Payment program extension welcomed Tuesday, January 27, 2009 © Copyright AgMedia Incby SUSAN MANNOntario cattle and hog farmer representatives are pleased the federal government is giving cash strapped producers more time to repay cash advances under the Advance Payment Program.The deadline for repaying the cash advances has been extended to Sept. 30, 2010, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced recently. In addition, the first $100,000 of each producer’s advance will continue to be interest free.The repayment deadline extension applies to regular and emergency loans taken by cattle and livestock farmers during the 2008/09 production period. The Stay of Default covers more than $450 million in advances to the Canadian livestock sector.For hog farmers it means “they’re going to have a little breathing room in having to repay that money the government loaned to them,” says Curtiss Littlejohn, chair of Ontario Pork’s board.Provided “there’s some black ink in 2009, this will allow producers some time to rebuild their businesses and adjust to realities as we see them today,” he adds.Littlejohn says organizations representing pork producers worked hard for the past couple of months to get “this small achievement” for their farmers.Paul Stiles, assistant manager at the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association, says organizations representing beef farmers had asked the federal government for an extension of both the repayment deadline and of the emergency advance program for another year.Beef producers are grateful the federal government is giving them more time to repay the cash advances. But they are still waiting to hear if the program will be extended for another year “to make it available to people who had not participated,” Stiles says. BF Federal budget contains surprises and disappointments Levy to stimulate wheat research likely to spark debate too
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
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
Canada Post Strike Continues to Threatens Agri-Businesses and Rural Communities Thursday, October 2, 2025 The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to take swift action to end the ongoing Canada Post strike, warning that the disruption is causing serious harm to small businesses – including many in the agriculture sector. “The government’s... Read this article online
Farmland Values Climb Across the Prairies-Manitoba Leads, Ontario Holds Steady Thursday, October 2, 2025 Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2025, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC). This marks a modest acceleration compared to the first half of 2024, which saw a 5.5 per cent increase. Over... Read this article online
Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Farmers can achieve higher soybean yields by focusing on strong foundations and careful field management according to Shaun Casteel, Extension Soybean Specialist from Purdue University, who spoke at the in August. He emphasized that no single method guarantees success—each field... Read this article online