Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Recovery Plan for Ontario Pork Industry

Grassroots producers have worked at trying to put forward a Recovery Plan for the Ontario Pork Industry. It is an article for discussion and is not written in stone. Please consider engaging in discussions - tell us what statements you can endorse and give us suggestions for those statements you can not support.

Only through these discussions, can we provide the unified voice that is needed.

'If you aren't a part of the solution - you become part of the problem'

Views: 134

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by rein minnema on October 14, 2009 at 3:19pm
The U.S. country of origin labeling and interprovincial trade disruption are the biggest issues that stand in the way of a level playingfield.
Permalink Reply by pigsrgr8 on October 15, 2009 at 2:50am
There are numerous issues but,

The only sustainable solution will be to get the pork prices up...now the dollar is moving to par with the US.

What can we do to address prices?
Permalink Reply by JoAnne Caughill on October 15, 2009 at 7:38am
If we believe the reason why our price is where it is - too many hogs in this world economy - markets are telling us we have to downsize. A problem is that some of us will get that message quicker (due to limited funds) than others (US) who think they can sustain this crazy marketplace - dog-eat-dog. The question that needs to be asked - Do the MAJORITY of Ontario Producers want to work together to systemically downsize our industry - AND - put pursue legislation to protect that downsizing - as we watch 200,000 MT (and growing) US pork coming into our store. You are right about the rising dollar - and we can add that to the growing list of items working against us - and the question is - when do we see any sustainable resolution to any one of these problems? We all bought into 'Fresh Pork for the World' and now the world has changed it's mind (perhaps temporarily). Producers need to unite as one voice - and list the priorities of what they want - suggestions: Cost of Production Insurance; Fix CAIS; eliminate the damage of ASRA to Ontario Producers (via $$$ to producers) put regulations in place to ensure imports are produced to our exact standards - the list is endless - so we as producers HAVE got to set a priority list - and I would say address the short-term; intermediate and long-term industry. I'd be interested to get your feedback.
Permalink Reply by Tom Murray on October 16, 2009 at 2:01am
Will the packers come on board?? There will still be an export demand as the economy rebounds and some people and packers will still want to chase that. The pork that we are raising now is disappearing just not at a price that we like, who is really controlling the price?? Yes I believe we need to control our own market and supply it ourselves and do it sooner than later, we just need OP to realize this and step up

JoAnne Caughill said:
If we believe the reason why our price is where it is - too many hogs in this world economy - markets are telling us we have to downsize. A problem is that some of us will get that message quicker (due to limited funds) than others (US) who think they can sustain this crazy marketplace - dog-eat-dog. The question that needs to be asked - Do the MAJORITY of Ontario Producers want to work together to systemically downsize our industry - AND - put pursue legislation to protect that downsizing - as we watch 200,000 MT (and growing) US pork coming into our store. You are right about the rising dollar - and we can add that to the growing list of items working against us - and the question is - when do we see any sustainable resolution to any one of these problems? We all bought into 'Fresh Pork for the World' and now the world has changed it's mind (perhaps temporarily). Producers need to unite as one voice - and list the priorities of what they want - suggestions: Cost of Production Insurance; Fix CAIS; eliminate the damage of ASRA to Ontario Producers (via $$$ to producers) put regulations in place to ensure imports are produced to our exact standards - the list is endless - so we as producers HAVE got to set a priority list - and I would say address the short-term; intermediate and long-term industry. I'd be interested to get your feedback.
Permalink Reply by JoAnne Caughill on October 16, 2009 at 3:46am
Hi Tom - Packers are hearing about the Recovery Plan - and intrigued. They understand that without us, they don't have an industry. They know we need more of the Retail Dollar and I would also go out on a limb and say that they too likely need more of the retail dollar. Processors have been squeezed with us. A round table of Industry people will be an important part of this process of moving forward with a Recovery Plan. Tom - John N. and I would really like the opportunity to speak to your County Meeting - any chance of this?

Tom Murray said:
Will the packers come on board?? There will still be an export demand as the economy rebounds and some people and packers will still want to chase that. The pork that we are raising now is disappearing just not at a price that we like, who is really controlling the price?? Yes I believe we need to control our own market and supply it ourselves and do it sooner than later, we just need OP to realize this and step up

