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 combine concaves featured in TIME Magazine Thursday, October 23, 2025 A product from Winkler, Man., has found itself in TIME Magazine. Thunderstuck Ag’s Razors Edge concaves are part of TIME’s list of the 300 best inventions of 2025. “I don’t even think it’s sunk in,” Jeremy Matuszewski, president and founder of Thunderstruck Ag, told Farms.com. “I mean... Read this article online
Why Choose Hi-Hog Livestock Feeders Thursday, October 23, 2025 Producing high-quality hay is no easy task. It requires a substantial financial and time investment, and minimizing loss is a struggle anyone utilizing hay can understand. For this reason, Hi-Hog Livestock Feeders should be utilized. BC Livestock is the premier dealer of Hi-Hog Livestock... Read this article online
HGS BioScience acquires NutriAg to form a leading biostimulant and bionutritional company Wednesday, October 22, 2025 HGS BioScience, a leader in humic and fulvic acid-based products backed by Paine Schwartz Partners, announced today the acquisition of NutriAg Ltd., a Toronto-based innovator in bionutritional technologies. This strategic merger brings together two complementary forces in agricultural... Read this article online
The Rock Picker That’s Redefining Field Efficiency Wednesday, October 22, 2025 Highline Manufacturing recently introduced the RP 800, the next evolution in rock picking technology. Built tough and engineered for speed, visibility, and durability, the RP 800 is designed to help producers clear fields faster and more efficiently than ever before. At the heart of... Read this article online
HGS BioScience acquires NutriAg to form a leading biostimulant and bionutritional company Wednesday, October 22, 2025 HGS BioScience, a leader in humic and fulvic acid-based products backed by Paine Schwartz Partners, announced today the acquisition of NutriAg Ltd., a Toronto-based innovator in bionutritional technologies. This strategic merger brings together two complementary forces in agricultural... Read this article online