Quality Meat Packers gets loan to upgrade Toronto plant Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by BETTER FARMING STAFFQuality Meat Packers Limited will receive a $3 million loan from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s slaughter improvement program to upgrade its Toronto processing facilities.“We will enhance food safety and traceability, improve plant efficiency and reduce operating costs through the purchase of value-added equipment,” says an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada release quoting David Schwartz, Quality’s president.A spokesperson from the company could not be reached for further comment.“Our Government is creating the conditions for growth in the hog sector which will help hog producers and processors compete on the national and international scene,” said Minister Gerry Ritz. “Our plan is clear: this Government is making strategic investments to strengthen the competitiveness of Canada’s livestock sector and opportunities for producers.”Issuing its first calls for applications in 2009, the three-year $50 million federal slaughter improvement program provides slaughter facilities with loans of up to 50 per cent of the project’s costs. The interest-free loans must be paid back within 10 years. According to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada website,monies for this project were allocated during the 2010 budget year and work was to be finished by March 31, 2012.Ken McEwan, a University of Guelph professor specializing in agricultural economics, estimates the company slaughters about 20,000 hogs a week at its Toronto facility and about 7,500 at its plant in Mitchell.The other federally licenced hog slaughter plants in Ontario are Fearmans Pork Inc. in Burlington and Conestoga Meat Packers in Breslau near Waterloo. On Tuesday, Sofina Foods Inc. announced that it had acquired Fearmans from Sun Capital Partners Inc. for an undisclosed amount. BF CFIA proposes change to federal meat inspection regulations Environmental aspects of ornamental horticultural production to be studied
Mother’s Day Q&A with Anna McCutcheon Thursday, May 8, 2025 Mother’s Day is only a few days away (that’s another reminder), and this week Farms.com has connected with moms in ag for their thoughts on motherhood, its challenges, and how being a parent has changed them. Anna McCutcheon (AM) and her husband Mark are the first generation on their... Read this article online
Looking for the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift for Women who work in Agriculture? Thursday, May 8, 2025 Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to show appreciation for the incredible women in agriculture than by supporting products and services created by women in agriculture? Whether she’s managing livestock, growing crops, running a farm-based business—or all of... Read this article online
Creating Safe Farms for Kids Wednesday, May 7, 2025 The Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) is hosting the second annual Kids FarmSafe Week from May 12 to 18, with the theme “Nurturing the Future of Agriculture.” The initiative aims to raise awareness about health and safety risks for children and youth on farms. According... Read this article online
Encouraging Consumers to spend 1 Percent More at Farmers Markets Could Make a Big Difference Wednesday, May 7, 2025 A recent study led by University of Northern British Columbia professor David Connell reveals that farmers’ markets, while growing in popularity, still make up only a small share of household food spending. The research was conducted across 70 markets in British Columbia and involved... Read this article online
2025 Election Results Prompt Concern and Reflection Among Prairie Farmers Tuesday, May 6, 2025 Users on Agriville.com weigh-in on the 2025 federal election outcome As news broke that Mark Carney’s Liberals had won the 2025 federal election, many western Canadian farmers on Agriville.com shared their reactions. The mood was largely one of disappointment, with concerns about the... Read this article online