Ontario's agriculture minister cites protocol for leaving Farm Products vegetable board proposal alone - for now Wednesday, July 20, 2016 by SUSAN MANNOntario’s agriculture minister has declined to wade into a debate on an Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission proposal removing the price negotiating powers of the province’s processing vegetable board.“Given that a decision of the OFPMC (Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission) to reconsider a proposal may be reviewed by me as minister, it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific regulation being proposed,” Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal said in a July 20 letter.The letter was addressed to Progressive Conservative agriculture critic Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk. It was in response to a request Barrett made to the minister in a July 15 letter asking for the 45-day comment period on the proposal to be extended beyond the initial Aug. 12 deadline and past harvest time and for public hearings to be held to get feedback.On June 28, the commission posted a proposal on the Ontario Regulatory Registry to rescind the negotiating authority of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers marketing board and add provisions to turn the board into an industry advisory committee.In his letter, Leal explained to Barrett that if the commission, after gathering and assessing feedback decides to go ahead with its proposal, “a party affected by the decision can file for re-consideration to the OFPMC.” Once the commission makes a re-consideration decision, the minister can review it.Leal urged interested parties, stakeholders and the general public to submit their feedback through the Ontario Regulatory Registry posting during the comment period.“I have also been informed that the OFPMC is reaching out to interested stakeholders about their proposal to gather feedback,” Leal said in the letter.The agriculture minister also assured Barrett that the Ontario government hasn’t “changed its policy of supporting regulated marketing and continues to maintain Ontario’s 21 marketing boards while respecting the delegated authority given to the OFPMC under the legislation (the Farm Products Marketing Act).”Leal’s letter was provided to Better Farming by email from his press secretary, Christina Crowley-Arklie.In the email, she said consultations could continue outside of the regulatory registry process and “outside of the original timeline at the discretion of the original party who put forward the proposal.”She added that questions about extending the consultation period could again be sent to the commission.Commission chair Geri Kamenz did not respond to requests for comment. BF Report shows improvement in Ontario honeybee colony winter survival rates Ducks euthanized at Niagara Region farm with avian flu outbreak
Potato industry on PEI to save up to $7 million because of cuts to bridge tolls Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Effective August 1, 2025, tolls on the Confederation Bridge will drop dramatically, with personal vehicle tolls falling from $50.25 to $20. Commercial vehicles will also benefit from these reductions. In addition, ferry tolls in Newfoundland and Labrador and other regions will see... Read this article online
Soil Compaction Challenges Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Ontario’s spring planting faced challenges from soil compaction, impacting crops like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Despite some areas experiencing rapid planting under ideal conditions, other regions, even those with lighter soils, struggled due to excessive rainfall. The team at OMAFA –on... Read this article online
2026 Grains Innovation Fund is now open Tuesday, July 29, 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), the province’s largest commodity organization representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers, is now accepting applications for its . “This year marks another exciting chapter for the Grains Innovation Fund,” stated Paul... Read this article online
Applications Open for Grains Innovation Fund 2026 Monday, July 28, 2025 Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO), the province’s largest commodity organization representing 28,000 farmers, is now accepting applications for the 2026 Grains Innovation Fund. The fund offers grants up to $75,000 to support innovative projects that promote the use of Ontario’s grains such as... Read this article online
Sowing the Seeds of the Future -- A Fresh Look at Farm Succession in Canada Monday, July 28, 2025 “You’ve worked the land for decades—through changing seasons, shifting markets, and long days that begin before sunrise," says Jason Castellan, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Skyline when he spoke with Farms.com. “You know every acre, every decision, every responsibility that... Read this article online