Agri 007

Chicken farmers support processors

2026-09-04T10:16:57.781-04:00

Chicken Farmers of Ontario has announced the companies it has chosen to support through its Growth Program for Processors launched last year.

The marketing board operates a quota-like system to allocate supplies among the province’s processors. That policy came after pricing broke down amidst a battle between Ontario and Quebec processors who were offering premium prices to buy chickens.

The marketing boards deemed that a threat to supply management which is granted by governments on the condition they keep their markets supplied at controlled prices.

Under this year’s Ontario Market Opportunity Policy the board allocated chickens to Farm Fresh Poultry Ltd., Hafiz Halal Poultry Inc.,Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Sargent Farms a division of Sunrise Poultry, and Simple Path Farms Poultry Ltd.

Those supported under the new entrant program are Country Poultry Processing Inc. and Nipissing Game Farm Inc.

Existing new entrants who are receiving additional support this year are Amir Specialty Poultry , Laplante Poultry Farms Ltd. / Ferme Avicole Laplante Ltèe. and Simple Path Farms Poultry Ltd.

Chobani investing in Pennsylvania

2026-09-04T09:57:01.221-04:00

Chobani will invest about $1.7 billion Cdn over the next five years to establish a major manufacturing and warehouse hub in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The project represents the largest single private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector.

As part of an expanded transaction with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Chobani is purchasing an existing 1.5-million-square-foot facility in Upper Macungie Township for $125 million, with full commercial dairy processing scheduled to commence in 2027.

Chobani will use it to make high-protein, lower-sugar ultrafiltered milk, ready-to-drink protein shakes, dairy creamers, and cold-brew coffee beverages under its La Colombe brand.

The location provides significant supply-chain advantages, positioned within a 500-mile radius of approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population, it said.

Ontario and Quebec could also say they have huge U.S. markets within 500 miles.

B.C. and Manitoba to build food terminals

2026-09-04T09:43:19.786-04:00

British Columbia and Manitoba are planning to build food terminals and take advantage of new federal funds that support them.

BC Food & Beverage, which represents provincial food processors and manufacturers, is planning a $700-million facility similar to the Ontario Food Terminal.

The western anchor would be part of a network of terminals along interprovincial routes already running to Alberta, the Prairies and Northern Canada.

Manitoba’s industry association is looking to build a terminal that will cost between $150 and $200-million.

“What Donald Trump has done is, he’s made us realize, ‘Wow, we’re vulnerable – we have a lot of eggs in one basket,’” said Michael Mikulak, executive director of Food & Beverage Manitoba.

Food terminals, which function as independent wholesale food marketplaces, offer a more efficient way for Canadian supply to meet Canadian demand, he said.

Chicken target rising

2026-09-03T10:32:16.028-04:00

Chicken Farmers of Canada is calling for production at 5.5 per cent above base quota for December 13 to February 6.

Ontario’s allocation is at 5.1 per cent above base.

Chicken Farmers of Ontario said * the Ontario allocation is lower than national allocation this period due to Ontario having no population growth kilograms.

“This number has generally been favourable for Ontario, leading to a higher provincial number compared to national.”

It is the third month in a row that Ontario’s allocation has been less than the national target.

Canada’s population surged when the federal government issued record amounts of foreign student and temporary worker permits.

After facing a housing shortage, the Trudeau government slashed the number of permits.

Now Ontario is pleading for an increase in worker permits.

Storm rips through southern Ontario

2026-09-03T10:17:20.727-04:00

Huron and Perth counties were hit particularly hard as winds topping 100 kilometres an hour, torrential rain, and large hail swept across Southern Ontario.

Environment Canada issued severe storm warnings throughout midwestern and southwestern Ontario.

There were tornado warnings for Clinton, Mitchell, Seaforth, Vanastra and south to Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge.

The University' of Western Ontario’s Northern Tornadoes Project has sent out teams to investigate whether there were tornadoes, but straight-one winds took down trees, power lines and some buildings.

"An active storm day in parts of southern Ontario with most damage being reported from about Bayfield to Cambridge. Some of the damage is significant (e.g. barn destroyed)," Northern Tornadoes Project said in a social media post.

The tornado researchers also warned about suspected fake, AI-generated images circulating online of tornadoes in Guelph and Paris.

"These are becoming increasingly prevalent in storm situations," the

Northern Tornadoes Project said.

Toronto was hard hit by flooding.

Chip companies hit by false labels in India

2026-09-03T10:04:24.418-04:00

Leading chip and snack companies, including PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever, are under Canadian Food Inspection Agency investigations over false labeling by a supplier in India.

Indian officials raided the plant and fake nutrition information and expiry dates on products prepared for export.

Indian authorities raided a Mumbai warehouse last week, seizing products worth nearly $110,000 as well as chemicals and printing machines.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency “is monitoring the situation to determine whether it presents any risk to imports into Canada. At this time, the CFIA has no information indicating that products associated with this operation entered Canada,” it said in a statement to Reuters news agency.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes food fraud, including false date markings, inaccurate nutrition information, and misleading origin claims seriously,” it added.

It is the first foreign agency to react to the incident.

Why do these companies import from India?

Maple Lodge heavily fined

2026-09-03T09:46:56.645-04:00

Maple Lodge Farms Ltd. has been fined $162,500 for a workplace safety violation in its poultry deli packaging department.

The Brampton company did not have a carbon dioxide detector or alarm in the area where a carbon dioxide hose was severed.

The gas is used to cool product during packaging.

The fine was $500,000 plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.

Trumpers extend beef price probe to stores

2026-09-02T17:21:37.718-04:00

In their campaign to pin the blame for high prices, the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday said it is expanding its investigation of record high beef prices to eight major grocery chains.

