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
Table Beet Harvest has Begun Wednesday, July 15, 2026 July marks the beginning of Ontario's fresh beet harvest season, with growers across the province supplying one of Canada's most popular root vegetables to grocery stores, farmers' markets, food processors, and wholesale distributors, and fellow farmers. Known for their versatility,... Read this article online
Massive Norfolk County Barn Fire Kills 20,000 Hogs, Shuts Down Highway 3 in Southwestern Ontario Wednesday, July 15, 2026 A devastating barn fire in Norfolk County has left one of Ontario's largest hog facilities destroyed and an estimated 20,000 hogs dead, drawing attention across the agricultural sector and raising new questions about emergency preparedness, livestock protection, and farm infrastructure... Read this article online
Canadian Grain Commission Updates Grain Grading Rules for 2026-27 Crop Year Tuesday, July 14, 2026 The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) is introducing several important changes to grain grading procedures for the 2026-27 crop year, including updates affecting Canada Western Amber Durum, wheat and red lentils. The revisions, which take effect August 1, were developed following... Read this article online
Snap Beans are the Fastest-Growing Vegetable Crop in Canada? Tuesday, July 14, 2026 Fresh yellow and green bean season is officially underway across Ontario and Quebec, bringing one of Canada's most popular summer vegetables to grocery stores and farmers' markets. Harvest typically begins in July and continues through early fall, with both provinces serving as... Read this article online
Minnesota Wildfires Threaten Agriculture as Governor Walz Mobilizes National Guard Monday, July 13, 2026 Farmers across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba are closely monitoring a growing wildfire situation in northern Minnesota after Governor Tim Walz declared a peacetime emergency and mobilized the Minnesota National Guard to assist firefighting efforts. The decision... Read this article online