Ontario’s processing vegetable growers are being hit by more re-organization and uncertainty from government regulators. The provincial government and the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission (OFPMC) is now pushing for open marketing at the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, especially for tomatoes, after already putting the sector through two years of changes. The OFPMC is the […] Read more
Tag Archives Business/Finance — page 10
More squeeze coming for tomato growers
Provincial government wants open marketing considered for processing vegetables
Maizex Seeds expands seed corn production
Maizex Seeds has announced it is purchasing the former Dow AgroSciences seed corn facility in Blenheim, Ont. The expansion will allow Maizex to double its seed corn processing capacity. “This expansion and investment in Canadian seed production is in large part thanks to the trust Canadian farmers have placed in Maizex Seeds, along with the […] Read more
Grain prices show decline with little reason to reverse direction
Corn, soybeans and wheat all have negative forecasts entering the growing season
Central Canada has received average to above-average precipitation over the past 30 days providing sufficient moisture for planting and early crop development. The macro situation for Ontario grain prices is somewhat bearish moving forward. Grain and oilseed futures continue to grind lower due to favourable harvest conditions in South America. Much of U.S. received above-normal […] Read more
Ontario technology addresses $3 billion a year problem
Idle management system saves on fuel and maintenance costs
An Ancaster, Ont., company has invented a solution to a $3 billion a year problem in Canada. That’s the approximate value of how much fuel is wasted annually in this country due to engine idling. Idling also contributes to increased engine wear and higher maintenance costs, as well as higher greenhouse gas emissions. According to […] Read more
Finding investors for agriculture technology
Agriculture hasn’t attracted the venture capital in Canada to help move local companies to global status, but that could be changing
There’s been a lack of investors willing to be patient with agriculture technology companies. Malcolm Campbell, vice president of research at the University of Guelph says that’s true especially around the early development stage. University of Guelph’s Gryphon’s LAAIR program helps researchers get to the start-up stage, but he says it could use 10 times […] Read more
Cargill Waterford sells to local supplier
Niagara based crop-input company purchases Sollio Agriculture location
Clark Agri Service Inc. has completed its purchase of the former Cargill retail location in Waterford, Ontario from Sollio Agriculture, previously known as the agri-business division of La Coop fédéréé. The Waterford location was one of the Cargill retail locations in which Sollio Agriculture had to divest as part of the federal Competition Bureau approval […] Read more
Opinion: We can’t force the Chinese to buy our crops
We can, however, take steps to reduce the sector’s vulnerability to a big customer’s mood swings
Canadian canola farmers find themselves in a tough spot this spring as the snow disappears and they look across those vast empty fields, many of which, under normal circumstances, would be boasting pretty yellow flowers by mid-July. Canola surpassed wheat a few years back as the largest contributor to farm cash receipts from crops by […] Read more
Online sales of large volume inputs changing
In 2017, Farmers Business Network made its debut in Canada, and offers many programs with aggregated data
Farmers are increasingly looking at how they can price and buy their inputs online, but there are trust and relationship issues to overcome. Farmers already use digital platforms to buy equipment and supplies online. Online ordering for hard-to-find parts isn’t new. But a digital platform to enable farmers to buy large volumes of crop inputs, […] Read more
Ontario soybean acres to jump in 2019
Planted soybean acres are expected to be up eight to 15 per cent
In this update, we’re providing our first acreage and production estimates for Ontario. Elevator bids for corn, soybeans and wheat are relatively unchanged from late March. The United States Department of Agriculture Prospective Plantings report was considered bearish for corn and soybean markets; however, traders are analyzing seeding conditions and making acreage adjustments due to […] Read more
Hatching new technology
Can organizations, business and universities come together to create a more efficient incubator of ag tech in Ontario?
Like many long-time players in Ontario’s agriculture innovation space, Dave Smardon is well aware that the space is crowded, efforts are fragmented and innovators are starved for funding. The CEO of Bioenterprise, a non-profit organization that since 2003 has helped more than 2,500 companies commercialize agricultural technology, recognizes the value of competition to drive innovation, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
