More dairy quota cuts on the table Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by SUSAN MANNOntario dairy farmers could face cuts of two per cent or more to their quotas later this year with the recovery of a major ice cream company from a plant fire figuring in the decision.The Dairy Farmers of Ontario board will decide on the timing of introducing an already approved 1.3 per cent cut next week. In October the national Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee will discuss a further cut due to a buildup of butter stocks at the Canadian Dairy Commission. Both cuts could take effect by December or later.Phil Cairns, DFO senior policy adviser, says combined, the two cuts could total two per cent or slightly higher.The 1.3 per cent cut is due to provincial quota being over-issued for most of the 2008-09 dairy year to encourage production that had lagged mostly because of poor feed quality. This spring and summer Ontario’s milk supplies were strong due to abnormally cool weather and a build-up of cow numbers.Another potential factor on milk usage in Ontario is the Chapman's Ice Cream plant fire that destroyed the company’s production facility in Markdale in early September.Cairns says he can’t reveal the volume of milk Chapman’s regularly used because it’s customer information but notes the company is one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in Canada and the largest in Ontario “so obviously it’s significant in a relative sense.”Cairns says if Chapman’s does find another manufacturer while a new plant is built, the impact “would be relatively small.”In the short term while the company works out agreements, “that would translate into butterfat that wasn’t going into the ice cream industry going into Canadian Dairy Commission butter stocks” and trigger a temporary quota cut. Cairns emphasizes the buildup of butter stocks at the Commission is ongoing and not related to Chapman’s.Owner David Chapman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. BF Chicken farmers launch national animal care program Treatment too tough on produce and its growers
Sowing Solutions--Guelph’s Agri-Food Research Gets Federal Spotlight Friday, October 3, 2025 The University of Guelph welcomed two prominent federal representatives for a day of engagement and discovery on Friday, October 3rd. Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for a comprehensive tour... Read this article online
Downtown Diner Delivers a Taste of Canadian Farming to Ottawa Friday, October 3, 2025 This week, the heart of Canada’s capital was filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Canadian agriculture as Sparks Street played host to the Downtown Diner, a pop-up event celebrating Canadian food and the farmers who make it possible. At the center of the conversation was... Read this article online
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
Effective Strategies for Corn Soybean and Wheat Thursday, October 2, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, effective crop residue management in corn, soybean, and wheat fields is key to profitability and long-term soil health. It begins at harvest, with combines and headers set correctly to size and spread residue evenly across the... 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