Ontario Archives - Page 16 of 28

Former Ontario Tory ag critic returns to file as assistant

By GFM Network News June 30, 2019

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has added a second veteran MPP to assist Ag Minister Ernie Hardeman with the agriculture, food and rural affairs portfolio. Ford on Wednesday named Toby Barrett as parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, with responsibility for agriculture and food. Randy Pettapiece, who since June last year […] Read more

Ardent Mills’ baking mix plant at Burlington, between Toronto and Hamilton, is now part of Michigan-based baking ingredient firm Dawn Foods. (ArdentMills.com)

Cereals, Crops

Ardent Mills sells Ontario bakery ingredient plant

By GFM Network News June 25, 2019

Flour miller Ardent Mills plans to push off further from the sweet baking ingredient business, with a deal to sell its southern Ontario ingredient mix plant. Denver-based Ardent said Monday it closed a deal the previous Friday to sell its Burlington, Ont. plant to U.S. bakery ingredient processor Dawn Foods. The deal’s financial terms weren’t […] Read more

Chicken ginseng soup. (Greatmountainginseng.com)

Crops

Ginseng exports not in trouble as claimed

By GFM Network News June 12, 2019

MarketsFarm — China has not halted its ginseng imports from Canada despite allegations to the contrary, a spokesperson from Ginseng Ontario says. Rebecca Coates, executive director for Ginseng Ontario, said China is only one of many export destinations for Canadian-grown ginseng. Other major buyers include Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Europe. An official from another […] Read more

Agricorp’s map of planting areas. (Agricorp.com)

Crops, Weather

Ontario extends corn, soy, bean planting deadlines

By GFM Network News June 9, 2019

Waterlogged Ontario farmers still waiting on a window to plant corn, soybeans and coloured and white beans ahead of crop insurance deadlines now have at least a couple of extra days. Agricorp, the province’s production insurance and farm program delivery agency, announced extensions Friday for several of its planting deadlines. Corn growers in areas A, […] Read more

Jim Smolik, shown here in a 2014 photo, contravened two sections of the Conflict of Interest Act, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion says in a report released May 30, 2019. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Allan Dawson)

Crops

Former CGC assistant chief commissioner broke conflict rules

By Allan Dawson, GFM Network News June 3, 2019

Jim Smolik, a former Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) assistant chief and acting chief commissioner, contravened post-employment obligations under the federal Conflict of Interest Act while working for Cargill Canada. That’s according to a 24-page report released May 30 by Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion. Dion ruled Smolik breached Sections 33 and 35(2) […] Read more

Crops, Reuters

Ontario chamber makes recommendations to boost cannabis sector

By Reuters, GFM Network News April 18, 2019

Reuters –The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) on Thursday made several recommendations that address issues affecting the province’s booming marijuana industry, including having a common excise stamp to help cannabis makers ship their products smoothly. The industry body also recommended bolstering Health Canada, the country’s health regulator, so that it can issue licenses to facilities […] Read more

General, Weather

Abrupt mid-March shift into spring predicted

By MarketsFarm Team, GFM Network News February 27, 2019

Winter conditions are expected to remain the norm across the Canadian Prairies through the middle of March, when a sudden pattern change brings an abrupt start to spring, according to the latest seasonal forecast from The Weather Network. The quick move from cold to warm conditions raises the risk of flooding in areas with a […] Read more

The proposal to increase checkoff funding for Beef Farmers of Ontario passed with a significant majority this year. (John Greig photo)

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Ontario beef checkoff to rise by $1.50

By GFM Network News February 20, 2019

Ontario beef farmers have approved an increase of $1.50 in checkoff per animal to fund an ambitious industry-wide marketing effort for Ontario beef. Producers at the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) annual meeting in Mississauga on Wednesday voted 87 per cent in favour of the plan. A similar plan was rejected at last year’s annual […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s final map of designated areas for the livestock tax deferral provision for the 2018 tax year, as of Jan. 30, 2019. (Agr.gc.ca)

Livestock, Weather

Livestock tax deferral map expands again for 2018

By GFM Network News January 30, 2019

Some northern and southwestern Ontario producers who had to sell breeding livestock due to drought in the 2018 tax year can now defer chunks of the income from those sales when filing their income taxes. The federal government on Wednesday rolled out its final list and map of designated regions for 2018 under its livestock […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s map of deferral-designated areas for the 2018 tax year as of Oct. 25, 2018. (Agr.gc.ca)

Beef Cattle, Livestock, Weather

Unusual third assessment run for livestock tax deferrals

By GFM Network News January 29, 2019

In an unusual move, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has undertaken a third assessment for the federal livestock tax deferral. “Federal officials are currently finalizing the analysis to identify whether any additional regions have met the criteria for the livestock tax deferral,” AAFC spokesperson James Watson said. Under the deferral plan, cattle producers affected by severe […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures climb higher to end week

Draft ‘MAHA’ commission report avoids pesticide crackdown feared by farm groups

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans rise on short-covering ahead of weekend, crop tour

GFM Network News