Ontario Pork starts collecting fees on out of province weaner sales Thursday, May 23, 2013 by BETTER FARMING STAFF Beginning this month, producers who ship weanling pigs to out-of-province buyers must pay 20 cents per animal to Ontario Pork. The notice of the fee was published Wednesday in the Canada Gazette. Jim Weir, Ontario Pork’s divisional manager of finance and administration, says the fee actually took effect April 30. “We’re engaging brokers and producers who are shipping direct” to collect the fees, Weir says. The 20-cent fee only applies to pigs weighing less than 56 kilograms shipped out of province. Within Ontario, the marketing board already charges a market hog fee of $1. “So we’re not looking to charge the same hog twice,” Weir says. The $1 fee also applies to all pigs greater than 56 kgs marketed to an out-of-province buyer. Weir notes the board gained the ability to collect fees on all classes of pigs when it restructured more than two years ago. He says he did not have a firm idea of how much revenue the new fee would generate. “We have done some early estimates; until we have a good feel under our belt I’ll hold back on saying what we think might come,” he says. The revenue will be applied to its share of the costs of delivering Ontario Pork’s universal services, he says. In 2012, the marketing board derived $4,982,639 in revenue from its market hog check-off fee. BF Update 9:12 a.m. Wednesay May 23, 2013 Weir says the board will assess the impact of the weanling fee against the market hog fee "because their intent is not to generate income but for this to be revenue neutral." BF Ontario hog industry monitors stateside epidemic in pigs Ontario Pork board plans meetings with farmers before releasing its position on a mandatory sow stall ban
Ag in the House: Sept. 29 – Oct. 3 Tuesday, October 7, 2025 MPs demanded answers about the carbon tax and Russian fertilizer during question periods last week. On Oct. 1, John Barlow, the Alberta Conservative MP for Foothills and the party’s agriculture critic, wanted to know why the government continues to apply carbon taxes to farmers. Prime... Read this article online
New mandate letter for Alberta’s ag minister Tuesday, October 7, 2025 Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation has new directions from Premier Danielle Smith. Minister RJ Sigurdson received a new mandate letter on Oct. 2 laying out multiple items the premier wants him to focus on going forward. “This mandate is about building opportunity and... Read this article online
Electrifying weeds in P.E.I. Tuesday, October 7, 2025 An electric shock is defined as a sudden discharge of electricity through a part of the body. Now imagine you’re a weed standing in a field, minding your yield-robbing business when suddenly – zap! That’s what’s going on at AAFC’s Harrington Research Farm in P.E.I. as researchers are... Read this article online
Trump Xi Meeting Sparks Optimism as U.S. Grain Stocks Weigh on Markets Monday, October 6, 2025 USDA Report Mixed While China Trade Hopes Boost Sentiment On the weekly Ag Commodity+ Podcast, Farms.com Risk Management Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino and Commodity Strategist Abhinesh Gopal reviewed key market events for the week of September 29th to October 3rd. This... Read this article online
Cdn. ag industry launches Canada’s Food System national campaign Monday, October 6, 2025 A new national campaign aims to connect Canadians with the food system that feeds them, employs them, and supports Canada around the world. The Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) and multiple industry groups collaborated to launch Canada’s Food System: Our Food. Our Future. The... Read this article online