Seed of the year finalists announced Monday, July 2, 2012 by SUSAN MANNTwo soybean varieties, a forage seed and a navy bean variety are in contention for this year’s eighth annual Eastern Canada Seed of the Year competition.The entries are: Dividend VL Orchard Grass, Ex Rico 23 Navy Bean, OAC Bayfield and DH 410. The varieties and their breeders will be honoured at the Eastern Canada Seed of the Year recognition event at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto in November. The winner will be announced then too.The competition is sponsored by the University of Guelph and SeCan with additional support from the Ontario agriculture ministry and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.Martin Harry, spokesman from SeCan, says he’d characterize this year’s entries as “all winners. They all have the potential to win.”Formed in 1976, SeCan is the largest supplier of certified seed to Canadian farmers.Through the Seed of the Year application process breeders are encouraged to highlight their research accomplishments in developing a new field crop, forage, fruit, vegetable or herb variety. Any publicly developed Canadian variety is eligible to compete.Entries were evaluated on innovation, presence throughout the value chain, sustainability, marketability and overall impact on the Canadian agri-food industry. BF Former CFFO general manager calls it quits Ontario wheat producers offered advance
Ontario Supports Farmers Through 4R Nutrient Program Thursday, January 22, 2026 Several key agricultural organizations and the provincial government have renewed the Memorandum of Cooperation for the 4R Nutrient Stewardship program for a third term. The agreement brings together the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, Fertilizer Canada, Grain Farmers of... Read this article online
Canada-Ontario Funding Aims to Expand Agri-Food Markets Wednesday, January 21, 2026 The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $20 million through the new Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative to help farmers, food processors, and agribusinesses expand sales of Ontario-grown products domestically and internationally. The initiative... Read this article online
Bushel Plus rebrands to BranValt for global harvest-tech growth Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Bushel Plus Ltd., a well‑known name in harvest optimization tools and training, is preparing for a major brand transformation as it shifts to a new global identity: BranValt. The company recently announced that the transition will officially take effect in July 2026, marking a... Read this article online
Canada Negotiates Tariff Reductions on Canola Seed by China Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Mark Carney has concluded his visit to Beijing for high-level meetings with Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping. The visit marked the first trip to China by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 and resulted in a joint statement outlining a new strategic partnership between the two countries.... Read this article online
Ontario Pig Producer Disease Advisory -- PED and PDCoV Risks Rising This Winter Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) and Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) continue to pose significant risks to swine operations across the industry. Both viruses are highly infectious, spread easily through manure, contaminated equipment, transport vehicles, and human movement, and can have... Read this article online