The Government of Ontario, in partnership with the federal government, has launched a $2.5 million initiative to expand the agri-food sector online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding, through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) is earmarked for food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations to develop an online business, providing... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Spring harvest is underway in Western Canada, in canola fields that were left in the field due to wet conditions last fall. For growers who haven't combined canola in spring before, there are some significant differences between harvesting in fall versus spring notes Shawn Senko, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, in this... Read More
The far east of eastern Ontario is set to host a brand-new federally inspected livestock and food processing facility as of 2022. The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) has announced the creation of a food hub, in partnership with the private sector. The UCPR will build a federally-inspected slaughterhouse, for both red meat... Read More
Most producers that grow canola are well aware of blackleg and the damage the disease can inflict on a canola crop. However, when we think of scouting for blackleg, we often think of clipping canola plants later on in the season when the disease is evident in stems. Believe it or not, blackleg is a... Read More
Demand shifts in the Ontario corn market could mean more of the crop heads to the European Union this year. That could pose a problem for the industry, as certain new hybrids with stacked traits are not yet approved for entry into the EU. Each individual trait at issue is approved, but because of how... Read More
It's safe to say there is a tonne of focus on what is going on in the grocery market right now — from toilet paper, to flour, to ribeyes. As restaurants have closed or shut down due to COVID-19, there has been a huge shift to food purchases at the grocery store. Kevin Grier, with... Read More
There is plenty of concern across the agriculture sector during this time of crisis, especially when it comes to labour shortages. In order to keep the supply chain open, we need access to workers that are trained to do the job. Plenty of packing plants are facing weeks' worth of closures, while some are facing... Read More
As of April 13, the Government of Canada is allocating $50 million to help farmers, fish harvesters, and all food production and processing employers with support for temporary foreign workers. Even before COVID-19 was an issue, the agriculture and food sectors already faced significant labour shortages. The advent of COVID-19 has delayed many temporary foreign... Read More
The Ontario Pesticide Education Program has cancelled all classroom Grower Pesticide Safety Courses and Pesticide Vendor Certification Courses, as a preventative measure to minimize the spread of COVID-19 For the over 1,400 people whose pesticide safety certification will expire this spring, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks has announced an extension. For... Read More
Ontario's beef producer group has asked both beef and dairy producers to hold back cull cows in an attempt to ease the pinch on beef processing capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Processing backlogs have plagued the eastern Canadian beef sector for many months due to a lack of sufficient processing capacity and plant closures, says... Read More