Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Apple Growers to study evolving consumer preferences

Saturday, February 23, 2013

by SUSAN MANN

The Ontario Apple Growers is one of three horticultural groups to receive federal government funding this week for projects designed to tackle what growers have identified as obstacles to higher productivity.

Three groups -- Ontario Apple Growers, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and Seeds of Diversity Canada --  in total received more than $500,000 from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation program. St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra, on behalf of federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, made the announcement at the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable convention in Niagara Falls on Thursday.

The money for the apple growers, $137,000, will be used to fund a study to better understand evolving consumer preferences so farmers can market their produce more effectively.

Apple Growers chair Brian Gilroy says they see “this as an important step to expand provincial acreage, diversity production and improve our reaction time in meeting the demands for delicious locally grown varieties.”

Gilroy adds that “it’s certainly not a silver bullet but it’s an important thing to be looking at because we have some fairly unique climatic regions in Southern Ontario.”

The fruit and vegetable growers association received $308,000 to fund crop genetic technology work. Seeds of Diversity received $133,000 to help farmers control seed-borne diseases on tomato farms through ultra-violet radiation, replacing treatments that have been either too expensive or result in enormous seed losses.

The Canadian Agricultural Adaptation program is a five-year, $163 million program, from 2009 to 2014, that helps the Canadian farming sector adapt and remain competitive. BF

Current Issue

September 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Ontario Farmers Share Yield Strategies Amid Drought

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

The Great Ontario Yield Tour held an event at Petersen Custom Farming in Osgood, Ontario, on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The farmer panel during lunch was one of the highlights of the event. Farmers and industry experts gathered to discuss yield strategies and the realities of this season’s... Read this article online

2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top