Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 14 International Study Tour - Saturday, February 23, 2013

AALP Class 14 had an early start to our day as we made our way to the city of Pune. Pune is a growing city of over 5 million people. (http://www.maharashtratourism.gov.in/mtdc/HTML/MaharashtraTourism/D...) Compared to Mumbai, it looks like a small town.  This city has many universities and towns as well as motorcycles.

After what seemed like ages, we finally reached our first destination, Semex. Semex has been in India for less than a year and has formed a joint venture with Provet Genetics. The dream of this joint venture is to increase local milk production per cow to levels near that of Canadian production.  The parent company for Provet is Baramati Agro Ltd. This company works on many portfolios such as poultry, sugar, and commodity trading. Though the Indian government regulates many aspects of agriculture, this company is very positive in its long term growth.

After a good discussion with Semex-Provet we were treated to pizza India style - that is to say vegetarian including corn niblets, not a pepperoni to be seen. 

Our tour then took us out of Pune and to a dairy that is working closely with Semex-Provet to improve its herd's genetics. The farmer who was formally trained as an engineer "saw the light" and focused on farming, specifically on dairy production.

The land in this area certainly looked more fertile than the area that we visited yesterday. For instance we saw fields of sugarcane, bananas, wheat, and a variety of horticultural crops. The scope of agriculture is truly amazing considering that most farms are 2.5 Ha (5 acres) in size.

 

Todd Austin, Kim McCaw, Teresa Wilbur – AALP Class 14 bloggers

Views: 524

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 24, 2013 at 5:54pm

Comment by Roadrunner on February 24, 2013 at 5:52pm

Thanks for sharing the pictures and tweets.

I am enjoying learning about India and how the farmers there operate.

Comment by Moe Agostino on February 24, 2013 at 10:08am

I am wondering if anyone asked about the prices the farmers get for milk, grain etc and how that compares to North American prices?

Thanks,

Moe

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 9:06am

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 9:05am

Comment by Joe Dales on February 24, 2013 at 7:06am

Check out the photos from the AALP India Study Tour.

http://ontag.farms.com/photo

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

Agriculture and agri-food events build momentum around Agriculture Enlightened conference

EMILI’s annual Agriculture Enlightened conference is taking place on October 23, 2025, at the Delta Hotel in Winnipeg. This year’s theme is Driving Agriculture Innovation. Together we’ll explore how farmers and others in the Canadian agriculture industry are adopting agtech, discuss ways to navigate the shifting global trade landscape, and connect with leaders advancing innovation across Canada. A number of EMILI’s partners are hosting amazing agriculture and agri-food events the same week as Agriculture Enlightened 2025. Whether you’re looking for something to do ahead of Agriculture Enlightened or continue networking afterwards, check out these upcoming events.   Young Entrepreneurs Awards Hosted by MEIA, League of Innovators, and Manitoba Innovates Wednesday, October 22, 4:30pm – 9:00pm Location: The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre 400+ nominations, 6 awards, and 1 big night to celebrate Canada’s greatest young entrepreneurs and the future of sustainability! Purchase tickets

St. Benedict educator and farmer receives Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan’s Champion Award

For the past decade, Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan recognizes a person who strives to engage consumers about agriculture and helps farmers build public trust in our province and beyond. The Champion Award was presented Tuesday morning in Saskatoon to Sandra Hessdorfer from St. Benedict. Sandra, her husband and two teenage sons have a grain farm and black angus cattle. Her off-farm job is the Ag Education Officer with the Horizon School Division. Her duties include delivering presentations, supporting school programs, and organizing an annual Student Ag Day for all Grade 10 students. The event is held in Humboldt and attracted 570 students and their teachers from across the Horizon School Division, which is the largest by area in the province. Hessdorfer is also a past-chair of Women in Ag and has been active with Ag in the Classroom and Saskatchewan 4-H. CJWW Agriculture Director Neil Billinger spoke to Sandra shortly after she received her award.

Indefinite pause placed on Crown land sales

A two-year moratorium on Crown land sales expired in August, and plans were made for an October auction which had already been advertised online. Nearly 4,500 acres of cultivated and grazing farmland was split into 18 lots. That sale is being paused at the request of the Ministry of Agriculture. There has been opposition voiced by the NDP and Indigenous people. Late last week, Premier Scott Moe told reporters “it was a case of where we just got a little bit ahead of ourselves in that process starting again.” In a statement, the Government of Saskatchewan explained the parcels of land that were going up for auction had previously been leased agricultural land where the leases had been surrendered or cancelled.

Mustard millers relish investment tax credit

G.S. Dunn Limited (G.S. Dunn) is investing approximately $30 million to grow its mustard milling facility in Bow Island supported by a $3.1 million Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit (APITC) from Alberta’s government. The project has created 34 new jobs and allowed G.S. Dunn to access two new markets in Japan and South Korea. The expansion will also increase its purchase of raw mustard seed from $13 million to $44 million with all seed coming from western Canada. “Investors continue to choose Alberta as a place to establish roots, grow and expand because it makes good business sense. The Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit is just one of the ways our government commits to creating ideal conditions for businesses while attracting investment, diversifying the economy and creating more jobs for Albertans.” RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation The Bow Island expansion is the second phase of G.S. Dunn’s value-added mustard milling project. Since its initial expansion

Canada Post strike affecting Harvest Sample Program

Farmers can drop off harvest samples in person at multiple locations

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service