Ontario dairy farmers face quota decrease Wednesday, December 19, 2012 by SUSAN MANNA stable dairy market coupled with high production this fall means Ontario’s dairy farmers will be hit with a 1.5 per cent quota decrease starting Jan. 1, 2013.Patrice Dube, Dairy Farmers of Ontario economist, says the reason “we are reducing quota is not because the market has dropped. The market is stable. It’s just that the production level is very strong and we need to bring that production level back in line with the market.”Parkhill-area dairy farmer Chris Vander Vloet, who milks 160 cows on his organic dairy farm, says “they (Dairy Farmers of Ontario) have to do what they have to do.” He adds that he has “a lot of faith and trust in the DFO.”Vander Vloet notes while it would be nice to have quota increases all the time, he supports the supply management system and “this is what has to be done to keep everything in balance.”Dairy Farmers announced the quota decrease on its website this morning. The decrease will be applied entirely to farmers’ non-saleable quota. Non-saleable quota was introduced in August 2009 as part of harmonized quota policies among the five provinces involved in the eastern milk pool. Whenever there is a quota increase that applies to all farmers, that amount becomes the non-saleable portion. The last quota adjustment was in December 2011, when a two per cent quota increase was implemented to stimulate additional production.The provinces in the eastern milk or P5 pool are: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. They share revenue from industrial and fluid milk markets and work cooperatively on other matters of mutual interest.Dube says all Ontario farmers have enough non-saleable quota to cover off the decrease. “Before the cut, we were at 5.3 per cent non-saleable and then after the cut we will be at 3.8 per cent.”The P5 quota committee recommended the decrease and the Ontario board along with the boards in the other provinces approved it. A third reason the P5 quota committee recommended the quota cut was that there is a surplus of available production credits that can potentially be filled by farmers.After analyzing the P5 market, milk production levels, and the amount of quota issued, the committee found that the P5 provinces would likely be over their quota early in 2013.Dube says the forecast before the reduction was implemented was the P5 would be over its quota by 2.6 million kilograms of butterfat or about one per cent. BF Fund recipients announced Grain Farmers establish research priorities
Sunflower farming in Ontario Tuesday, August 19, 2025 While Manitoba dominates sunflower production in Canada—accounting for about 90 percent of the national output (https://oggardenonline.com/where-in-canada-are-sunflowers-grown.html)—Ontario is home to a growing number of sunflower farms. These farms are often smaller in scale and... Read this article online
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online
Winter wheat in Ontario: A resilient crop for a sustainable future Tuesday, August 19, 2025 Winter wheat has long been a staple in Ontario’s agricultural landscape, offering both economic and environmental benefits to farmers across the province. Grown primarily in southwestern Ontario, this crop plays a vital role in crop rotation systems, soil health, and food... Read this article online
Better Soil Health Improves Rain Absorption Monday, August 18, 2025 The OMAFA Fieldcropnews.com team recently held demonstrations regarding how soil management can greatly affect the amount of rainfall absorbed into the soil for crop use. This is especially important for corn, soybean, and wheat growers facing dry spells or intense summer storms. In early... Read this article online
Farm ponds and the trouble with algae Monday, August 18, 2025 Farm ponds are more than just tranquil features on rural landscapes—they’re essential tools for water management, livestock care, irrigation, and biodiversity—especially in North America. They are also considered to be a key agricultural asset outside North America, especially in... Read this article online