RH Accelerator Inc. and OAFT, (Ontario Agri-Food Technologies) have formed a strategic alliance to help early stage companies in agriculture and food get ahead. Ontario Agri-Food Technologies has been in operation for 23 years, based in Guelph. RH Accelerator was created last year in London, Ont. and has brought together experts inside and outside of […] Read more
Business — page 5
Ag tech accelerators form alliance
RH Acclerator and OAFT will share resources to support early-stage companies
Farmers tracking personal information after computer breach
Computer hackers have increased their activity during the COVID-19 pandemic
A recent computer system breach at an Ontario crop inputs company resulted in the posting for sale of private information of farmers. Parts of the Agromart Group’s computer system were breached and locked in late May by the Revil hacker group. Agromart refused to pay a ransom and the hackers then decided to auction off […] Read more
Neil Currie now working with Bioenterprise
Organization looking for COVID-19 solutions to fund in agri-food
Neil Currie has joined Bioenterprise. The former general manager of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture recently joined Bioenterprise Corporation, the organization that funds agriculture and food innovation and technology. Bioenterprise said in a release that the addition of Currie is in line with its objective to increase its presence and visibility with production agriculture and […] Read more
Tight supply chains pose food system risks with virus
Lack of redundancies in meat production system could post challenges
A lack of redundancies in agri-food system supply chains means there are risks for farmers from a disruption like that caused by COVID-19. Farm Credit Canada chief agricultural economist J.P. Gervais and Guelph-based economic researcher Al Mussell say, however, that the government knows how important food is to Canadians and will find ways to assure […] Read more
U.S. farmers fret as Chinese soy purchases move elsewhere
Strange trade flows — U.S. beans to Argentina, Argentine beans to China, Argentine beef to the U.S.
Reuters – A ship named the Torrent recently reached the end of a 5,000-mile trip carrying soybeans from the U.S. Great Lakes to Argentina — a journey that only makes economic sense because of the U.S.-China trade war. The ship docked in the Rosario grains hub on Dec. 4, days after the leaders of the […] Read more
Lower oil prices and declines in equities spill over into grain commodities
However, a softer loonie is helping enhance the competitiveness of Canadian grain and oilseed on global markets
Ontario farmers have harvested approximately 90 per cent of the soybeans and 75 per cent of the corn. Soybean yields have come in above expectations; some farmers reported record yields. Corn yields are quite variable and vomitoxin is a major problem in certain areas. The year-over-year increase in export demand continues to support Ontario corn […] Read more
Weather makes for different corn harvest conditions in Ontario and the U.S.
American farmers are close to finished corn harvest, compared to Ontario farmers waiting for clearer weather
Adverse rains have hindered harvest progress across Ontario. Farmers have harvested approximately 75 per cent of the soybeans and 25 per cent of the corn. Yield reports are slightly higher than expected and total production will likely finish above the recent Statistics Canada estimates. Vomitoxin appears to be quite prevalent on the early corn samples […] Read more
Ontario ag data providers partner with Climate FieldView
Climate FieldView has added two more local partners. Farmers can now load information from SoilOptix and A&L Laboratories into Climate FieldView and use that information to deepen their analysis with the crop production management tool. “Our goal from a supporting farmer perspective and those who help them is about getting all their data in one […] Read more
New table grape varieties for Ontario could diversify market
Ontario growers have only had one main short-season variety to grow
There’s lots of unrealized potential in the table grape market in Ontario, as one variety has dominated production. That’s about to change. Ontario’s main homegrown fresh table grape is a variety called Sovereign Coronation, a semi-seedless blue grape that’s ready for market over a six- to eight-week period in late summer and early fall. Driven […] Read more
China-U.S. trade dispute likely to drag on, affecting price
U.S. ethanol policy change could increase demand by two billion bushels
Ontario farmers have harvested 60 per cent of the soybeans and 25 per cent of the corn as of Oct. 21. American farmers have combined 49 per cent of the corn and 53 per cent of the soybeans. The seven- to 10-day forecast calls for seasonal temperatures with limited precipitation, which should allow producers to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
