An Ontario company with technology that can reduce fungicide use and increase produce shelf life has won a $1 million grand prize from the federal government. Why it matters: The technology can increase the shelf-life of produce by up to 20 per cent, which would reduce food waste. St. Catherines-based Clean Works was named one […] Read more
Tag Archives Fruit — page 2
Ontario innovator wins Food Waste Challenge
Technology from Clean Works extends produce shelf life, reduces fungicide use
Apple and tender fruit growers receive $1.2 million
Funding aimed at developing resilient varieties, sustainable practices for growers
Ontario’s apple and tender fruit growers will receive nearly $1.1 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to fund initiatives that include development of climate-resilient fruit varieties. Projects include collecting data on the climate impact of apple and tender fruit farming, developing a carbon calculator to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions and developing superior, resilient […] Read more
Sustainable frost protection innovation wins award
Frost protection tool is made from naturally occurring micro-organisms and protective proteins
An innovation by a B.C.-based startup that could naturally prevent frost damage to fruit crops has been named a winner in the Green Pursuit national pitch competition. Advanced AgriScience was the runner-up in the recent national sustainability and innovation challenge powered by Dairy Farmers of Canada and Bioenterprise, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine. Why it […] Read more
Fruit and vegetable producers optimistic as Bill C-280 moves to second reading
Bill aims to provide fresh produce sellers in a way to secure payment in case of buyer bankruptcy
A bill that will provide fresh produce sellers in Canada with financial protection in case of buyer bankruptcy has moved to second reading in the Senate. Bill C-280, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act was adopted by the House of Commons on Oct. 25, with its first reading in the […] Read more
Challenge aimed to improve Canada’s food security
Seven Ontario teams have moved to the next phase of Homegrown Innovation Challenge
Canada is known as a leading world producer of many staple crops like wheat, lentils, peas and canola, as well as a global exporter of animal proteins like pork and beef. The same can’t be said for many horticultural crops, except for greenhouse vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, due to nature of the climate. […] Read more
Wilmot Orchards bests the blueberry odds with continued expansion
Farm sees 30,000 visitors a season and will have 37 acres in production by 2024
Nestled between Bowmanville and Newcastle on the Oak Ridges Moraine, Wilmot Orchards is not the traditional location for a blueberry operation. Charles Stevens bought Wilmot Orchards in 1975, a year before he graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science, when he planned a future of apple growing. When he and his […] Read more
Repurposing food waste can offer benefits to agri-food sector
Companies are finding ways to create value and increase food availability
The concepts of reducing food loss and finding ways to repurpose waste streams into viable, useful products are gaining traction as countries around the world look to tackle food security and climate change. The United Nations just marked its fourth International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, and October has […] Read more
Major U.S. peach producer files for bankruptcy to pursue sale
Setbacks have included salmonella, fires, heavy debts
New York | Reuters — Prima, a private-equity backed farmer that is the largest producer of peaches and other stone fruit in North America, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware on Friday. The company, owned by private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners, has about $679 million in debt, and plans to sell its […] Read more
Orange juice prices near all-time high as storm hits Florida
Crop was already expected to be small
New York | Reuters — Orange juice prices at the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) rose more than three per cent on Wednesday, heading back toward an all-time high hit earlier this month, as storm Idalia slammed parts of main U.S. orange producer Florida. Contracts for frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) at ICE hit a high of […] Read more
Path found to defeat crop-killing gray mould without chemicals
Science Notes: Study reveals how fungus delivers RNA weaponry
It’s a mould that causes billions in crop losses every year, infecting berries, tomatoes and most other fruits and vegetables. Now, researchers have found a way to defeat the mould. If you’ve ever seen a fuzzy gray strawberry, you’ve seen gray mould. It affects more than 1,400 different plant species, and there is no real […] Read more
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