Consult farmers about virus management: tender fruit growers' chair Thursday, June 23, 2011 by SUSAN MANNTender fruit grower representatives plan to meet with three Niagara-area MPs this summer to discuss the federal government’s decision to manage plum pox virus rather than ask growers what program they want.Len Troup, chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers Marketing Board, says in the federal budget, both in the one that didn’t pass before the election and the one that was passed after the Conservatives won a majority, “the amount of money they had in there was not anywhere near what they needed for eradication, which certainly tells me where they’re going.”In a letter from federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, the tender fruit board was told the government plans to move away from eradication to management, he explains, and management “is really just watching it.”Troup says the marketing board asked for the growers to have a vote “and for them to decide where they wanted to go.” There are three options being considered, one is a management-type program while the other two are eradication programs.“We wanted the growers to have the opportunity to decide and that has not happened,” he says. “The decision was made arbitrarily by the federal government and it was not what we were looking for.”Troup says they’re still discussing the matter with their local MPs and “we’ll see if that bears any fruit.”Plum pox virus or Sharka is a serious disease of stone fruit. It reduces the yields and marketability of the fruit and affects the productivity of peach, plum, nectarine and apricot trees. The disease was first detected in Ontario in 2000. BF 'We expect to meet our full production' Appeal court chops damages in Purina case
Tips for first year university students Friday, August 29, 2025 The final weekend of summer is here, and students across Ontario will be returning to class next week. That includes at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, where staff, faculty, and volunteers are preparing to welcome a new crop of first year students. “There’s definitely a... Read this article online
Sterling buckle marks 170 years at Spencerville Fair Friday, August 29, 2025 For its 170th anniversary, the Spencerville Fair is presenting a distinctive piece of Canadian silverwork that reflects nearly two centuries of agricultural tradition. The 170th Anniversary Spencerville Fair Sterling Silver Buckle was designed and handcrafted by Alex Dordevic of TRIBE, a... Read this article online
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Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Thursday, August 28, 2025 The global grain and oilseed trading industry is undergoing a major transformation—and Canadian farmers should take note. A recently published study in the September 2025 issue of discussed how the traditional dominance of a few multinational giants is giving way to a more competitive,... Read this article online
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