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

anadian Tractor and Combine Sales Fall Sharply in September 2026. What It Says About Farmer Confidence

Canadian farmers continue to show caution when it comes to major equipment purchases, new data reveals double-digit declines in tractor and combine sales during September.

An open fall may offer Manitoba farmers a chance to turn marginal acres into opportunity

For Manitoba farmers looking for ways to get more from every acre, late fall can be the right time to tackle fields that consistently struggle to produce a profitable crop. Flood prone, weedy, saline areas can quietly eat into farm profitability year after year. Rather than continuing to apply crop inputs and fight with wet, saline acres that simply don’t pay, farmers can consider perennial forages as a longer-term solution. Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is encouraging farmers to take advantage of the fall window for dormant seeding as part of its Marginal Areas Program. “Some acres aren’t as well suited to growing annual crops year after year,” says Daphne Appleyard, a marginal areas specialist with DUC. “Fall is a good opportunity to start changing that equation by establishing perennial forages. Perennials reduce the need for annual crop inputs, provide ground cover to reduce erosion and weed pressure, and deep roots use moisture more efficiently than annual crops while mitigatin

Nine companies join program aimed at advancing Canadian food supply chain

Canada’s opportunity to strengthen its economy and domestic food security by making more from what it grows is increasing, and companies from coast to coast are stepping up to help the country reach its full potential. Today, Protein Industries Canada announced the addition of nine new companies into its Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program, bringing new products to grocery store shelves and new benefits to consumers across the country. By making more from what we grow, Canada has the opportunity to add upwards of $5.4 billion to its GDP, supporting 34,000 jobs. The Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program supports this opportunity by helping Canadian SMEs reformulate or develop ingredients and food products using Canadian inputs, improving cost efficiencies and strengthening the domestic food supply chain. “Canada’s food production and value-added agriculture sector is built on strong foundations, but we have the opportunity to do more,” Protein Industries Canada C

USDA Makes Historic $3.3B Loan to Build Electric Generation Facility in Georgia

Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a historic $3.3 billion loan to Oglethorpe Power Corporation to help finance its Smarr Combined-Cycle electric generating facility in Monroe County, Georgia, during a visit to the construction site. This new facility will deliver dependable, affordable power for generations while helping meet America’s growing energy needs. This loan is the largest ever delivered in the history of USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service and comes at a critical time for investing in American energy. As stated by President Trump, the United States is experiencing a surge in electricity demand from rapid technological advancements. This project strengthens the nation’s electrical grid, and lower-cost financing will help keep electricity affordable for Georgia families. "Historic times call for historic actions, and this tremendous investment in America’s electric power grid is evidence of President Trump’s focus on powering our na

Davidson Grain Elevator Demolition Causes Power Outage Across Saskatchewan Community

The demolition of a grain elevator in Davidson, Sask., led to an unexpected power outage after the structure damaged a power line.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service