Dairy quota policy hearing concludes this month Thursday, May 7, 2009 by SUSAN MANNA hearing to strike down Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s current quota policy including the controversial section on transfer assessments wraps up later this month at the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.The hearing concludes on May 29 with summations and closing comments. It was held Feb. 3-6 in Ottawa and April 27-May 1 in Guelph.The policy calls for a 15 per cent transfer assessment on all production quota sold on the provincial organization’s quota exchange effective Nov. 17, 2006. Several farmers successfully challenged having to pay the assessment and, in related decisions, the Tribunal has ordered DFO to refund a total of $918,246.32.DFO has declined to outline how it defended a decision to not rescind its three-year-old quota policy. Spokespeople for the Ontario Quota Rights Organization, which is appealing the Tribunal to reverse the provincial dairy organization’s decision, can’t be reached for comment. George MacNaughton, DFO production and regulatory compliance division director, says “our position was presented to the Tribunal and we’re not going to make it public.” He also declines to speculate on what the impact would be if the Tribunal orders the elimination of the quota policy.MacNaughton says DFO’s board declined a request to rescind the policy last year. “We put it in place for the sustainability and the long-term interests of the dairy industry,” he says. “Why would we rescind it?” On Aug. 1, DFO will introduce new quota policies as Ontario and the other four P5 provinces (Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) introduce harmonized policies across all those provinces. The new policies will immediately eliminate transfer assessment, exemption of the last 10 kilograms from the assessment, and the pay-what-you-bid policies.Other polices would be phased in during this year and next. They include a quota price cap, new entrant quota assistance program, a change in the over-production credits and a requirement that future general quota increases applying to all farmers would be non-saleable. Information about the new policies is available on DFO’s website. BF Agriculture fingered as E. coli source in Lake Huron study Shortline equipment short on financing
Ontario Promotes Local Food to Boost Economy and Jobs Thursday, June 5, 2025 Ontario is celebrating Local Food Week from June 2–8, 2025, honoring the people behind the province’s strong and self-sufficient food supply. From farmers and food processors to retailers and restauranteurs, these individuals contribute to the economy and food security. The agriculture... Read this article online
Scientists at Guelph Target Avian Threat Thursday, June 5, 2025 The University of Guelph (U of G) is activeey engaged against the spread of avian flu. Experts from a variety of departments, including virology, engineering, veterinary medicine, and computer science, are working together to stop this growing threat. “This is not just a crisis for the... Read this article online
Trouw Nutrition launches IntelEgg Thursday, June 5, 2025 Trouw Nutrition has announced the launch of , a digital platform designed to empower layer producers with real-time insights and data-driven decision-making tools. The image above shows an demo screen. This browser-based application is set to transform how poultry farmers monitor,... Read this article online
New Report Highlights Farm Housing Needs in Greenbelt Areas Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Greenbelt Foundation has released a new report titled Housing Needs and . It highlights the urgent need for housing solutions in rural Ontario for farm families, farm workers, and agri-business employees. As the farming community knows, agriculture is a vital part of Ontario’s... Read this article online
New Precision Ag Digital Digest Coming Soon Wednesday, June 4, 2025 The Summer 2025 Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest will be released on June 11. Summer is upon us! Tillage and seeding are mostly completed (…hopefully), so we are shifting focus to irrigation, baling, spraying, guidance, and harvest (among other topics and technologies). In... Read this article online