Robotics and autonomous equipment are taking the agriculture sector by storm, or at least appear poised to do so in some areas. For technology developers in Ontario, a diverse economic environment and comparatively large pool of expertise have helped make the province one of many artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics development hubs. Daniel Bath, research […] Read more
Why is Ontario a hub for ag tech development?
Diversity of industry, prolific expertise and other factors help propel innovation
What’s next for the EFP?
Core funding, more staff and incorporation with government and private sector goals possible for Environmental Farm Plan
Changes could be coming to the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) under the next agricultural policy framework. Although changes have yet to be formalized, users say the focus should be on delivery flexibility and improving farm businesses. The Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) hosted a presentation on May 5 detailing how the EFP could change. Researchers […] Read more
Ontario beekeepers reeling from triple-season hit
Poor weather and varroa mite extract heavy toll on colonies
A tough fall, unstable winter temperatures and a cool spring have conspired to take a major toll on honeybee populations in Ontario and throughout Canada. Populations of varroa mite, a parasitic pest that attacks honeybees, have also been high this spring. With limited means to control varroa, Canadian beekeepers could face losses even greater than […] Read more
Castles in the pasture
How ancient monument conservation can work in a modern farm landscape
Ireland’s vivid green fields and mountain vistas are littered with monuments from our collective human past. Stone age burial tombs, iron age ringforts, early Christian monasteries, tower castles – all are remnants of a bygone age existing within a modern agricultural landscape. Significant as such monuments are, crops still have to be grown. Livestock still […] Read more
Why the younger generation needs a last will and testament
Farm succession specialist Ray Riel describes the importance of estate planning for younger farmers
Mortality is universal. How people prepare for the inevitable is not. Important as estate planning is for those of more advanced age, it’s also important for a successor looking to get more involved in the family farm, particularly if a spouse and children are also in the picture. But according to Ray Riel, a farm […] Read more
Fertilizer tariff burdens Ontario growers
Additional 35 per cent cost applies to all Russian fertilizer not in country as of March 2
Canadian farmers are wondering why some inputs already bought and paid for are arriving with yet another invoice after a 35 per cent tariff was imposed on all Russian fertilizer imports. The reason is simple, though the situation is messy. If fertilizer ordered before March 2 was already on Canadian soil, the tariff is irrelevant […] Read more
Demand remains strong for processing tomatoes
Ontario’s contracted acres anticipated to be at least 450,000 tonnes
Ontario’s processing tomato crop is anticipated to reflect last year, if not slightly higher, barring significant production complications. According to the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG), there also continues to be high demand for processing tomatoes worldwide. Why it matters: Demand for tomato products remains high but global supplies are tight. Tom Keller, a Leamington-area […] Read more
Can Canada make up for a shortfall of grain from Ukraine?
Opportunities, limitations, and long-term considerations
Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe in times of peace. Now that war has initiated the most significant global food security crises in generations, other breadbasket nations face opportunities and barriers in filling the void. But what could Canada’s role be? According to the latest report from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), this country […] Read more
Farmland at risk with new housing initiative
Accelerated approval for housing developments concerns agriculture and environmental groups
The scene is the same in many towns and villages in Ontario, with signs growing on farmland at the edge of town signalling imminent development and loss of more farmland. Farm groups are concerned that the Ontario government has announced plans to accelerate the approval process for new housing developments. Steve Clark, Minister for Municipal […] Read more
Will war open Europe to biotechnology?
Severe supply disruptions have prompted some member states to consider wider acceptance of GM crops
Last month, 1400 tonnes of grain was dumped from a freight train onto the trackside in Brittany, France. Forcing the train to stop before an improvised cinderblock barrier, activists from the umbrella group Brittany Collective Against Factory Farms, supported by Extinction Rebellion protesters, intended to hijack and destroy its cargo of GMO-soybeans. But the train […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
