Wynne Makes Pitch in China to Alibaba to Sell Ontario Agri-Food Products. Is there anything Ontario farmers or the ag industry can do to help?

Premier Kathleen Wynne is in China on a one-week trade mission and is keen to sell more agri-food items. Officials met with senior executives at Alibaba, aiming to convince the Chinese online shopping giant to carry Ontario made products.

In this Toronto Star article the interest by the company sounds very positive: http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/10/29/wynne_woos_alibaba_in_ch...

Is there anything Ontario farmers or the ag industry can do to help?

What else can Kathleen Wynne do to help the agri-food industry in Ontario?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on November 2, 2014 at 5:06am

The government is investing $713,000 to Martin’s Family Fruit Farm to adapt their processing equipment for the slicing and dehydration of fresh vegetables into chips.

“This type of innovation is key to creating jobs and increasing profitability for farmers,” said MP Harold Albrecht, who made the announcement on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

The company already makes apple chips at their processing facility in Elmira. They will work to develop a dehydration method for potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Martin’s will also design and install processing equipment for large-scale production.

“This project will help create jobs and increase demand for vegetables leading to increased opportunities and greater profitability for farmers,” Albrecht said.

The money comes from the AgriInnovation program. Albrecht said the goal of the program is for Canadian producers to benefit from cutting edge science and technology while boosting the economy.

“When we think about innovation in Waterloo Region, we think about computers and digital media, but Martin’s Family Fruit Farm are a shining example of the innovation occurring at the farm gate,” Albrecht said.

“It’s exciting to see the growth from where we came from, from the first hundred apple trees that my father planted in ’71 to where we are now,” said Kevin Martin, the President of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm.

▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

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

U.S. Farmer Sentiment Erodes Further in June

Farmer sentiment declined again in June, as producers became less optimistic about both current conditions and the year ahead, according to the latest Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer on Tuesday. The barometer fell to 113 points in June, down from 119 in May. Both major components of the index weakened, with the Index of Current Conditions dropping five points and the Index of Future Expectations falling seven points. The current conditions measure was 26 points below its December 2025 level and reached its lowest point since December 2024. The June survey, conducted from June 15 to 19 among 400 farmers across the U.S., showed high input costs remain the dominant concern. Of the respondents, 47% listed high input costs as their biggest worry, well ahead of low crop and livestock prices at 23%. In a related question, 42% of farmers said high input costs were the main factor limiting improvement in their farm’s financial situation this year. Low output prices were c

Alberta Crops Continue to Improve, But Too Much Rain Is Becoming the Bigger Concern

Alberta crops are generally in better shape than they were a year ago, but for many producers the conversation has shifted from needing rain to finding a break in it. The latest Alberta Crop Report, covering conditions as of June 23, shows provincial crop ratings edged up to 69 per cent good-to-excellent, comfortably ahead of last year’s 50 per cent and above the five-year average of 64 per cent. While that’s encouraging, excessive moisture is beginning to create a different set of challenges across parts of the province. Frequent rainfall has delayed herbicide applications, slowed crop development and left some low-lying fields saturated. Producers in central and northern Alberta continue to report standing water and uneven emergence, while cooler-than-normal temperatures have limited crop growth despite generally favourable soil moisture. The regional picture remains mixed. Southern Alberta continues to post some of the province’s strongest crop ratings, with timely rainfall sup

Alberta Crops Are Primed for a Big Year—If Farmers Can Get Into Their Fields

By the time the calendar turns to July, Alberta farmers usually have a pretty good sense of what kind of crop they’re growing. This year, the answer depends largely on where you farm. The latest Alberta Crop Report shows much of the province heading into July with excellent yield potential thanks to abundant soil moisture. Provincial crop conditions remain well above long-term averages, and hay and pasture are responding to the moisture. But there is another side to the story. Frequent rainfall, saturated fields and limited spraying opportunities are creating mounting concerns over disease pressure, weed control and delayed crop development in several regions. While moisture has largely replaced drought as the dominant concern, too much water is becoming its own production challenge. Moisture Is No Longer the Limiting Factor Across much of Alberta, crops have access to plenty of water heading into one of the most important months of the growing season. Surface and sub-surface mo

Deere partners with ASW Distillery on spirits

Fiddler Combine Bourbon and Fiddler Steel Plow Rye helps celebrate American ag

Global Oil Output Rebound Expected as EIA Forecasts Lower Fuel Prices Through 2027

The latest U.S. Energy Information Administration outlook points to increased global oil production and lower energy prices over the next two years.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service