Provincial agricultural growth committee to release report this year Thursday, February 5, 2015 by SUSAN MANNA new committee established to give Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal advice and recommendations on how the agricultural industry can double its annual growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020 is slated to release a report later this year.Leal says in an email from his press adviser the committee will deliver a report on its progress and recommendations at the 2015 Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food. The committee has already met for the first time last week and will meet again this spring.“I look forward to receiving advice from this committee as we work to support and grow the agri-food sector,” he says.The agriculture ministry named deputy minister Deb Stark and Ontario Pork chair Amy Cronin as co-chairs of the Agri-Food Growth Steering Committee.The challenge to double the agricultural industry’s growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs by 2020 was issued by Premier Kathleen Wynne in 2013.In its Feb. 3 press release, the agriculture ministry says the committee will provide advice on growth opportunities and on the development of a growth measurement system.Other members of the committee are:Ted Bilyea, president of a consulting firm and chair of the board of directors for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.Jim Brandle, CEO of Vineland Research and Innovation.Christian von Twickel, executive vice president of Dr. Oetker Canada Inc.Norm Beal, president and CEO of Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery and executive director of Food and Beverage Ontario.Scott Graham, chair of Egg Farmers of Ontario and an egg and cash crop farmer.Jamison Steeve, executive director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity. BF Chicken just in time for the Pan Am Games Ailsa Craig lab plans to add in-house testing
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced Tuesday, August 26, 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
Why Pork Producers Should Care About Canada’s Pig Code Update Tuesday, August 26, 2025 As many farmers will know, as part of the normal process for review, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) has launched a comprehensive review of Canada’s Pig Code of Practice, last updated in 2014. The review was announced in May. The process, expected to span three years,... Read this article online
Markets Connect Dots Toward US China Trade Deal Monday, August 25, 2025 On the weekly hosted by Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal, the focus for the week of August 18 to 22, 2025 was connecting market signals with on-the-ground realities. The discussion centered on trade negotiations and... Read this article online
Hensall Co-op Invests in Rural Growth Monday, August 25, 2025 Hensall Co-op has announced the recipients of its fifth annual Strong Communities Initiative, a program dedicated to strengthening rural communities by supporting projects that deliver long-term positive impact. This year, the co-op and its employees awarded $20,000 in grants to two main... Read this article online
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