Ontario has released its provincial soil health strategy, a long-term framework that sets the vision, goals, and objectives for soil health and conservation in Ontario beginning this year and through to 2030. A 12-year strategy is lengthy in government program terms, but hardly a blip when we're talking soil health, research, and improvement. Can Ontario... Read More
Category: Eastern Canada
Farm & Food Care Ontario recently named its board of directors for the coming year. Stepping into the chair's position is Christine Schoonderwoerd, nominated to the board by Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. Schoonderwoerd replaces Brian Gilroy, nominated by Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, who assumes the role of past chair for the organization.... Read More
Grain prices this week ended mixed as speculative players took profits off the table amidst growing weather and geopolitical risk. Delays in U.S. corn plantings and concerns about Chinese trade dominated the headlines. It’s still early, but just 3% of the U.S. corn crop was planted as of Sunday. Conditions this week weren’t great in... Read More
The Agri-Food Management Institute (AMI) has announced plans to deliver a mixture of established and new farm management programming under the newly launched Canadian Agricultural Partnership. Existing AMI initiatives, including the Advanced Farm Management Program, Transition Smart, and the Learning Roadshow, will continue under the new five-year federal-provincial ag funding framework. AMI plans to launch... Read More
Soybean growers will soon have a new tool in the fight against yield-robbing soybean aphids. BASF expects to launch Sefina, a new insecticide it says will deliver control of aphids and white flies in soybean and potatoes, in 2019. BASF Canada horticulture crop manager Scott Hodgins explains that the new insecticide will deliver a unique... Read More
Ontario ag retailers need to provide leadership in helping farmers adopt 4R nutrient stewardship and a new audit program can do just that, says AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan. In 2015, OMAFRA, the Ontario Agri Business Association, Fertilizer Canada, and ag retailer stakeholders signed a memorandum of understanding stating that 4R nutrient stewardship – right... Read More
Following significant restrictions by the Ontario government in 2015, seed corn companies in the province began to offer non-neonicotinoid seed treatment insecticide options. Now, a significant portion of corn seed sales carry non-neonicotinoid options. It's bizarre then, that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recently published data showing only a 22% reduction in the... Read More
It's mid-April and a huge part of Western Canada, Ontario, and the northern U.S. is digging out after a late winter blast of snow, freezing rain, and ice. As May looms large in the next 14 days, we have to ask — when should we start to panic about a late planting season? May 1st... Read More
With the European Union granting its conditional approval in late March, and U.S. antitrust authorities reportedly set to give their thumbs-up signal, Canada's competition regulator has yet to issue its decision on Bayer's proposed acquisition of Monsanto. The US$66 billion deal, which was originally announced in September 2016, has significant implications in the Canadian market,... Read More
It's been a difficult — if not devastating — start to the year for many in the agricultural community. And just when areas of North America were finally seeing a respite, and what could possibly have been called spring-like conditions, we're hit with another round of ice pellets, freezing rain, rain, and/or snow. For ranchers,... Read More