Minister's review was more than producer asked for Monday, March 22, 2010 by BETTER FARMING STAFF Glencoe pork producer Rein Minnema and his agent, Elbert van Donkersgoed, wanted the Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell to change the Farm Product Appeal Tribunal’s ruling on pork marketing. They got more than they expected. “We wanted a small review, not the whole thing . . . It creates some discomfort for us,” says van Donkersgoed, who represented Middlesex pork producer Rein Minnema, Glencoe, at a Tribunal hearing into pork marketing late last year. But he’s not going to take the blame for opening a can of worms. It’s in the minister’s powers to review a controversial Tribunal ruling, and van Donkersgoed says “she was already headed in this direction.” A comprehensive three page critique of the Tribunal’s mid-February decision released by agriculture ministry staff on Wednesday “was some weeks in the works.”He concludes that the ministry’s staff doesn’t want organized pork marketing in the province. “I think we have to be concerned that there is some level of bias in the ministry about the existence of a marketing structure in pork.”Van Donkersgoed supplied a copy of the letter he sent to the minister of agriculture March 15. The letter reads: “We request that you vary the decision of the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal (Appeal Tribunal) in one very specific way while confirming both the legislative principles cited by the Appeal Tribunal and the mandate given to Ontario Pork to complete its strategic planning process and give all producers an opportunity to participate in the final decision.” Van Donkersgoed says the opposite has happened. The minister’s letter challenges the legal findings in the Farm Products appeal tribunal ruling, describing the Tribunal’s interpretation of the Farm Products marketing Act as “too narrow.”On top of that, it’s now unclear if producers will get to vote on the future of their industry. The Tribunal put the issue of pork marketing in the hands of producers to sort out over 18 months, Van Donkersgoed says, and that has now changed.“We are not going to be looking for a consensus. Instead, everyone will be looking to put forward the best possible argument for their specific position” in their submissions to the minister April 14. BF White bean board rejects Grain Farmers' wooing Trade investigation launched against Dutch pepper imports
Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Rural internet speeds have improved, but compared to urban gap is wide Friday, June 20, 2025 Rural internet speeds have improved, but the gap with urban areas is still wide, says Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) - the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain. Regional differences also continue—New Brunswick shows faster speeds, while as... Read this article online
Ontario Bean Growers are having a day and you are invited Friday, June 20, 2025 The Ontario Bean Growers have announced it will be holding its annual on August 20, 2025. The day begins with research presentations at 1 pm. Details of the research presentations will be published as they become available. At 4 pm, Chris Gillard will lead attendees on a tour... Read this article online