Essex County tomato processor swings deal to sell Ontario-grown tomatoes in Nigeria Friday, April 25, 2014 by MATT MCINTOSH Some Essex County tomato growers that lost their contracts to produce tomatoes for the Leamington Heinz plant might have a newfound buyer in Thomas Canning Ltd., a Maidstone-based tomato processor that recently signed a $25 million per year trade deal to sell Ontario tomatoes in Nigeria. According to an official press release from Thomas Canning, the deal, announced on April 22, allows the company to sell its Utopia brand tomatoes in Nigeria at the rate of 2.2 million cases per year. Tracey Coleman, food safety and quality control supervisor for Thomas Canning, says the company’s headway into the Nigerian market means it will require more, and larger growers next year. “We have seven growers that we use consistently,” she says. “Some of those growers will increase their acreage for us next year, but we will be adding some growers too.” Coleman says she does not know exactly how many growers Thomas Canning plans to add. Bill Thomas, CEO of the company’s Utopia brand, could not be reached for comment. Of the 42 growers that used to produce tomatoes for the H.J. Heinz Company of Canada before its closure of its Leamington processing facility, Tom Keller, a director on the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers Board, says only 10 continue to have contracts with Highbury Canco Corporation, the company that acquired the facility earlier this year. “If Thomas Canning can really develop the Nigeria market, that will be good for growers,” he says, although he notes the number of farmers currently growing for that company “is small.” Coleman says Thomas Canning exported the first shipment to Nigeria in March; the Festrut Group International Ltd., Thomas Canning’s Nigerian partner in the trade deal, will launch the Ontario-made product in May. BF Chicken Farmers of Ontario seeks kosher processor Standardbred horse breeders say they have no choice but to sue the province
York Region launching new Agri-Food Startup Program Thursday, September 11, 2025 A new program in York Region is designed to help entrepreneurs find their footing in the food space. The 14-week hybrid Agri-Food Start-up Program partners entrepreneurs with local organizations like the Foodpreneur Lab, Syzl, York Region Food Network, and the Chippewas of Georgina Island... Read this article online
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