BMO expects farm sector to grow Friday, April 29, 2011 by PAT CURRIEThe Bank of Montreal on Thursday forecast that Canada’s agricultural sector will grow by between 3.5 and 4 per cent this year barring major flooding that may hurt crop yields."Momentum from the second half of last year has carried over into 2011, with farm output up 3.3 per cent from a year ago in January," said Kenrick Jordan, senior economist, BMO Capital Markets. After two years of contraction, Canada's agricultural sector now enjoys the prospect of "better prices, healthier global economic activity, improved financial conditions, expanding global economic activity and improved financial conditions as favourable factors," according to the bank’s Canadian Agricultural Prospects report. The crops segment is expected to grow faster than its livestock counterpart, where activity will be limited by smaller breeding herds and high feeding costs. Canadian farmers are likely to continue to experience solid financial performance this year, with crop and livestock prices expected to remain buoyant and output rising on stronger demand and improved yields."Our agriculture customers tell us they are well poised to capitalize on this opportunity," said David Rinneard, National Manager, Agriculture, BMO Bank of Montreal. The BoM report was released only a day before the Supreme Court of Canada upheld Ontario’s ban on farm labour unions."That gives farmers of little bit of confidence, some cautious optimism going at a time when volatile fuel prices are causing some concern," said Ron Bonnett, a Sault Ste. Marie area farmer and president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, a group that represents 200,000 Canadian farm families. BF Behind the Lines - May 2011 Farm employer group 'delighted' by Supreme Court ruling
The Ontario region names its provincial Outstanding Young Farmers of 2024 Friday, August 30, 2024 Image supplied by Outstanding Young Farmers Partners DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman of Haybury Farms Inc., located at Jarvis, were named for 2024 at their regional event held near Guelph on August 22, 2024. Matt Bergman grew up on a dairy farm and started farming for himself at the... Read this article online
Easy and Convenient Organization – Wherever You Go Friday, August 30, 2024 Byline: Nevan Hagarty and Braxten Breen It’s hard enough to maintain good organization on the farm, but when it comes to your tool bench, that’s where the real challenge begins. Not knowing where tools are, misplacing small fasteners and fittings, and forgetting that one specific... Read this article online
Agri-Tech innovation gets $22.6M boost in Ontario Friday, August 30, 2024 Investments in everything from electric sprayer for its field nursery crops to reverse osmosis equipment Ontario and Canada have jointly invested up to $22.6 million to support businesses in adopting innovative technologies and practices. The investments are to enhance the efficiency and... Read this article online
Ecorobotix appoints CEO for Swiss company’s NA division Thursday, August 29, 2024 Image supplied by Ecorobotix Inc. Ecorobotix Inc., the North American division of the Swiss ag tech and AI company, Ecorobotix SA, has appointed Cameron Holbrook as its new Chief Executive Officer. Ecorobotix Inc., established in 2023 and based in Salinas, California, brings the... Read this article online
OFA asking farmers to take Cultivating Local survey Thursday, August 29, 2024 The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is asking farmers to complete a survey about local selling opportunities. The organization is giving producers until Sept. 16 to fill out the Cultivating Local survey. “We’re looking to better understand farmers that are already or who want... Read this article online