Agriculture Minister Trevor Jones’ spring omnibus bill aims to streamline and modernize regulations managing farm organizations and marketing in Ontario.
Tag Archives checkoff
Beef check-off update part of agriculture omnibus bill
Ontario’s agriculture minister aims to introduce the legislation in the spring after consultations
Beef check-off rules to change in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C.
Aug. 1 changes will keep check-off dollars in seller’s home province
Beef check-off rates in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan will change to align with the seller's home province as of August 1, regardless of where the sale takes place.
Ontario Sheep Farmers to increase licensing fees by 40 cents per animal
Licencing fee will go to new OSF outreach programs and research initiatives
Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) are increasing their licensing fee to $2.20 per live animal. The 40 cent raise is the first such increase in 13 years. OSF says rising costs is a component in the decision. It says that it will be “committed to using the valuable license fees to support programs and services that […] Read more
SaskCanola, SaskFlax merge offices, management
Groups will maintain separate governing boards, levies
Sasskatchewan’s canola and flax development commissions are consolidating their management, staff and office space under one roof. SaskCanola and SaskFlax said Wednesday their new “management collaboration” will translate to efficiencies for both commissions with “a full staff complement to support both boards.” Both organizations will now operate out of the current SaskCanola office at Innovation […] Read more
VFO takes ‘next step’ by hiring compliance officer
Former police officer will target non-payment of veal checkoff fee
Former police officer will target non-payment of veal checkoff fee
Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO) has hired a veteran of both municipal policing and border services for a newly-created position of inspection and compliance officer. The organization is acting on a recommendation to bring in expertise in auditing and compliance. Geoff Holwell will join the producer organization on a part-time basis, with his primary responsibilities […] Read more
Merged Manitoba crop groups qualify for checkoffs
Manitoba Crop Alliance also names top brass
The new unit formed from the merger of five Manitoba crop commodity organizations is set to begin collecting checkoffs for its founding groups’ crops, starting Aug. 1. The Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) announced Monday it now has its designation under the provincial Agricultural Producers’ Organization Funding Act. The designation allows the new organization to collect […] Read more
Ontario beef checkoff to rise by $1.50
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
Alberta cattle producers vote to keep refundable checkoff
Preliminary results in Alberta beef producers’ service charge plebiscite put a slim majority in favour of keeping their checkoff refundable. Out of 1,874 votes cast, 962 votes, or 51.3 per cent, fell in favour of a refundable service charge model, with 908 for a non-refundable model and four ballots spoiled, according to the preliminary figures […] Read more
Goat group continues to look for savings
The loss of a producer vote to create a goat checkoff last year continues to have effects
There’s no way around it for the Ontario Goat (OG) board of directors: A round of severe belt-tightening looms. Having endured the defeat of its proposal for a mandatory goat milk check-off during a Producer Expression of Opinion vote last year, the nine-member board must now explore how to continue its work under a significantly […] Read more
Producers vote down Ontario beef checkoff increase
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