Value added tax whacks chicken sales in Britain Thursday, May 2, 2013 Last fall, Britain began applying a 20 per cent value added tax (VAT) on food that was "hot" when it was passed over the counter, including rotisserie chickens, and sales fell by 18 per cent in the next five months, according to the British Poultry Council, or about 138,00 fewer birds per week. British news reports indicate a rotisserie chicken now costs about £5.55, up from £4.65 (C$7.17-$8.57). In Ontario at Easter, a similar 700-gram chicken was selling for about C$7 at Food Basics stores. British grocery chain Morrison's hopes that the government will change its policy. Most customers eat the chickens cold after they get home, not on the street like a "pasty" as the Brits call a pastry-wrapped sausage. Pasties have already been made exempt from the tax as long as they are allowed to cool before they are sold. BF Bottled water consumption surpasses soda, milk a distant third Record rice yields in India questioned
Ontario Farm Leaders Drew and Heather Spoelstra Named 2026 Outstanding Young Farmers Friday, April 10, 2026 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers (COYF) Program has announced Drew and Heather Spoelstra of Binbrook, Ontario, as the Ontario regional winners for 2026. The announcement was made following the Ontario regional competition held April 7 through 9 in St. Jacobs, Ontario. As provincial... Read this article online
Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre designs revealed Thursday, April 9, 2026 Attendees of the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre’s (OAFDC) AGM last month received a first look at building design concepts. The planned 34,000-square-foot science centre in Listowel, Ont., designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects, the same firm responsible for the looks of buildings... Read this article online
Proposed USDA budget cuts could shift the North American ag landscape Thursday, April 9, 2026 Image by Konyvesotto from Pixabay The US administration’s latest budget proposal includes a significant reduction to the US Department of Agriculture’s discretionary spending, a move that could have ripple effects across North American agriculture. According to Farms.com reporting... Read this article online
Corn and Soy Products Cleared for Global Market Access Thursday, April 9, 2026 The Market Access Committee for corn and soybeans has completed its 2026 review of new crop protection products, confirming no export concerns for four corn products and six soybean products. Approved corn products includeCovintroCorn,TelaroneDC,ZiduaSC Herbicide, and Storen Herbicide.... Read this article online
What Distributed Energy Resources Mean for Canadian Producers Tuesday, April 7, 2026 As energy costs rise, many Canadian farms are looking for ways to take greater control of their electricity use. One term that farmers are hearing more often is distributed energy resources, often shortened to DERs. While the phrase may sound technical, the concept is highly practical, and... Read this article online