Seed potatoes pass cyst nematode test Thursday, March 8, 2012 by BETTER FARMING STAFFCanada’s 2011 seed potato crop has passed a survey of potato cyst nematodes with flying colours.The Canadian Food Inspection Agency released the results of its annual survey on Thursday. There was no sign of the pest, a microscopic worm which can negatively affect potato production, in any of the 44,000 soil samples taken from about 78 per cent of the country’s 2011 seed potato production area.“We’re not really worried about it here in Ontario,” says Don Brubacher, Ontario Potato Growers’ general manager, of the pest, explaining the concern is mostly with seed potatoes destined for export to the United States.The federal agriculture ministry’s website explains the survey is part of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service joint potato cyst nematode certification protocol that has been in effect since 2007. The pest was confirmed in the St-Amable, Quebec potato growing area in 2006.According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s 2009-2010 potato market information review, Alberta, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick are responsible for the majority of the country’s seed potato exports. The three provinces exported 75 per cent of the country’s seed potato exports between 2006 and 2010. In contrast, Ontario growers accounted for only 1.4 per cent of the country’s seed potato exports between August 2009 and July 2010.A Statistics Canada November service bulletin indicates Canada’s 2011 potato crop was 92.6 million hundredweight, down four per cent from 2010 production, mostly because of decreased yields.Brubacher says Ontario’s 38,000 acres dedicated to potatoes in 2011 yielded about 6.4 million hundredweight. “Yields were not good last year,” he says, but adds the quality was excellent. Growers in Ontario produced about 8 million hundredweight of potatoes in each of 2010 and 2009, he says. BF Beef producers welcome $3 million for federal cattle tracking system Flower growers eye risk management
Inflatable Wedges Make Lifting Large Objects a Breeze Friday, October 18, 2024 Byline: Zahra Sadiq The hardest part about moving farming equipment, tools, and other items on the farm is the initial lift off from the ground. The traditional wedge has been the go-to solution to solving problems like this; however, there is a new alternative that might just take... Read this article online
Calhoun super structure ranks among top growing Canadian companies Friday, October 18, 2024 Calhoun Super Structure Ltd. is proud to announce its ranking of No. 342 on The Globe and Mail’s 2024 Report on Business magazine's list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies. This achievement marks the third consecutive year that Calhoun has made this prestigious ranking, which... Read this article online
5.5% values rise in Canadian farmland - FCC Report Friday, October 11, 2024 FCC reports strong increase in Canadian farmland values According to Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Canadian cultivated farmland values experienced an average increase of 5.5% in the first half of 2024. Over the 12 months from July 2023 to June 2024, farmland values rose by 9.6%, although... Read this article online
OP-ED: Happy Agriculture Week from Minister Flack Thursday, October 10, 2024 Rob Flack, Ontario's minister of farming, agriculture and agribusiness, provided the following message to celebrate Ontario Agriculture Week: Happy Ontario Agriculture Week! Every year during the week before Thanksgiving Monday, we celebrate the 871,000 people across the food supply... Read this article online
Helping farmers become more resilient to extreme weather and climate change Thursday, October 10, 2024 Funding supports 213 projects for resilient agricultural landscapes The governments of Canada and Ontario have announced over $12.2 million in funding to support 213 agricultural projects across Ontario. These projects aim to make farmland more resilient to extreme weather and... Read this article online