Conservative majority doesn't faze farm groups Monday, May 2, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFOntario farm groups remain hopeful they will convince the federal government to help fund a new provincial production farm risk management program.In a Tuesday news release, Ontario beef, pork and grains and oilseed farmers congratulated the federal Conservatives on their election win and urged them to commit to funding a share of the Ontario Risk Management Program.However, in February, federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced his party had no intention of making fundamental changes to the business risk management programs that are currently included in the five-year national agricultural policy framework. The policy expires in 2013 but Ontario farm groups want to see changes sooner than that.“It’s not going to be easy,” to convince the Conservatives to change their minds and embrace the program endorsed by the Ontario government in March, says Leo Guilbeault, chair of the Ontario Grains & Oilseeds committee. “We’re going to keep plugging away; we have to,” he says. “Risk management; we know it works in Ontario and we know it’s a different animal federally across the country so we’re going to sit back and maybe re-analyze our strategy and then go to work from there.”Another challenge the group has on its hands is convincing farmers to enroll in the industry-developed program. Numbers from Agricorp, the provincial crown corporation that runs the program for Ontario's grains and oilseeds farmers, show only 5,900 enrolled in the program in 2010. That’s a drop of more than half from the 12,200 that enrolled when the pilot was first launched in 2007.“It has a lot to do with the (high) market prices right now,” says Guilbeault, noting, “there’s quite a bit of difference” from when the program was first proposed. “Now there’s going to be a full-time program, we’ll have some triggers in there that will hopefully keep participation up.”“Prices aren’t going to stay where they’re at,” he predicts.Along with grains and oilseeds, the provincially-funded program will cover cattle, hog, sheep and veal producers and offer a self-directed risk management program for fruits and vegetables. BF Solar rules too restrictive say Ontario's Fruit and Vegetable Growers Canada fleabane glyphosate resistance confirmed
Corn and Soybean Diseases Spread This Season Wednesday, September 10, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, as well as in previous articles by Farms.com, the 2025 growing season is nearing its end with corn and soybean farmers in Ontario and the U.S. Corn Belt facing disease challenges that reflect changing weather conditions. For corn, two... Read this article online
Wheat Output Decline Projected for 2025 Wednesday, September 10, 2025 Statistics Canada’s latest modelled estimates suggest that wheat production in Canada will decline slightly in 2025, driven primarily by weaker yields across several regions. National output is expected to edge down 1.1% to 35.5 million tonnes, with yields forecast to fall 1.2% to 49.6... Read this article online
Research Projects and Companies Supported Through OAFRI Tuesday, September 9, 2025 The governments of Canada and Ontario have announced an investment of up to $4.77 million to strengthen the province’s agri-food sector. This funding, delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable... Read this article online
Two-pass Weed Control Critical in Managing Herbicide-Resistant Waterhemp in Ontario Monday, September 8, 2025 Dr. Peter Sikkema of the University of Guelph recently shared insights into the growing challenge of multiple herbicide-resistant water hemp at the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour final event in Woodstock Ontario. Dr. Sikkema research highlights both the biology of the weed and practical... Read this article online
First Northern Cohort Joins Ontario Vet Program Thursday, September 4, 2025 This September, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph welcomed its inaugural Northern Cohort of 20 students through the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP). This initiative, created in partnership with Lakehead University, marks a milestone... Read this article online