Few details available about impact on Ontario farmers of most recent food processing plant closure Wednesday, May 14, 2014 by SUSAN MANN Unilever Canada is the latest food company to announce the closure of a processing plant. But without knowing how the company sourced raw product for its Bramalea soup plant, it’s hard to calculate the impact – if any – Ontario farmers will face when the plant closes its doors in March 2016, says Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “We’re missing information here,” says Wales, adding he doubts the company bought ingredients for its dry soups and other products directly from Ontario farmers but more likely obtained it “already processed by somebody else.” Also unknown is how much volume of product Unilever really used. The Unilever manufacturing plant closure is not like H.J. Heinz Company of Canada pulling out of its plant in Leamington, which clearly used Ontario-grown tomatoes, Wales notes. Still, it’s hard to see another food manufacturing plant in the province permanently shut its doors, he says. “At the end of the day collectively we need them all and we actually need more of them.” John Le Boutillier, president and CEO of Unilever, says in a May 8 press release through a strategic review of the dry mix category of business in North America it became apparent the company had to make a large investment to deliver “the highest possible quality standards, customer service levels and future packaging innovations.” More than 80 per cent of the volume produced at the Bramalea plant is shipped to the United States and because of that fact Unilever made the “strategic decision to make its investment closer to where the bulk of the product is consumed,” he says. The Bramalea plant’s production is being transferred to Unilever’s plant in Independence, Missouri. The plant manufactures soups, sauces, side dishes and gravies for North America under the Knorr and Lipton brand names. A total of 280 salaried and hourly employees will be affected by the closure, the Unilever release says. BF Pembroke abattoir blasts OMAF enforcement of new sausage making guidelines Ontario beef farmers receive extension for repaying federal advance payment loans
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online
Canada Post Strike Continues to Threatens Agri-Businesses and Rural Communities Thursday, October 2, 2025 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to take swift action to end the ongoing Canada Post strike, warning that the disruption is causing serious harm to small businesses – including many in the agriculture sector. “The government’s... Read this article online
Farmland Values Climb Across the Prairies-Manitoba Leads, Ontario Holds Steady Thursday, October 2, 2025 Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). This marks a modest acceleration compared to the first half of 2024, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase. Over... Read this article online
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online