'Mismanagement' by government cited in Gencor packing plant failure Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by BETTER FARMING STAFF Gencor Foods Inc (GFI) closed its doors at the end of March and announced its intention to file for an application for bankruptcy. Unspecified financial losses were cited, along with the failure to find a buyer for the distressed plant. “Regulations enacted in the United States for Specified Risk Material (SRM) are much less rigorous than the regulations established in Canada,” a Gencor press release stated. An enhanced feed ban came into place in July of last year. When the Americans opened their border to over 30 month old cattle last November, American plants buying cows in Ontario had “at least a $39 per cow cost advantage” over plants like GFI, Stewart said. Gencor Foods Inc was formed in 2004 to reopen the former MGI plant in Kitchener. “I’m really disheartened by the loss of cull cow capacity in the province,” Stewart told Better Farming. Gencor was “built up with substantial investment from the provincial government and producers.” “Governments have to get serious about addressing the regulatory inequalities,” Stewart said. “We are trying to have an integrated market here in North America … There isn’t any adequate compensation for the changes in regulations,” and it is driving processors and producers out of business.” Gencor cited a “one time” payment from the province to deal with the SRM issue as providing some relief. The province did provide packing plants with money in January, says Kelly Synnott, advisor to provincial agriculture minister Leona Dombrowsky. SRM regulations are federal, says Brent Ross, spokesman for the ministry. The province won’t reveal the amount of support it gave to Gencor. It is “proprietary business information.” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada did not comment in time for Better Farming’s deadline. BF Ontario beef producers at a 'disadvantage' says OCA's president Plant meets construction and corn cost challenges, chairman says
How will Carney work with Farmers? Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Prime Minister Carney has a mandate to lead the country, but the country is quite divided, and much of the agriculture industry feels alienated. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre have both pledged cooperation on key issues like U.S. tariffs. As the new... Read this article online
Sheep farmers win Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers Wednesday, April 30, 2025 Sheep farmers and wool producers from Wallenstein, Ont. are Ontario’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2025. “It’s great to be recognized by your peers in the industry with an award like that,” Ryan Schill told Farms.com. “When we started the sheep farm, there were people questioning us... Read this article online
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, April 29, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke on April 28 that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with... Read this article online
Support IPM With a Bench Sponsorship Tuesday, April 29, 2025 The International Plowing Match & Rural Expo (IPM) Local Committee has launched the Bench Sponsorship Project for the upcoming 2025 event in West Niagara. This initiative invites individuals and businesses to sponsor commemorative benches for $500 each, helping enhance the visitor... Read this article online
New board members for Ontario Pork Friday, April 25, 2025 Ontario Pork, an association representing the 1,898 pork farms that market 5.9 million hogs in the province, has announced its new board lineup for 2025. As a Guelph, Ontario-headquartered organization, Ontario Pork is engaged in the areas of research, government representation,... Read this article online