Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Agricorp too heavy handed?

This past month a new policy from Agricorp was brought to my attention that has resulted in some board members of various agricultural commodity groups to resign. Apparently the new rules state that you either work for Agricorp or you can sit on a local volunteer agricultural organization board of directors - but not both.
It went over worse than a "lead balloon" (so to speak) locally. It seems convenient that Agricorp developed policies that benefit the organization but does not good for the agricultural community. Conflict of Interest is the excuse. See the article written by Better Farming for further explanation.
Is Agricorp taking it too far or should we all quit our local boards when a potential conflict of interest may occur?

Views: 250

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John Schwartzentruber on January 7, 2010 at 2:36am
How could anyone say that god is too heavy handed?
Permalink Reply by Ken McCormack on January 31, 2010 at 3:35pm
This does seem a bit over the top. I can see some senior positions or Agricorp directors being restricted, But all staff? Many local NFP agriculture groups are hurting for organizers now. To cut them further is to eliminate them. This industry is in a downward spiral for the small producer.

With all those who keep demanding audits of Agricorp I can only say that one was completed and clearly showed Agricorp was not given the resources to develop the system they need for modern programs. The CAIS database is being used for purposes it was never intended. The audit made excellent recommendations. We do not need more audits, we now need the same people that demanded the audits to demand the government give Agricorp some one time additional funding to implement the auditor's report. After all Agricorp has wisely not taken funds from the farm programs to use for developing processes from the report, let's give them credit where it is due and help them out to serve us better.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Ontario Grows Most of the Nation's Celery

Celery may not be Canada's largest vegetable crop, but it remains an important specialty vegetable for fresh markets.

University of Guelph Receives $1 Million Gift to Advance Sustainable Materials Research and Bioeconomy Growth

A $1-million gift from The WB Family Foundation will help University of Guelph researchers accelerate the development of sustainable materials made from agricultural and forestry byproducts.

Pulse Market Insight #303

Faltering Monsoon Is Central to the Pulse Outlook For pulse markets, few things matter more than the Indian monsoon and this year’s version has been erratic. June rainfall came in well below average, and while a burst of heavier rain in late June and early July briefly narrowed the gap, volumes dropped off sharply again right in the middle of the main planting window. Rainfall amounts picked up again in late July, but the cumulative monsoon rainfall is still running 16% below the long-term average. There’s still a lot of monsoon season left, but the longer the shortfall persists, the more it matters for both of India’s pulse crops — the kharif crop being seeded now and the rabi crop that follows this winter. The uneven rains are showing up clearly in seeding progress. Indian farmers picked up the pace when moisture improved, but the most recent weekly data still show planting of tur (pigeon peas) 11% behind last year and 10% below the average pace. Some of that ground can still be ma

ABP highlights leadership, collaboration at PNWER Annual Summit

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) played a strong role at the 2026 Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Annual Summit in Edmonton, contributing to discussions on transportation, communications and industry collaboration while helping showcase Alberta Beef to delegates from across the region. The Annual Summit brings together government leaders, industry representatives and stakeholders from across the Pacific Northwest to discuss shared economic opportunities and regional priorities. Strengthening agricultural supply chains ABP Chair Doug Roxburgh participated in a panel discussion focused on strengthening agricultural supply chains alongside Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Tara Sawyer and Jennifer Riddle of Tidewater Transportation and Terminals. The discussion highlighted the importance of reliable transportation infrastructure, cross-border collaboration and efficient supply chains to support a resilient and competitive livestock industry throughout the Pacific No

Meet Manitoba Crop Alliance’s 2025-26 high school bursary recipients

Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) is proud to support agriculture’s next generation. MCA’s bursary program is designed to assist with the financial needs of students pursuing education in a field that will benefit the agriculture sector. Six graduating high school students from Manitoba have been awarded with bursaries valued at $1,000 each. The six bursary recipients are Austin Dubyts from Stockton, Katie Gulak from Gilbert Plains, Aiden Brunel from Ste. Rose du Lac, Keira Duguid from Gimli, Julie McMahon from Inwood, and Ella Prejet from Notre Dame de Lourdes. “Every year, I’m impressed by the quality of our bursary applicants and this year’s recipients are no exception,” says MCA chair Jonothan Hodson. “I look forward to seeing the valuable contributions they will make to our industry. The future of Manitoba agriculture is in great hands.” To qualify for these bursaries, applicants did not need to be continuing into an agriculture-specific program. However, they did need to clearly ar

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service