Cheryl Smith is the new CEO of Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Dairy Farmers of Ontario hires new CEO

Cheryl Smith will fill the position that has been vacant for about six months

Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s board of directors has announced Cheryl Smith has been hired as chief executive officer (CEO). She comes to Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) from Parmalat where she recently retired after being a member of the executive team and general manager of the cheese division. She has 30 years of leadership experience, […] Read more

Creating a unified organization with a national mandate could eliminate duplication, streamline operations, and set the Canadian seed sector on a new path.

Amalgamations still possible for national seed groups

The organizations have been working on the potential merger for four years

Canada’s largest seed industry organizations continue to explore amalgamations. Officials from the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) have contemplated a merger for some time. The proposed amalgamation, a key element of a larger initiative known as Seed Synergy, would also include the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), the […] Read more

At this stage of the season, we’re rating the Ontario crop 38 per cent good to excellent, 40 per cent fair and 22 per cent poor to very poor.

All eyes on today’s USDA supply and demand report

An updated acreage survey will shed new light on how many acres did not get planted

Precipitation has been quite variable across the Ontario cropping region throughout the month of July. Western counties received average precipitation but a large portion of the central and northern counties have received less than 40 per cent of normal precipitation. Eastern counties have received average to slightly below-average rainfall. Early yield estimates for Ontario corn […] Read more

Chicken Farmers of Ontario make more innovation quota available

Chicken Farmers of Ontario make more innovation quota available

Chicken Farmers of Ontario has launched an application process for its second Ontario Chicken Innovation Award, part of the organization’s commitment to help deliver innovative Ontario chicken products to consumers. The CFO has millions of kilograms of chicken available for successful applicants. “At CFO, we want to help our industry get new products to market […] Read more

The agreement between Canada and the EU has removed tariffs on Canadian corn and low protein wheat.

New European markets sought for Ontario grain

Grain Farmers of Ontario has started a year-long project designed to find opportunities for new grain sales in the European Union. The project includes a trade mission with stops in Brussels and the United Kingdom to meet with agricultural organizations and potential buyers. It also is expected to welcome an incoming delegation of European agricultural […] Read more


Agricultural commodity prices are expected to remain low over the next decade because of ample supplies of oilseeds, grains, meat and other commodities.

Crop prices poised to stagnate: FAO

A new report says world oilseed demand isn’t expected to keep up with supply, which could result in lower prices

Glacier FarmMedia – For the last five years, or longer, plant-based protein has been the shining star of global agriculture. Global demand for plant-based protein has exploded, thanks to massive Chinese imports of soybeans and booming public consumption of veggie burgers and other forms of plant protein. However, protein’s star could fade over the next […] Read more

Ontario has the highest reliance on foreign workers, meaning significant impacts from policy changes.

Ontario expected to have largest farm labour shortage

Large equipment that sits idle will mean greater economic impact of labour shortages in other provinces

Labour vacancies cost Canadian farmers in 2018 nearly double what they cost four years earlier, according to research released recently by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council. Why it matters: More farmers are either not expanding or inefficiently operating their farms because of a lack of labour. That’s a problem for Canadian agricultural competitiveness. The […] Read more

Ontario wheat harvest should be underway in late July.

Tight Ontario crop supplies to keep local demand strong

Low corn stocks and fewer wheat acres with quality concerns should support local prices

Corn and soybean markets continue to digest growing conditions on both sides of the border. Ontario received 40 per cent to 60 per cent of normal precipitation from June 15 through July 14. Crop conditions have improved after a very wet spring, therefore, most producers are projecting average type yields. Our contacts in Ontario believe […] Read more


Corn has been growing quickly in Ontario now that some heat has arrived.

Timing of planted acreage surveys creates confusion on actual plantings

It will be another month until it is known if farmers actually planted their intended corn acres

Quick look Soybeans: Ontario soybeans will see significant competition from U.S. soybeans for the rest of this crop year. Corn: U.S. corn yield needs to drop below 155 bushels per acre in order to turn the market to bullish. Wheat: Despite the poor Ontario wheat crop, 2019 is globally expected to be the second largest […] Read more

Canada is now the fifth-largest agricultural exporter in the world, aiming to become the second-largest by 2025.

Opinion: Growing Canada’s domestic market a vital strategy

Focusing less on exports and more on people could help Canada become a global super power

A street scene photographed back in Britain’s horse-and-buggy days is symbolic of how the world has traditionally looked upon Canada as a food exporter. “Canada: Britain’s granary” is boldly splayed across a decorative archway on a busy avenue. And it was a granary of sorts, just as it is today. As much as Canadians see […] Read more