Simulation to test pork producer preparedness Thursday, August 25, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFThe Ontario Pork Industry Council (OPIC) and Ontario Pork are collaborating on an emergency preparedness project for the swine industry, specifically a foreign animal disease event simulation. The simulation will be a two-stage event carried out in September involving five or six selected farms. The first stage will be the onset of the disease at one farm and the second stage will be dealing with the spread of the disease to the rest of the selected farms. Selected producers will be notified and they will be acquainted with the newly developed farm planner so that the simulation can test how that works.Lori Moser, OPIC managing director, said the September dates are not being released. However, part of the simulation will be the use of widespread communication through Ontario Pork so producers and stakeholders will know about the simulation as it progresses. All communications will be identified using the word “simulation” to avoid concern and confusion. The simulation will:• Test the newly developed farm planner which guides producers through a checklist of actions in the case of a disease emergency including information sharing with service providers;• Create bio security and emergency preparedness tools for use within the pork supply chain; and• Test and measure the effectiveness of communications and responsiveness to assess gaps in the value chain. Participants will be testing the components of their own plans. Lessons learned will be reported at industry meetings including the next OPIC Annual General Meeting scheduled for April 2012 and the Ontario Pork annual meeting scheduled for March 2012. Individuals may be contacted to fill in a brief survey following the simulation to measure its overall effectiveness.For more information contact Moser at 519-684-6805 or lori.moser@rogers.com. BF It's the pork, stupid! Livestock producers have to communicate with the consumer
Manitoba Crops Advance Quickly as Heat Speeds Development Across Fields Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Manitoba farmers saw significant crop progress during the week of July 14 to July 21 as above-normal temperatures accelerated development across most major commodities. While the warmer weather helped push crops through critical growth stages, moisture conditions remained inconsistent... Read this article online
Canola Growers May Gain New Tool for Water Stress Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Mosaic Biosciences and Elicit Plant have entered into a joint development agreement to create a new agricultural solution aimed at helping canola growers across North America manage water-stress challenges. The collaboration will use Elicit Plant’s proprietary EliTerra technology... Read this article online
Pilot project supports Ontario and Quebec ag Wednesday, July 22, 2026 A new two-year pilot project is designed to help livestock farmers in Quebec by giving them access to an Ontario abattoir. The project, a collaboration between the Quebec and Ontario governments, with additional support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), would see a limited... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Harvest One of Canada’s Top Carrot Crops Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Carrots are among Ontario's most important vegetable crops, contributing significantly to local food production and year-round fresh produce availability. Ontario grows the most carrots of any Canadian province – 45% of the country’s carrots. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario... Read this article online
Weather Outlook Raises Flash Drought Concerns Across Central U.S. Tuesday, July 21, 2026 A growing flash drought across the central United States, lingering wildfire smoke impacts, and the rapid development of El Niño are creating a challenging weather outlook for North American agriculture. According to the latest weather analysis from Nutrien meteorologist Eric... Read this article online