Wage hike spells disaster for growers Monday, November 23, 2009 by SUSAN MANNOntario’s horticultural industry will face a catastrophe if the provincial government doesn’t offset next year’s planned minimum wage increase, concludes a report commissioned by the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.The wage is set to go up by 75 cents an hour in March 2010 to $10.25 from the current rate of $9.50. It will be the third year of annual increases that started in 2008. That’s about a 28 per cent increase over a three year period and will cost growers an extra $73 million annually once the increases are fully implemented.“The minimum wage increase artificially piles sharp labour cost increases on an industry that is already struggling,” it says in the report conducted by George Morris Centre research associates Al Mussell and Claudia Schmidt. The Centre, a Guelph-based independent agri-products think tank, published the report Nov. 19.Increased labour costs decrease farmers’ profitability, particularly for those growing crops where there aren’t alternatives to manual labour, such as peaches. According to the report, a 28-per-cent increase in manual labour expenses decreases profitability by almost 50 per cent.The researchers note grower eligibility for stabilization funding will also decrease significantly.Association CEO Art Smith says farmers aren’t opposed to minimum wage increases: “What we’re opposed to is having it on the backs of the farmers who don’t have a mechanism to recover those costs.”To offset the wage increase, Mussell and Schmidt recommend the government implement two types of compensation programs – one to offset losses in net income and the other to compensate for lost risk management program eligibility. BF Specialized crushing plant on hold Dow AgroSciences buys Hyland Seeds
Sowing Solutions--Guelph’s Agri-Food Research Gets Federal Spotlight Friday, October 3, 2025 The University of Guelph welcomed two prominent federal representatives for a day of engagement and discovery on Friday, October 3rd. Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, for a comprehensive tour... Read this article online
Downtown Diner Delivers a Taste of Canadian Farming to Ottawa Friday, October 3, 2025 This week, the heart of Canada’s capital was filled with the sights, sounds, and flavors of Canadian agriculture as Sparks Street played host to the Downtown Diner, a pop-up event celebrating Canadian food and the farmers who make it possible. At the center of the conversation was... Read this article online
Poll Reveals Mixed Public Sentiment on BC Ostrich Cull Decision Thursday, October 2, 2025 Farms.com poll shows divided opinions among Canadian farmers on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull. A recent poll conducted on Farms.com's X account @OntAg aimed to capture Canadian farmers' views on the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the ostrich cull in British... Read this article online
Effective Strategies for Corn Soybean and Wheat Thursday, October 2, 2025 As reported on the OMAFRA website fieldcropnews.com, effective crop residue management in corn, soybean, and wheat fields is key to profitability and long-term soil health. It begins at harvest, with combines and headers set correctly to size and spread residue evenly across the... Read this article online
New Ontario agrobotics challenge seeking high school submissions Thursday, October 2, 2025 A new competition for Ontario high school students is looking for innovative ways to solve challenges in the ag sector. The AgRobotics Ontario Challenge launched at the end of September. The competition is a collaboration between the Western Fair District, the Ontario Council for... Read this article online