The quarantine area is now slightly larger in southern Ontario’s Niagara region where tender fruit trees are still considered at risk for the yield-robbing plum pox virus. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced Tuesday it has expanded its regulated area for plum pox virus by 800 metres. The expansion is in response to a confirmed […] Read more
CFIA widens plum pox net in Niagara region
Zimbabwe bans fresh fruit, vegetable imports
Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe has banned imports of fresh fruit and vegetables with immediate effect, the agriculture ministry said Wednesday, arguing that increased local production will meet domestic demand. The ban will mostly impact supplies of tomatoes, potatoes, mangoes, grapes and apples from neighbouring South Africa, the ministry said in a statement. South African […] Read more
Juice supply deal to rescue S. Ont. tomato operations
Growers in southern Ontario’s tomato capital may soon resume plans for a 2014 crop, as Heinz’s storied processing plant in the region switches from ketchup to juice under a proposal to save the plant from closure. H.J. Heinz Co. announced Thursday it’s signed a letter of intent to sell the U.S. company’s Leamington, Ont. plant […] Read more
New standard to define icewine in Canada
If it’s not made only with grapes naturally frozen on the vine, it can’t be called icewine. As obvious as it may seem, a new move to enshrine that notion in the federal Agricultural Products Act is expected to ease and boost exports of Canada’s most lucrative wines and weed out any pretenders claiming to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
