Norwich couple win egg quota competition Wednesday, November 16, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFMichael and Gwen Van Gurp of Norwich are the first recipients of the New Entrant Quota Loan Pool (NEQLP) program. Their selection was announced Tuesday at Egg Farmers of Ontario's (EFO) Annual Councilors' Workshop.Picked by a selection committee from among 84 applicants, the Van Gurps will be loaned two units of quota, up to 5,000 units, for every unit they buy. After 10 years, the loaned quota will be returned to the NEQLP program in five installments of 20 per cent each year over five years.To be considered for EFO's new entrant program, an applicant must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and be a permanent resident of Ontario. Applicants cannot hold quota of any type in the supply-managed sector (egg, pullet, chicken, turkey, dairy, or hatching eggs) and not have held quota, currently or in the past, of any type in the supply-managed sector. Priority is given to persons between the ages of 18 and 45.The program was announced in March at the annual meeting of the EFO. The EFO will allocate 50,000 units of egg quota over a 10-year period into the program and, each year, up to 5,000 units of egg quota will be loaned. EFO general manager Harry Pelissero said the program is designed to be self-perpetuating and is expected to continue indefinitely. When loaned quota is returned to the program, it will go out to new recipients. At today’s prices, each unit of quota is worth between $230 and $240. BF Greenbelt poll questioned Farmland prices are on a roll
Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention Names Douglas Darling as President Wednesday, May 20, 2026 The Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Convention (OFVC) has named Niagara-based grower Douglas Darling as its new President, marking a leadership transition as the organization prepares for continued growth and innovation within Ontario’s horticulture sector. Darling, with Sunnydale Farms in... Read this article online
Sunrise Farms invests over $100 million to build advanced poultry plant in Woodstock Wednesday, May 20, 2026 Ontario’s agri‑food sector is set for another major boost as Sunrise Farms announced an investment of more than $100 million to build a state‑of‑the‑art poultry processing facility in Woodstock. The expansion—described as the largest greenfield project in the company’s history—will create... Read this article online
Simple Breeding Boosts Bee Survival Wednesday, May 20, 2026 To celebrate World Bee Day, May 20, we thought some good news about bees would be welcome. Honeybee colonies continue to face serious losses each year due to many challenges. Changes in weather, climate conditions, and land use all affect bee health. However, Varroa mites remain the... Read this article online
Protect Lake Simcoe from Water Soldier Spread Monday, May 18, 2026 Residents and visitors in Ontario are being encouraged to protect Lake Simcoe from watersoldier, a fast-growing invasive aquatic plant. This plant spreads quickly in shallow water and along shorelines, making activities such as swimming, fishing, and boating difficult. It can also pose a... Read this article online
90 percent of agri-businesses are concerned about the future of Canadian agriculture Thursday, May 14, 2026 Canada’s agriculture sector is facing a prolonged period of low confidence and limited growth, raising concerns about its long-term resilience. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), agri-business sentiment remains near the bottom across all industries, with... Read this article online