Not warm enough yet for accurate read on Ontario winter crops

MarketsFarm -- The crop report on Wednesday from Ontario's ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs (OMAFRA) notes a lack of temperatures warm enough to accurately assess winter crops and/or to begin spring planting. OMAFRA determined winter wheat that was seeded on time looks healthier than what was planted later in the fall. Also, water[...]

Group 27 herbicide resistance arrives in Canada

A persistent and fiercely competitive weed that has developed resistance to several herbicide groups since its arrival in Canada is now the first in the country to fight off a Group 27 product. Quebec's Reseau d'avertissement phytosanitaire (RAP) last Friday reported a patch of waterhemp with resistance to mesotrione herbicide in the Haut-Richelieu municipality, in[...]


New Brunswick returns ag minister, ag critic in election

New Brunswick's incumbent agriculture minister and opposition ag critic are among those returning to the legislative assembly as the provincial Tories locked in a governing majority. As of 9 p.m. CT Monday, incumbent Premier Blaine Higgs' Progressive Conservatives, who went into the vote with a 22-seat minority government, were elected in 27 of 49 ridings.[...]

P.E.I.'s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election

Prince Edward Island's incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday's election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King's opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker's Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and[...]


U.S. firm launches second hostile bid for pot producer Aphria

Reuters -- U.S. cannabis retailer Green Growth Brands said on Tuesday it would make a second all-stock takeover bid for Aphria, valuing the Canadian pot producer at about $2.35 billion. Several companies are looking to partner with or buy pot firms to explore opportunities in the Canadian cannabis sector after the country legalized recreational use[...]

Few stand for Ontario vegetable board elections

Ontario's 450-odd processing vegetable growers have put up just three people to fill four open spots on the board of their marketing organization. The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) on Friday announced the results from an election meeting for two District 1 directors, held Thursday evening in Chatham. Tomato and bean grower David Epp of[...]


Chair, directors named for Ontario vegetable board

The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission has named a new chair and four directors for the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers board, with another four directors to be elected by growers this week. Suzanne van Bommel, a farm co-owner with a long history of work in the agriculture sector, has been appointed chair. The province dismissed[...]

Toronto juice firm backed for 'cold pasteurization'

A Toronto organic juice processor that bills itself as shunning conventional pasteurization for its products has picked up federal funding to develop a "new-to-Canada" way to extend their shelf life. The federal government on Friday announced a "repayable investment" of up to $6.3 million from the AgriInnovation program for Greenhouse Juice Co. to set up[...]


Phosphorus program aims to reduce Lake Erie nutrients

Chatham, Ont. -- Henry Denotter's farms near Kingsville, Ont. are close to the Wigle Creek, which flows into Lake Erie and takes with it any residues it pulls from nature and farmers' fields. The Wigle Creek subwatershed, west of Leamington, has turned into ground zero in long-term research on how farmers can reduce phosphorus running[...]

Soil health sensor project largest in North America

A new $2-million soil health research project aims to figure out the impact of different cropping systems on the environment. Research will also be conducted on crop productivity relating to soil health. The result should be new knowledge on productivity of traditional cropping systems versus those with cover crops. The project, at the new Soil[...]