A growth-minded Toronto poultry and deli meat further-processing company has made a vertical move with a deal for a federally-inspected Niagara-area poultry slaughter plant. ADP Direct Poultry announced Friday it has bought up 100 per cent ownership of Cami International Poultry, a slaughter and processing facility at Welland, Ont., for an undisclosed amount. The deal […] Read more
Ontario meat processor buys into poultry slaughter
ADP Direct buys Cami International
Ginseng piling up in Canada despite Chinese demand
Travel restrictions depress new-crop sales
Winnipeg/Hong Kong | Reuters — The pandemic’s crushing effect on international travel has grounded Canadian exports of ginseng, a root widely used in Asia to treat everything from the common cold to impotency, at a time when health is top of consumers’ minds. Canada is the world’s second-largest ginseng exporter after China, with most of […] Read more
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show looks to lock in land base
GFM plans to buy research land for eastern Discovery Farm
As Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show goes digital this week, its operator is preparing to secure its real-world footprint in southern Ontario and put that real estate to year-round work. Glacier FarmMedia and the Ontario government on Tuesday announced their intent to work toward a land deal with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO), which […] Read more
Canadian cannabis retailers poised to merge
High Tide, Meta Growth to create biggest weed retailer
Two major Canadian cannabis sellers are poised to create the largest pot retailer in the country by revenue. Calgary retailer High Tide Inc., which operates the Canna Cabana chain of stores in three provinces, announced a merger deal Friday to take up Toronto-based Meta Growth Corp., which runs the Meta Cannabis and NewLeaf Cannabis chains. […] Read more
Brandt closes GeoShack deal, locks up Topcon sales in Canada
Tractor company revives Ontario deal
A deal to make Brandt Tractor the exclusive dealer for Topcon geopositioning equipment clear across Canada has been resuscitated. Regina-based Brandt announced Tuesday it has closed its previously-announced deal to buy the assets of GeoShack Canada — two weeks after Dallas-based GeoShack declared that “a mutually beneficial deal… has not been attained.” GeoShack has been […] Read more
Ontario to insure for crop loss due to lack of labour
AgriInsurance offering hailed as a first in Canada
Ontario’s federal/provincial AgriInsurance program has been temporarily expanded to include coronavirus-related labour shortages as a covered cause for crop loss. Producers already enrolled in an eligible production insurance plan and hit by crop losses due to labour disruptions during the 2020 growing season will be able to get further insurance coverage, the Ontario and federal […] Read more
Ontario investigating 17 temp agencies after virus outbreaks on farms
"We stand firm against exploitation in our province"
Toronto/Winnipeg | Reuters — Ontario is investigating 17 temporary recruitment agencies, the province’s labour ministry said, after health officials warned that agencies that move workers from farm to farm could be contributing to COVID-19 outbreaks. Canadian farms rely on some 60,000 people who come to Canada on temporary work permits every year, typically living and […] Read more
Brandt deal for Topcon distributor in Ontario falls through
GeoShack says will remain 'independently owned'
A proposal that would have made farm equipment maker Brandt the exclusive dealer for Topcon GPS equipment in Canada has fallen through without a sealed deal. GeoShack Canada, the “master dealer” for TopCon equipment in Ontario through its locations in Toronto, Ottawa and London, announced Tuesday that a completed acquisition by the Regina-based Brandt Group […] Read more
Ontario pledges farm recruiter crackdown as COVID-19 outbreaks grow
Ford rips 'fly-by-nighters just trying to make a quick buck'
Toronto | Reuters –– Ontario will crack down on “fly-by-night” recruitment agencies sending workers on to farms, the premier said on Monday, after a testing blitz identified a major coronavirus outbreak on a farm in southwestern Ontario. “We’re reaching out to all the farmers, we’re getting a list of these recruitment agencies. We found out […] Read more
Tam seeks details on Ontario’s COVID-19 farm worker guidelines
Windsor-Essex area reports six ag-related outbreaks as of Thursday
Ottawa/Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s top public health official said on Thursday she plans to seek more information from Ontario about the province’s plan to allow some COVID-19 positive people with no symptoms to return to their jobs — a risky policy, according to workers’ advocates and some doctors. Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, issued […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
