Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition -Call to Action

Below is a bulletin outlining the status of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition and actions needed to advance this initiative. This bulletin was provided to OPIC by Ontario
Pork and is being placed here for your information.Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition.doc



Views: 231

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by kevin g kimball on February 19, 2010 at 10:43am
--Agree 100% with Van der Burght family ,,gov't doesn't show much interest in having any livestock industry in Ontario,,,over the next few years SK and JK schooling will cost 6 billion and safety nets for livestock get??? Best luck too all and we will remember Dalton in the next election...regards-kevin kimball
Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on February 22, 2010 at 3:35am
Good Call to Action.

We will do what we can to promote and encourage farmers and agri business to support with specific actions.

Joe Dales
Farms.com
Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on February 23, 2010 at 10:52am
An Ontario Pork Producer sent me this email to share their thoughts. Thanks, Joe



To Whom This May Concern,



If the pork industry is unable to receive valiant financial aid from our Government in the near future, this industry will deteriorate rapidly. Without a financial program set in place in Ontario comparable to that in Quebec, many people will suffer job losses. Like many industries, the pork industry works with a boomerang effect. When one aspect of the chain diminishes, the pork farmers in current terms, many components of the chain will proportionally terminate. Therefore, due to many farmers becoming bankrupt, there will be many related employment to this industry such as veterinarians, feed companies, machinery manufacturers, Government Agricultural workers etcetera also suffering and can furthermore lead to bankruptcy as well due to job loss.

The Agri Stability Program that is currently in place is not beneficial to pork farmers, especially those who feed their own home grown crops to their herd. Farmers from Quebec have sufficient financial security in the ASRA Program. It is not ethical to fund their needs alone as all Canadian pork farmers are in the same desperation to continue their business.

The foreseen future from the path that we are currently encompassing by default will also lead to American pork plaguing our Canadian plates and cutlery. ’ In Canada, we have worked hard on our food safety and traceability so we know what we put in our mouths. Canadian pork is much more wholesome, without the unnatural ‘enrichment’ of unnecessary hormones and medicines that Americans rely on to make their product ‘better. The CFIA do not permit the use of some of these feed additives to enhance our meat. With American pork crossing the border into Canada, we will be less informed and confident in knowing what the meat contains. We should not be forced to eat American pork when we have the facilities to create our own better and more safe pork.

This has been an ongoing issue for the past 3 years. With this accumulating issue and poor Governmental support we have received to date showing no signs of improvement, the death of the pork industry is vastly approaching. Your help is crucial to keep pork farming alive in Canada. The missing piece to fix this disaster is virtually in your hands.
Permalink Reply by JoAnne Caughill on May 2, 2010 at 3:56pm
With the coalition's 'media blitz' (using their words) on April 13th @ Queens Park and on April 22nd @ Parliament Hill, a 'town hall meeting' in Stratford - and very little media coverage of it all - when will farmers say 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'?
Permalink Reply by kevin g kimball on May 2, 2010 at 11:57pm
Pork producers have already said "enough is enough" as we just have too look at the numbers leaving or already exited the industry,,,they are sick of the regs., losing money and watching the cash crop farmers and supply managed commodities doing quite well, while our gov't abandons the beef and hog guys,,my cty.,Essex we are going too have 6 pork producers left--results will be no local industry services ,local marketing yard will close meaning no "new" people will start in our area as unless they can load pots they won't have a place too sell-deliver pigs and ones that have put 20-30+ yrs. in hog business will leave with no money except a little gov't buy-out if they bid cheap enough and most will have too seek off farm employment,,,,and with prices improving for hogs "especially US producers" I am sure with out a marketing plan we will be re-visiting these issues in a couple of years again --good luck too all--kevin kimball

RSS

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

Ukraine and Russia Ceasefire's Long-Term Impact on Grain MarketsImpact

Russia and Ukraine have continued to dominate the global grain market, despite infrastructure damage from the war.

Canola Crush Falls in February

The Canadian canola crush declined in February, falling below 1 million tonnes for the first time in five months. A Statistics Canada crush report on Friday pegged the February canola crush at 882,610 tonnes, down 12.6% from January and the first sub-1-million tonne monthly crush since September. Last month’s crush also fell 1.6% below the same month last year. However, the cumulative 2024-25 crush (August-February) is still running 6.2% ahead of the previous year, totalling 6.81 million tonnes. That is 59% of Agriculture Canada’s full-year crush forecast of 11.5 million tonnes, potentially a new record high. Although western Canadian canola crush capacity has expanded in the past couple of years, the canola industry is now facing trade wars on two fronts. On March 20, China officially imposed 100% tariffs on imports of Canadian canola oil and canola meal. According to the Canola Council of Canada, total canola exports to China in 2024 were valued at almost $5 billion and include

MPP for Leamington Trevor Jones named new Ontario agriculture minister

Fresh off re-election in Chatham-Kent—Leamington, the riding’s Progressive Conservative MPP is now heading a cabinet portfolio in the provincial government. Trevor Jones was named minister of agriculture, food and agribusiness on Wednesday, replacing Elgin–Middlesex–London MPP Rob Flack, who moves to municipal affairs and housing. A news release from the office of Premier Doug Ford stated the cabinet is an experienced team that will “deliver on the government’s mandate to do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario in the face of tariffs from the United States,” while building a stronger, more resilient economy. “As Ontario faces one of the greatest challenges in our history, workers and families are counting on us to stand up for their jobs and well-being,” Ford said. “Our government will double down on our plan to build, train and reskill workers for better jobs and bigger paycheques, tear down internal trade barriers, retool companies for new customers in new markets, attract mo

Second avian flu case this month reported in Lambton County

Another confirmed case of H5N1 avian influenza in birds has been reported in Lambton County by Lambton Public Health. The new case isn’t connected to one reported March 14, the agency said in a release. The latest case was reported at a commercial poultry site, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) website. The earlier Lambton case was also at a commercial poultry site. Lambton Public Health said it is working with Ontario’s Health and Agriculture ministries and the federal food inspection agency to “contain, monitor, and respond to the situation.” Avian influenza is a viral disease that mostly affects domestic poultry and wildlife such as geese, ducks, and shore birds, the agency said. No human cases of the virus have been reported so far in Ontario or Lambton County, it said. Only individuals who have worked with affected birds are considered at risk and Lambton Public Health said it is following up with those individuals.

John Cranfield named dean of the Ontario Agricultural College

John Cranfield is the new dean of the Ontario Agricultural College at the University of Guelph, removing the “acting” part from his title earlier this month. He had been serving in an interim capacity since July 2023, taking on the role after the university named the previous dean, Dr. Rene Van Acker, as its interim vice-president (research). The five-year term that started March 1 is the latest in a longstanding relationship between Cranfield and the university, where he began as an undergraduate student. Cranfield told The Observer he had spent most of his adult life as part of the University of Guelph, starting as an undergraduate studying biology before transferring to agriculture in his third year. “It really set me on an amazing path, partly because I think I was a little older when I transferred into the program. So, I had some good habits, matured a bit,” said Cranfield. “I just felt incredibly well supported, and a lot of opportunity was created for me, especially as a ma

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service