Plant meets construction and corn cost challenges, chairman says Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by MARY BAXTER“We’re certainly not all that disappointed seeing grain prices at the point where people can make a living at it,” said Tom Cox, in a telephone interview Monday. Cox is chairman of the 850-member Integrated Grain Processors Cooperative (IGPC) Ethanol Inc. Despite high corn prices, Cox said profit margins for the Aylmer-based plant look better now than they did a year ago, mainly because the price of oil rose to roughly $100 a barrel from around $60. “The absolute price of corn doesn’t matter so much as the spread between the price of corn and the price of ethanol,” he explained. Cox said optimism surrounding the venture was very evident during the coop’s annual meeting last week, which included a tour of the nearly complete Aylmer facility. “In the early stages you talked about a proposed plan, and it was a bit of a dream and now for people to actually see concrete and stainless steel and things are basically reaching the end of construction,” people were “thrilled,” he said. Those attending also had a chance to meet the coop’s new chief executive officer, Jim Grey. A former president of Casco Inc. and former general manager of the Ontario Soybean Growers, Grey comes to the job with the development of a corn wet milling facility for Jungbunzlauer in Austria fresh under his belt. Cox said the plant could open six to eight weeks ahead of schedule: “We expect to be grinding corn by the end of July.” So far, the plant, which is anticipated to cost $140 million to complete, has received nearly $30 million in federal and provincial funding, which includes a $3.9 million federal grant, announced last week. Other funding has been raised from member investors as well as financing, Cox has said previously. Last year, IGPC announced that Cargill would be sourcing corn for the facility. The facility is projected to produce annually 150 million litres of ethanol using 15 million bushels of corn. BF 'Mismanagement' by government cited in Gencor packing plant failure Ritz rejects call for a tobacco grower exit program
Tips for first year university students Friday, August 29, 2025 The final weekend of summer is here, and students across Ontario will be returning to class next week. That includes at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus, where staff, faculty, and volunteers are preparing to welcome a new crop of first year students. “There’s definitely a... Read this article online
Sterling buckle marks 170 years at Spencerville Fair Friday, August 29, 2025 For its 170th anniversary, the Spencerville Fair is presenting a distinctive piece of Canadian silverwork that reflects nearly two centuries of agricultural tradition. The 170th Anniversary Spencerville Fair Sterling Silver Buckle was designed and handcrafted by Alex Dordevic of TRIBE, a... Read this article online
Corn and Soybean Crops Fall Short in 2025 Predicts Great Ontario Yield Tour Thursday, August 28, 2025 Ontario’s 2025 corn and soybean harvest is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in recent memory, as persistent drought and heat have pushed yields below the Agricorp 10-year average say experts and master scouts Moe Agostino and Henry Prinzen of the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour.... Read this article online
Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Thursday, August 28, 2025 The global grain and oilseed trading industry is undergoing a major transformation—and Canadian farmers should take note. A recently published study in the September 2025 issue of discussed how the traditional dominance of a few multinational giants is giving way to a more competitive,... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Share Yield Strategies Amid Drought Wednesday, August 27, 2025 The Great Ontario Yield Tour held an event at Petersen Custom Farming in Osgood, Ontario, on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The farmer panel during lunch was one of the highlights of the event. Farmers and industry experts gathered to discuss yield strategies and the realities of this season’s... Read this article online