More pork players; more controversy Wednesday, February 25, 2009 © AgMedia Inc.by BETTER FARMING STAFFThe Hog Industry Advisory Committee may need a bigger table when it meets on Monday.Rod DeWolde, Millbrook, chair of District 11, Peterborough County, says he feels comfortable attending committee meetings now that Ontario Pork will have representation there as well.Ontario Pork withdrew from committee talks earlier this month, citing legal advice surrounding a stay on restructuring while the Farm Products Appeal Tribunal handles appeals from producers. Last week, says DeWolde, he and other Ontario Pork district chairs received invitations from the committee to attend their weekly sessions.On Feb 17, the Ontario Farm Products Marketing chair Geri Kamenz sent an open letter to producers with a proposal to set fees that Ontario Pork would charge producers for “universal services.” The proposed fees are $0.80 a hog and $0.20 a weaner.Ontario Pork's chairman Curtiss Littlejohn says Ontario Pork doesn’t know how the proposed fees were determined, and that has forced a rethinking of Ontario Pork’s position. In spite of legal concerns about being at the discussion table during a stay of proceedings, according to Littlejohn, Ontario Pork’s board feels pork producers are even more at risk if Ontario doesn’t have a presence. The decision was made “after careful consideration,” he told Better Farming this morning.“At the end of the day, producers need to decide what producers want Ontario Pork to do and what they are prepared to fund to make that happen.”Kamenz told Better Farming shortly after noon that he was unaware of Ontario Pork’s return. "I don't respond to rumours."The commission chairman’s letter said the fees were based on those charged in other jurisdictions. Part of the fee Ontario producers pay to their marketing board funds about $1.7 million of pork industry research. By comparison in Manitoba where nine million pigs are sold annually producers pay $500,000 for research.Dewolde and District 11, which he chairs, is now in the thick of the debate following the Farm Products Marketing Commission ruling last October.DeWolde says producers in districts 10, 11 and 12 have joined forces to appeal the new governance structure that Ontario Pork forwarded to the commission last December. DeWolde says “it is complicated” but producers from Dufferin County all the way east to the Quebec border say the governance structure was developed hurriedly under an unreasonable deadline imposed by the Commission. “We are quite concerned that this whole process is moving along too quickly,” he said.“We as producers were working through that process. We feel that decisions were made incorrectly” because of the tight timeline. BF Ethanol co-products offer feed alternatives for hog producers Universal fees to fund Ontario Pork debated
Manitoba pork, canola producers hold steady amid heavy tariffs Wednesday, July 9, 2025 A slab of back bacon from Natural Raised Pork comes with a waitlist. Ian Smith points to tariffs. Since the United States placed levies on imports from Canada, Manitobans have increasingly been calling Smith about his farm near Argyle, some 40 kilometres northwest of... Read this article online
Best Remote Security Systems for Farms Without WiFi Tuesday, July 8, 2025 In rural areas where WiFi connectivity is scarce, farmers often rely on cellular-based security systems to monitor their remote buildings and equipment. In this article, we explore the top five remote security systems that operate over cellular networks, highlighting their pros, cons, and... Read this article online
Alberta Grant Helps Farmers Hire and Train Class 1 Drivers Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Did you know that if you are looking to expand your farm team with skilled Class 1 drivers Alberta's Class 1 Learning Pathway Grant Program offers employers up to $25,000 per new hire to support training, onboarding, and professional development? This initiative is part of the... Read this article online
Battle River-Crowfoot voters decide Poilievre’s future on Aug. 18 Tuesday, July 8, 2025 The date is set for the federal byelection in Battle River-Crowfoot. On Aug. 18, the riding of 107,979 people as of the 2021 Census, will either grant or deny Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre a seat back in the House of Commons. “It would be an honour to represent the people of... Read this article online
Stats Canada publishes 2026 Census of Agriculture questions Tuesday, July 8, 2025 Canadian farmers wanting to prepare for next year’s Census of Agriculture can do so. Statistics Canada has published the questions it will be asking in the 2026 ag questionnaire. “The data are needed to make informed decisions about business risk management strategies, agricultural... Read this article online