OCA not happy with grants to meat packers Monday, April 5, 2010 The Canadian Cattlemen's Association is encouraged by money for meat packers announced in the federal budget in early March, but the Ontario Cattlemen's Association (OCA) is less so.The federal government announced $25 million for meat packing plants that handle cattle more than 30 months of age. The funding is supposed to address costs in Canada associated with slaughtering older cattle. Canada requires the disposal of specified risk materials such as heads, spleens and spines, in a different way than do American packers, making Canadian packers uncompetitive when bidding for cattle.The national organization lobbied for money to go to packers, says Paul Stiles, assistant general manager of the Ontario Cattlemen's Association. The OCA says "that money has already been ripped from the hides of producers" and they should be compensated directly. At press time, there were no details on how those monies would be paid out. It's likely that the money announced in the federal budget had already been allocated under AgriFlex, federal funding to develop new programs. BF Cover Story - Parental Benefits: windfall for foreign workers? Brazilian beef company now Oz's largest lamb slaughterer
What Distributed Energy Resources Mean for Canadian Producers Tuesday, April 7, 2026 As energy costs rise, many Canadian farms are looking for ways to take greater control of their electricity use. One term that farmers are hearing more often is distributed energy resources, often shortened to DERs. While the phrase may sound technical, the concept is highly practical, and... Read this article online
Agricultural Educator and Industry Leader Dr Tom Funk Remembered for Lasting Influence Tuesday, April 7, 2026 The agricultural education community is mourning the passing of Dr Tom Funk, a highly respected Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph whose influence spanned more than three decades of teaching, leadership, and mentorship. Dr Funk dedicated over 35 years to teaching... Read this article online
Blue Collar Brings Canada’s Dairy Farming to Prime Time Tuesday, April 7, 2026 A new Canadian streaming series on Crave is offering audiences an unpolished look at some of the country’s toughest jobs, and in Episode 5, that spotlight turns to dairy farming. BLUE COLLAR is a Crave original series that blends workplace comedy with real-world grit and humour found... Read this article online
New Measures Support Craft Brewers and Reduce Rising Costs Tuesday, April 7, 2026 To help producers in the beverage sectoras the economy is facing rapid changes and creating uncertainty for businesses, theCanadiangovernment has announced a two-year extension of alcohol excise duty relief starting April 1, 2026. This decision aims to support brewers, distillers, and... Read this article online
Study reveals key climate drivers of potato beetle outbreaks Monday, April 6, 2026 A long term research project from Michigan State University (MSU) and the University of Wisconsin is offering new insight into what drives Colorado potato beetle outbreaks, giving US potato growers a clearer picture of how weather patterns and environmental conditions shape one of the... Read this article online