s provincial government has pledged to set up a forage assistance program (MFAP) to help livestock producers in parts of the province hit by recent overland flooding. Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk announced the province’s commitment to such a program Sunday after touring areas affected by overland flooding in recent days in the Interlake, the region […] Read more
Mexico bans Alberta breeding cattle
Mexico has banned imports of breeding cattle from Alberta in the wake of the latest case of BSE discovered in the province last week. The ban does not affect imports of Canadian beef. The federal government was notified of the ban on Wednesday. “They’re (Mexico is) very concerned that if they’re bringing in an older […] Read more
Healthy food communication ideas sought in Ontario
Ontario Agri-Food Education (OAFE) encouraging proposals to receive funds from its $450,000 Healthy Eating Program, which is aimed at communicating the health benefits of Ontario-grown food. OAFE executive director Colleen Smith-Robinson says proposals are also encouraged from those outside traditional agriculture circles. “We have carefully considered our goals and objectives, target market and evaluation criteria. […] Read more
Monsanto unloads bovine hormone business
Eli Lilly and Company will buy Monsanto’s Posilac division for US$300 million, the companies announced Aug. 20. Monsanto put its bovine somatotropin business up for sale a few weeks ago, saying it wanted to focus more on its core strengths selling high-tech seeds and weed control to farmers. Elanco, headquartered in Greenfield Indiana, is the […] Read more
StatsCan hog report shows rapid restructuring
Canada’s hog industry is continuing its record of rapid consolidation according to a report by Statistics Canada that shows one in five hog producers has left the industry since the start of 2008. On January 1 there were 9,725 farms raising hogs in Canada and as of July 1 that had fallen to 8,740. The […] Read more
Grain Services Union head calls foul over Viterra replacement workers
The head of the union representing grain handler Viterra’s striking office workers says he’s unhappy with some of the company’s tactics. The company has confirmed it is trying to recruit temporary replacement workers for its head office to replace the 200 employees, who have been on strike since July 7. It also says it will […] Read more