JoAnne Caughill said:
If we believe the reason why our price is where it is - too many hogs in this world economy - markets are telling us we have to downsize. A problem is that some of us will get that message quicker (due to limited funds) than others (US) who think they can sustain this crazy marketplace - dog-eat-dog. The question that needs to be asked - Do the MAJORITY of Ontario Producers want to work together to systemically downsize our industry - AND - put pursue legislation to protect that downsizing - as we watch 200,000 MT (and growing) US pork coming into our store. You are right about the rising dollar - and we can add that to the growing list of items working against us - and the question is - when do we see any sustainable resolution to any one of these problems? We all bought into 'Fresh Pork for the World' and now the world has changed it's mind (perhaps temporarily). Producers need to unite as one voice - and list the priorities of what they want - suggestions: Cost of Production Insurance; Fix CAIS; eliminate the damage of ASRA to Ontario Producers (via $$$ to producers) put regulations in place to ensure imports are produced to our exact standards - the list is endless - so we as producers HAVE got to set a priority list - and I would say address the short-term; intermediate and long-term industry. I'd be interested to get your feedback.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

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

Pulse & Soybean Crop Update

Soybeans range from R3 (beginning pod) to R4 (full pod). Soybean plant height and biomass have increased dramatically over the last two weeks as the plants continued flowering and pod development. Varying degrees of stem, leaf, flower and pod deformations have been noted and have been attributed to a variety of causes including: Rapid Growth Syndrome – Shows up as bubbling and crinkling and curling of new leaves since the leaf interior is growing quicker than the leaf veins and edges can keep up with. See Figure 1 below. Suspected Herbicide Drift – Concerns regarding suspected Group 4 drift in particular have been reported this year. Caution should be taken with such diagnosis based on visual assessments only as rapid growth syndrome can produce some comparable symptoms. See Figures 2 and 3 below. Suspected Environmentally Induced Male Plant Sterility – Symptoms with this disorder can be very odd and hard to verify. Extreme fluctuations in temperature which includes very hot conditi

Drought Support for Manitoba Livestock Producers

Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture have reached agreement on the five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership policy framework. Governments will continue to deliver a complete and effective suite of business risk management (BRM) programs.  Business Risk Management (BRM) programs are in place to help farmers in managing risks from income declines resulting from drought, flooding, low prices, and increased input costs. The programs work together by providing protection for different types of losses, as well as cash flow options. AgriInvest helps cover small margin declines.  AgriInvest Publications and Forms AgriStability assists in cases of large margin declines caused by circumstances such as low prices and rising input costs.  AgriStability Publications and Forms Agristability Benefit Calculator AgriInsurance offers protection for production losses related to specific crops or commodities caused by natural hazards. Pasture Days Insuranc

Smoky conditions and hot weather impacting Manitoba's agricultural producers

In a growing season that's already experienced more than 30 days of air quality warnings, Manitoba's farmers are adjusting to keep themselves and their animals safe amid smoky conditions from wildfires burning across the province. In Pipestone, Man., the orange haze can get so thick it's hard to see more than half a mile, says cattle producer Melissa Atchison. That means during the tail end of calving season, they're taking extra precautions to keep themselves and their animals healthy. "It's not as if you are going to have pre-smoked meat," Atchison said. "It doesn't affect meat quality.… It's more about managing their health and their lungs and their respiratory system." Jonas Watson, a veterinarian at Winnipeg's Grant Park Animal Hospital, said the adverse health effects caused by poor air quality can also hurt producers' bottom line. The summer's intense heat can impact an outdoor animal's breathing at the best of times — but add in irritants like smoke and their health can be

Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station educates local producers

The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station showcased 44 experiments and other projects it's doing this year to local producers at its annual summer tour day. Most notably, the station is adding 31 new varieties of all its crops to avoid stagnancy to sustain and improve crop yields, testing the greenhouse gas emissions of different enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and assessing whether these fertilizers could improve the efficiency of fertilizer use. “Even before I start seeding the experiments, I share what sort of experiments I’m going to do with farmers and ask them if there’s anything else they would like us to do,” said Tarlok Singh Sahota, the station’s director, who personally meets with farmers in their fields and barns for these discussions. “So, this is a very shared program with the farmers and (the) farm will be closely linked with the farmers. I think this is probably the only substation in our country, not only in the province, that works so closely with the f

FedNor announces funds for agriculture, video series

The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) is getting federal funding support to strengthen Northern Ontario’s agri-food sector. Announced on July 25, the $702,713 in funds will improve local value chains, advance technology adoption, and promote sustainable practices, according to FedNor, which is providing the funds. NOFIA will also assess key production and procurement challenges, and explore infrastructure investments to support aggregation, storage, and distribution.  The idea is to expand market opportunities and increase demand for products produced in Northern Ontario. “This investment is a game-changer for agriculture in Northern Ontario. It allows us to strengthen our regional food systems, support producers of all sizes, and explore innovative technologies that will shape the future of farming in the North,” said Emily Seed, NOFIA’s executive director, in a news release. “By working together with communities and partners, we’re helping to build a more sustaina

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service