Reading Time: < 1 minute There shouldn’t be any problems in supplying farmers with fertilizer this spring, says the organization representing manufacturers and distributors. “Our members are set to go,” Fertilizer Canada president and CEO Garth Whyte said in a news release Wednesday. “COVID-19 plans were quickly established at facilities, in conjunction with being declared an essential service, there was […] Read more
Author Archives
‘So far, so good,’ fertilizer sector says
Fertilizer Canada says vast majority of members have sufficient supplies in place or en route
Canopy Growth to close Saskatchewan pot plant
Ontario company stepping out of other international plays
Reading Time: 2 minutes A major indoor cannabis grow site at Yorkton, Sask. is the latest casualty as pot producer/retailer Canopy Growth adjusts its worldwide footprint. Smiths Falls, Ont.-based Canopy Growth, whose cannabis brands include Tweed, Tokyo Smoke, Van der Pop and Spectrum Therapeutics, announced Thursday it will shut down its Tweed Grasslands production facility at Yorkton to “further […] Read more
Beef cattle producers seek new set-aside plan
Cattle groups, Tories call for revival of BSE-era program
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s beef cattle producer groups and federal Conservatives want to see the revival of a BSE-era program to hold cattle back against the risk of further lost options for slaughter. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Monday hearkened back to its March 24 list of recommendations to the federal government for support measures against the impacts […] Read more
Cigi, Cereals Canada vote to close merger deal
Merged body to take latter group's name; next step, naming a CEO
Reading Time: 2 minutes The proposed merger between Cigi and Cereals Canada has taken one of its final steps forward, with votes of approval from both organizations’ memberships. The two Winnipeg-based not-for-profit organizations announced Tuesday their memberships have approved “the amalgamation of both organizations under a unified governance and management structure.” Terms of the merger call for the consolidated […] Read more
Beef Farmers of Ontario ask for curb on cull sales
BFO concerned over processing 'backlogs'
Reading Time: 3 minutes Updated, April 15 — Ontario’s cattle producer organization is asking members to consider delaying sales of cull cows until market conditions “normalize.” Beef Farmers of Ontario’s board on Thursday published a memo to beef and dairy cattle producers, asking them to help “prevent a further surge in cull cows in the market” — especially of […] Read more
Cargill halts second shift at High River beef plant
'Additional safety measures' also in place, company says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Cargill is temporarily idling its second shift at one of Canada’s biggest beef packing plants to “minimize the impact” of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The company announced Monday it would reduce shifts at its High River, Alta. beef plant, about 40 km south of Calgary, effective that day and until further notice. “Our goal is to […] Read more
Federal government to backstop TFW isolation with funding
Employers backed to provide mandatory two-week isolation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Farming and agrifood employers bringing temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to Canada will get per-worker support to make sure those employees can self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday announced up to $50 million for such employers to put such measures in place. As part of its response to the COVID-19 […] Read more
Quebec pork plant to restart at reduced pace
Olymel plant closed due to COVID-19 cases
Reading Time: 2 minutes Olymel plans to gradually bring a hog plant in Quebec’s Mauricie region out of a two-week shutdown starting Tuesday following a number of COVID-19 cases among its employees. The meat packing arm of Quebec-based Sollio Co-operative Group announced Saturday it will resume slaughter and cutting operations at Yamachiche, Que. starting Tuesday. Nine people working at […] Read more
Zoetis buys livestock data management firm
Performance Beef platform to expand drugmaker's 'precision' production offering
Reading Time: 2 minutes The producer of livestock drugs such as Draxxin, Bovatec and Excede is buying space in the “precision livestock farming” market with a deal for a U.S. livestock data management firm. New Jersey-based Zoetis, which makes drugs and vaccines for the beef and dairy cattle, equine, swine, poultry and sheep sectors as well as cats and […] Read more
Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work
Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs […] Read more
GFM Podcasts
Farmtario is committed to providing information that matters to farmers in Ontario. Backed by leading and experienced farm journalists and content creators, Farmtario is a new source of insights for farming in Ontario including news, crop and livestock production, markets and ag tech. Receive your free eNewsletter today!