Fruit/Vegetables & Production Tips

B.C. greenhouse peppers cleared for Japan

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News September 30, 2016

Canada and Japan have agreed on import conditions by which British Columbia’s produce growers will be able to ship greenhouse peppers to Japan. The agreement, effective immediately, means the province’s growers “could be looking at up to $20 million worth of pepper exports a year to Japan once the agreement is fully implemented,” B.C. Agriculture […] Read more

Crops, Grapes

Switzerland to recognize Canada’s organic wine, processed foods

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News September 29, 2016

Canada and Switzerland have reached a deal to recognize each other’s organic certifications on wine and “multi-ingredient” foods. The two countries on Thursday announced expansions of their previous organic arrangement, which deems their respective certification systems to be equivalent for organic ag commodities and agrifood products. The amended deal takes effect Saturday (Oct. 1). The […] Read more

A Russian grain terminal at the Port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea. (NMTP.info)

Cereals, Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Reuters

Russia may ban Egyptian citrus amid wheat dispute

By GFM Network News September 13, 2016

Moscow/Cairo | Reuters — Russia threatened to ban Egyptian citrus imports on Tuesday, a move that could escalate a trade dispute over exports of Russian wheat to the world’s largest importer of the grain. Moscow said this week it hopes to hold talks with Egypt, its top buyer, over Cairo’s failure to approve Russian wheat […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Markets

Ontario’s Leal jumps in on vegetable marketing proposal

By Grainews Staff, GFM Network News August 18, 2016

Ontario’s Farm Products Marketing Commission has been ordered to change its approach on proposals to deregulate vegetable contract talks between growers and processors. Provincial Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal, in a letter dated Wednesday to commission chair Geri Kamenz, said “concerns have been raised about an apparent lack of both adequate and sufficient information and consultation […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Reuters

China money, market spur Canadian blueberry deluge

By GFM Network News August 5, 2016

Richmond, B.C. | Reuters — An aging mansion sits vacant on an estate outside Vancouver, the garage overtaken by a blueberry sorter and a walk-in cooler packed with the fruit. The owner, an investor from mainland China, leases the estate to Fred Liu at such a bargain the farmer grows blueberries in its fields even […] Read more

Cereals, Fruit/Vegetables, Pulses, Reuters

SunOpta pressured by shareholders after sluggish sales

By GFM Network News July 25, 2016

Reuters – Canadian organic food company SunOpta Inc, already under pressure from U.S. hedge fund Tourbillon Capital Partners LP, is being prodded by a second activist shareholder to explore the sale of all or part of the company, according to sources familiar with the matter. Canadian hedge fund West Face Capital, which pushed SNC-Lavalin to sell […] Read more

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, News

The Vegetable Garden Calculator

Tired of growing too much zucchini? Try this app to get the right garden mix

By Jay Peterson June 8, 2016

If you were like me growing up, most of us had a large garden that provided produce for the family not only during the summer but through most of the winter as well. Times seem to have changed. Garden plots have shrunk in size because of either lack of room or lack of time. If […] Read more

Crops, Grapes, Reuters

Constellation seeks $1B valuation for Canadian wine unit

By Reuters, GFM Network News June 3, 2016

Reuters — Constellation Brands is seeking a valuation of about $1 billion for a possible initial public offering of its Canadian wine business this year, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The unit, which includes eight wineries and 160 retail locations across Ontario, is expected to list in Toronto as early as the fall, Bloomberg reported, citing […] Read more

Crops, Potatoes

Pink rot fungicide resistance spreading

Phosphites offer a strong alternative control option for potato growers

By Julienne Isaacs June 3, 2016

In Prince Edward Island, potato growers may soon lose the use of metalaxyl, a key fungicide registered for use against Phytophthora erythroseptica, the pathogen responsible for pink rot. According to the results of a national survey, 50 per cent of isolates studied in Ontario and Eastern Canada are resistant to Ridomil, a single-site mode of […] Read more

Crops, Features, Potatoes

Watch for wireworms in potatoes

If wireworm is not on Prairie potato growers' radar yet, it will be in the near future

By Julienne Isaacs June 3, 2016

According to Bob Vernon, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Agassiz, B.C., since the organophochlorine pesticide Lindane was banned in Canada in 2004, followed by the organophosphate insecticide Thimet last year, populations of wireworm have been slowing in some areas and “booming” in others. Vernon was in Brandon, Man., to present a […] Read more

Daily Network News

Southern California honeybees show resistance to varroa mites

Pulse Weekly: SaskPulse optimistic despite input, crop price concerns

Canadian aquaculture should be classed as agriculture, industry groups say

Fruit/Vegetables