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(Dave Bedard photo)
Livestock, News

Ontario beef producer stress increases as Cargill strike stretches on

BFO says some financial institutions are offering relief

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The strain increases for eastern Canadian beef producers as Cargill’s Guelph Dunlop strike stretches into its fifth week. “We respect and support the collective bargaining process, but the disruption here is placing incredible strain, stress and anxiety on producers,” explained Richard Horne, Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) executive director. “And it’s creating cashflow constraints.” The […] Read more
(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)
Crops

Plans afoot to move hay from East to drought-hit West

CFA, BFO spearheading Hay West-style initiatives

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Farm groups are spearheading new plans to get livestock feed from Eastern Canada to drought-damaged regions of the western provinces and northwestern Ontario. Details are still pending, but the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) announced Aug. 12 it has started work on a “Hay West” initiative to get surplus hay “to those struggling in the […] Read more
(Dave Bedard photo)
Livestock, Markets

Guelph beef plant idled against COVID-19 outbreak

Cattle set-aside plan en route, BFO says

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Agrifood giant Cargill is temporarily halting production at its beef processing plant at Guelph, Ont. in the wake of a significant COVID-19 outbreak among employees. The company announced it would “begin the process to temporarily idle” the Dunlop Drive plant effective Thursday (Dec. 17). “This was a difficult decision for our team who are operating […] Read more
Beef cattle feeding in Ontario. (DebraLee Wiseberg/iStock/Getty Images)
Livestock, Markets

COVID-19 strains already-battered Ontario beef industry

Limited processing capacity remains financial challenge for province's feedlot sector, despite recent increase in retail demand

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Ontario’s beef industry was already in the midst of an economic crisis, but COVID-19 is worsening the financial toll on the province’s cattle feeders. Due to extremely limited processing plant capacity, an uncompetitive market and disruptions to trade and market access, Ontario’s beef industry was losing an average of more than $2 million per week […] Read more
(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)
Livestock

Ontario offers cash for abattoir upgrades

Applications now being accepted through April

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Ontario’s 123 provincially-licensed abattoirs can now start applying for a piece of $2 million in federal/provincial funding to step up food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare measures. The Ontario and federal governments on Wednesday announced applications for cost-share funding can be submitted between now and April 30, “as long as funding for the initiative is […] Read more
Beef sirloin tips are among the many Ryding-Regency-produced beef products now recalled. (Panainte Ancuta-Georgiana/iStock/Getty Images)
Livestock

New meat recall prolongs Ryding-Regency shutdown

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Ryding-Regency Meat Packers remains shut down, making an already tight processing capacity situation event more challenging for Ontario farmers. The Toronto company, along with St. Ann’s Food, announced a recall Tuesday of a long list of its products because of concerns with E. coli O157:H7. More products were added to the recall on Thursday. The […] Read more
Dave Stewart (l) and Neil Currie retired this summer from the helms of BFO and OFA respectively.
News

An experienced look at farm organization futures

Retiring farm leaders on what Ontario agriculture needs to thrive

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After years acting as organizational leaders in Ontario’s farm sector, Dave Stewart of Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), and Neil Currie, who was for 19 years general manager of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), see great potential for the farm and food sector. However, both believe co-operation and ongoing efforts to foster new leadership […] Read more
The proposal to increase checkoff funding for Beef Farmers of Ontario passed with a significant majority this year. (John Greig photo)
Livestock

Ontario beef checkoff to rise by $1.50

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Ontario beef farmers have approved an increase of $1.50 in checkoff per animal to fund an ambitious industry-wide marketing effort for Ontario beef. Producers at the Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) annual meeting in Mississauga on Wednesday voted 87 per cent in favour of the plan. A similar plan was rejected at last year’s annual […] Read more
Beef cattle feeding in Ontario. (DebraLee Wiseberg/iStock/Getty Images)
Livestock

Ontario plugs holes in wildlife compensation plan

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Ontario’s agriculture ministry has patched a glitch in its wildlife damage compensation program, in which farmers’ claims risked rejection over the validity of their farm business registrations. “We heard livestock farmers’ concerns with the program so we’re making the first changes effective immediately,” Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman said in a release Monday. “We’re also continuing […] Read more
(John Greig photo)
Livestock

Producers vote down Ontario beef checkoff increase

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A bid to increase the checkoff paid by Ontario’s beef farmers to Beef Farmers of Ontario was quashed when it failed to get the 66 per cent support it needed for approval. Why it matters: Beef Farmers of Ontario pulled from its reserves to fund at close-to $1 million deficit in 2017 and was planning […] Read more

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