Dairy Farmers of Ontario suspends new farmer quota applications Thursday, December 22, 2011 by SUSAN MANNDairy Farmers of Ontario has suspended applications from new farmers who have priority access to the quota exchange but who aren’t part of the quota loan program.The board decided at its meeting this month to suspend the applications while it reviews its new producer policy. The policy enables one new producer each month to have priority access on the exchange for up to 35 kilograms of quota. The matter will be discussed with dairy producer committees at the spring policy conference in March.Dairy farmers will also be invited to comment to the organization during the review.The new producers with priority access to the exchange are third in line for quota. First are existing producers who bid for quota and are successful. They have priority access to 0.1 kg of quota, while new entrants receiving assistance have second priority.George MacNaughton, Dairy Farmers director of production and regulatory compliance, says by email that, “at the rate of one new producer applicant per month it would take over nine years for the last applicant in the new producer queue to be eligible to acquire quota.”The new producer policy is one of two programs Dairy Farmers has for new producers. The other is the New Entrant Quota Assistance program that provides quota loans of up to 12 kilograms each to new producers. Successful applicants in the program must hold a minimum of 12 kgs of their own quota while receiving the loaned quota. Dairy Farmers provides up to a total of 120 kgs of quota a year for the new entrant quota assistance program.There were 26 new producers who acquired quota on the exchange in 2009/10, compared to 10 during the previous fiscal year, it says in Dairy Farmers 2010 annual report. BF Retailer objects to food safety program name 2011's top ag story, top ag newsmaker
Ont. farmer Tony McQuail reflects on NDP leadership race Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Huron County farmer Tony McQuail is back at Meeting Place Organic Farm in Lucknow after vying to replace Jagmeet Singh as the leader of the federal NDP. “It was a very hopeful and positive experience for me,” he told Farms.com. “I was very pleased with what we were able to bring to the... Read this article online
Broadband Access is a Defining Issue for Rural Canada’s Future Monday, March 30, 2026 Broadband connectivity took centre stage during the on March 26, as speakers emphasized that reliable, high-speed internet is now foundational to rural economic growth, community well-being, and Canada’s broader ambitions in technology and resource development. The Coalition’s latest... Read this article online
Rural Canada Is an Economic Powerhouse that Policymakers Need to Build Upon Monday, March 30, 2026 Rural Canada is a far bigger driver of the national economy than many policymakers realize, and leaders say the time has come to place a rural lens at the centre of public policy decision-making. That message was front and centre during the Coalition for a Better Future’s Scorecard... Read this article online
Spring Swine Events Across Canada that are Not to be Missed Monday, March 30, 2026 It’s a sure sign of Spring, several swine events will be taking place over the next few months. Between April and June 2026, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario will all host significant swine-focused events, ranging from producer AGMs and pork quality competitions to large-scale... Read this article online
Boosting Wheat Production with Better Nitrogen Use Monday, March 30, 2026 A University of Guelph research team is pioneering new ways to grow wheat more sustainably by improving nitrogen efficiency and supporting soil health. Dr. Kari Dunfield, professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the Ontario Agricultural College, received $3.92 million from the... Read this article online