Tribunal to tackle chicken quota allotment, proposed dairy plant Thursday, October 13, 2011 by SUSAN MANNChicken Farmers of Ontario and a group representing the province’s dairy processors will be involved in two separate hearings at the Ontario Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal next month.Chicken farmer Max Burt of Gore Bay is appealing a decision by Chicken Farmers of Ontario denying his request for allotment of basic quota for chicken production and marketing based on historic chicken production by his father during the qualifying period. The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1 in Sudbury.Burt couldn’t be reached for comment. Chicken Farmers communications coordinator Megan McCune says the board doesn’t make comments on anything that goes to the tribunal.The other hearing involves the Ontario Dairy Council, which is appealing a decision by the director of OMAFRA’s food industry branch who granted a permit to Esskay Dairy Ltd. to construct or alter a building intended for use as a plant. That hearing is scheduled for Nov. 8 in Guelph.Dairy council president Tom Kane couldn’t be reached for comment. In a Sept. 13 letter to the tribunal requesting the appeal, Kane says the director’s opinion is the plant is necessary but the council and dairy processing industry disagree.Due to the limitations of the milk supply management agreement, which OMAFRA is the provincial government signatory, there is only a limited volume of milk available to all industrial milk processors. The milk that will be delivered to the Esskay Dairy plant will be taken away from other existing cheese, butter, and powder plants in Ontario, Kane writes. Kane notes the director says Esskay Dairy will be providing products for a growing ethnic market but fails to mention that there are a number of processing plants that are already servicing that market. The director didn’t provide any evidence that granting this application will expand the total demand for milk. The fact that the application is for a small volume of milk is of no consequence, he says. BF Barn party crackdown Canadian Dairy Commission chair retires
Inside the Collapse of Monette Farms and What It Signals for Big Agriculture Thursday, April 30, 2026 The restructuring of Monette Farms is raising hard questions about how large is too large in modern agriculture—and whether today’s risk tools are keeping up. (Read the article: Monette Farms Seeks Court Protection as Mega-Farm Restructures Amid Financial Pressures) For years, Monette... Read this article online
Soybean Cyst Nematode Is in almost every soybean producing state and province Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Understanding Detection, Prevention, and Management of Soybeans’ Most Costly Pest Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), , remains the most damaging pathogen affecting soybeans in North America, costing U.S. farmers more than one billion dollars in lost yield annually. Updated national surveys... Read this article online
Farmland Rents Lag Land Values Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has released a new economic analysis highlighting a growing gap between farmland values and rental rates across the country, a trend that will likelyreshapeexpansion decisions for Canadian producers. According to the analysis, Canada’s average farmland... Read this article online
Ontario Funds for New Grain Innovation Projects Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Grain Farmers of Ontario has announced the successful applicants for its 2026 Grains Innovation Fund. The fund supports projects that increase the use, value, and demand for grains grown across Ontario. These efforts help build stronger domestic markets while encouraging innovation in... Read this article online
Drone Seeding Offers Hope for Ontario Wheat Farmers Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Farmers in parts of Ontario often struggle to plant winter wheat at the right time. The ideal planting period usually comes before soybeans are harvested, which can delay wheat seeding and reduce yields. This timing conflict makes it difficult for farmers tomaintainproper crop rotation and... Read this article online