Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Picking strawberries in January

Day 7 of AALP Class 17 IST contintued with one of the highlights so far on the trip, a fruit cooperative named Cuna De Platero. We were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of their greenhouses where they allowed to try some of the different varieties of strawberries that they grow.  The greenhouses are once again made with plastic and are of similar style to our previous visits this trip. They have a cooperative structure, which is something we have come to find is very common here in Spain. In this case they have approximately 80 growers that contribute towards the production of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and black berries, which strawberries being their biggest crop.

There are many different microclimates in Spain which allows different areas to produce different products, even when they are in relatively close proximity to one another.  This cooperative grows both hydroponic and field strawberries. In the hydroponic system they are very accurately able to control and monitor the water and nutrients that the crops require. This system allows them to grow twice as much fruit as they can in a field system. They have external inspections completed by the supermarket chains that buy their product and must keep strict records for traceability purposes. 85% of their product is exported to Europe including Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands.

 Quick facts about strawberry growing in Spain:
- 6,800 Ha grown
- 342,000 tonnes of berries produced
- 70% of total production exported (mostly within Europe)
- Total value of exports is approx. $471.5 million

Day number 8 started out with a trip to the Sierra Mountains on our way to the Eiriz Iberian ham farm. This stop provided a contrast to some of the pork production that we have in Ontario. The model they use is limited by the space they have to process the pigs and are maxed out at 2,000 pigs per year through their current facilities. The tour started with a visit to the fields where the Iberico pigs are pastured. Each animal requires between 1-2 ha of land and this is a requirement by law in order to get the Iberico certification. Prior to harvest the pigs need to consume between 10-13kgs of acorns from oak and cork trees for 60 days during acorn season. This is monitored with blood tests by the government to ensure the high quality of the product. Our tour guide Manuel was very knowledgeable on the production system since it is a family-owned business, that was founded in 1840, with a small workforce that all assist in looking after each aspect of the operation. The trip was rounded out with an incredible tasting of the different pork products they produce, and some local wine and sherry.

Next up was travelled to Jerez de la Frontera, which is a town that is known for it’s wine and sherry production. We toured Jose Estevez S.A. who produce sherry, brandy and vinaigrettes. The company was founded in 1974 and is now run by Jose Estevez’s three sons. The expanse of the compound was incredible, with 52,000 casks of product being produced on site, magnificent art work throughout all of the buildings including a Picasso exhibit and a stable of horses that has turned from a hobby into another line of business for the company.

Rounding out day 8 we attended an evening Flamenco & dinner show at The Restaurante El Palacio Andalusia Cartuja back in the city of Seville. Flamenco is a staple of Spanish culture that we have seen throughout our travels through the country and while not all of us understood the language we certainly felt the passion for which the performers have for their art.

Views: 753

Comment

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

Join Ontario Agriculture

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

Ag in the House: Dec. 1 – 5

A Liberal minister reminded the House the carbon tax doesn’t apply to farmer

Ontario Animal Health Network (OAHN) Swine Network Quarterly Industry Report

Starting in 2015, Senecavirus A (SVA) has caused intermittent complications with respect to the export of Canadian cull animals to the United States. This disease resembles reportable swine vesicular diseases. This is a national issue and since June 2025 has impacted Ontario cull sow movements. In July 2025, the APHIS and the USDA removed the export eligibility status for a cull sow assembly in Ontario due to SVA lesions being seen in cull sows sent to a USDA processing facility. These lesions initiated foreign animal disease investigations at this US processing plant. The suspect animal(s) were initially quarantined for individual inspection and further testing. Since the initial site, another 2 Ontario cull sow assembly sites have also had their export eligibility status revoked by APHIS and the USDA for similar reasons. The affected assembly sites accept cull sows from Quebec, the Maritimes and Ontario. Each affected assembly site must action the USDA requirements including emptyin

New restrictions placed on hunting, farming 'incredibly destructive' wild boars in Alberta

Wild boars have been declared "a pest in all circumstances" by the Alberta government effective Dec. 1, meaning new restrictions have been placed on keeping them in captivity and hunting them in the wild. It is now illegal to keep, buy, sell, obtain or transport wild boars in Alberta without a permit. That also means no new wild boar farms will be permitted in the province. The hunting and trapping of wild boars in Alberta is banned as well, with the exception of land owners or occupants killing the animals on their own land. Any person who kills a wild boar is now required to report the date, location and number of boars killed to the province as soon as possible. Hannah McKenzie, the province's wild boar specialist, says the changes were made due to the dangers posed by existing wild boar populations and the risks associated with more escaping from captivity. "In addition to damaging agriculture and the environment, wild boar pose a serious risk for the introduction and spread of

CUSMA Review Raises Concerns Over Potential U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Pork

As the first formal review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches in July, pork producers across North America are bracing for potential impacts—especially the possibility of new U.S. tariffs on Canadian agriculture. Florian Possberg, Partner at Polar Pork Farms, says the U.S. political landscape is shaping expectations. He notes that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed for a baseline 15% tariff on foreign goods in recent global trade discussions. If that approach carries into the CUSMA renegotiation, it could disrupt one of the pork sector’s most critical trade corridors. Free Trade Has Been Essential for Pork Movement Possberg emphasizes that under CUSMA, both live hogs and processed pork products have flowed freely across borders without tariffs. This freedom is especially important given the highly integrated nature of North America’s pork supply chain. The best-case scenario, he adds, is that tariff-free access continues unchanged. The wor

FCC report highlights productivity as key to Canada’s agricultural future

Canadian farmers could see significant income gains and new opportunities if agricultural productivity growth returns to historic highs. The Farm Credit Canada (FCC) report titled Reigniting agricultural productivity in Canada, estimates that boosting productivity growth to two per cent annually could unlock $30 billion in additional farm income, generate $31 billion in GDP, and create nearly 23,000 jobs across the country. Canada has long been a standout among global food producers. Over the past half-century, the agriculture industry has achieved significant productivity growth through better farm management, improved input efficiency and technological innovation. The report warns, however, that productivity growth has slowed in recent years, threatening the industry’s competitiveness and Canada’s ability to meet growing national and global food demand. “Canada’s agricultural productivity growth has consistently outpaced other G7 countries for more than three decades, showing the s

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service