In a post on X, the Antitrust Division said associate attorney general Stanley Woodward sent letters to Kroger, Walmart, Publix, Albertsons, Aldi, Ahold Delhaize, Costco and Amazon.

“Beef prices are a critical concern to Americans, and a priority for this Justice Department,” the post said.

The Trump administration first said last year that producers “have to get their prices down,” then blamed the “Big Four” meatpackers and launched an antitrust probe in May, and now is rattling the next link in the meat supply chain.

The executive branch’s search for answers continues despite what economists say are the clear culprits: a record-low cattle inventory caused primarily by droughts and prolonged by persistent consumer beef demand.

It would make more sense to probe the lack of action on climate change. As if Donald J. Trump would ever do anything to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Farmers’ optimism returns

2026-09-02T09:19:02.058-04:00

For the first time in more than a year, researchers from Purdue University have found that farmers they survey every month are optimistic about their business future.

The index for future expectations moved up 11 points, the index for current conditions by one point and for exports over the next five years to the highest level – 400 points – since December 2025.

They are also optimistic about government supports, but concerned about rising input costs.

The percentage of producers who said the U.S. was headed in the “right direction” has ranged from 51 to 57 per cent since April, with 51 per cent of respondents saying that the U.S. was heading in the right direction in August.

Canadians respond to Nepal’s flooding

2026-09-02T08:48:51.567-04:00

Canadians are responding to the devastating flooding in Nepal, including the Mennonite Central Committee, World Renew, Save the Children and ICNA Relief Canada.

"It was heartbreaking to witness the scale of devastation caused by the floods,” said Durga Sunchiuri, MCC Nepal program director.

"I have never seen such extensive destruction before. Many affected families are struggling without electricity and basic necessities in temporary holding areas, facing significant uncertainty about their housing and livelihoods."

World Renew which is an agency of the Christian Reformed Church, said it is working through partners it has in Nepal.

MCC is working with two existing local partners, Sahayogi Hatharuko Samuha (Group of Helping Hands, SAHAS) and the National Mental Health Self-Help Organization (KOSHISH) to provide emergency relief.

In the first weeks following the flooding, partners will deliver assistance to people living in temporary evacuation centers, including churches. MCC support will include food, water purification tablets, hygiene and dignity kits, bedding, clothes and psychosocial support in the affected districts. MCC will also support recovery efforts following the initial emergency phase.

Both SAHAS and KOSHISH have partnered with MCC to respond to past disasters in the region, including the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. MCC's ongoing program in Nepal already supports food security, livelihoods and nutrition, mental health and education.

In the first days following the flood, MCC also supported immediate search and rescue operations by providing five 5.5-kilowatt generators after power had been knocked out in the Rasuwa district. Rescue workers relied on these generators for relief operations, including locating missing or injured people.

"We hope that this timely and much-needed assistance will go a long way in supporting the affected communities," says Christina Nisha, MCC representative for Nepal.

"We are coordinating our efforts with other non-governmental organizations in the region and are grateful for the resilience and strength of our partners. These trusted organizations hold incredible knowledge and capacity. We welcome your prayers and support on their behalf, as well as for all the people of Nepal."

Feds selling research cattle

2026-09-01T19:24:24.349-04:00

The federal government is selling cattle it used for research at facilities it is closing.

It has already sold 130 head from Nappan, N.S., and will soon sell about another 450 from Lacombe, Alta.

Some others involved in long-term research projects will be moved to the research station at Lethbridge.

The agriculture department said in an e-mail to a reporter for the Western Producer that “offering these animals through public auction supports continued growth of the sector by providing producers with direct access to high-quality animals, including bred cows that can contribute immediately to herd growth and productivity.

“This approach helps support producers as they strengthen and expand their operations.”

Wheat exports resume from Churchill

2026-09-01T19:13:12.201-04:00

For the first time in six years, wheat is once again being shipped out of the port at Churchill on Hudson’s Bay.

The first is 33,000 tonnes of Durum wheat from Saskatchewan bound for Europe. Two more ships are lined up for loading.

AGT is shipping the grain through AGG at the port.

“This is what a diversified Port of Churchill looks like,” said Mike Spence, AGG board chair and mayor of Churchill.

“Prairie grain heading to Europe, critical minerals and Manitoba potash reaching international markets, and essential goods moving north to communities in Nunavut.”

“For AGT Foods, the Port of Churchill offers a compelling advantage: a shorter, efficient route connecting Western Canadian agriculture directly with customers in Europe and the Mediterranean,” said Murad Al-Katib, president and chief executive officer of AGT Foods.

Europe ponders punitive residue limits

2026-09-01T19:04:56.569-04:00

The European Union is considering pesticide residue limits that would cripple Canadians who sell to European Union member countries.

More than $1.4 billion in Canadian agricultural exports are at risk if a new report, Vision For Agriculture and Food, is adopted.

There is no scientific evidence that the Canadian exports pose a risk to consumers.

The report calls for zero residue for 18 pesticides that are banned by the European Union.

That would impact 235 commodities from 86 exporting countries. About $1 billion of Csnafisn exports are at risk.

The European report speculated on three responses:

1.Producers in exporting countries do not change their current practices and lose their European markets.

2. Some producers adjust their practices.

3.More producers shun the use of the 18 pesticides.

EU total agricultural imports would plunge 41 per cent under the first response. eight per cent under the second and 0.4 per cent under the third.

European crop production would grow under all three scenarios as domestic farmers fill the gap left by reduced imports, the report said without examining how that could be done given current pesticide bans and manure and fertilizer limits.

The EU relies on imports for 29 of the impacted commodities, such as figs, almonds, hazelnuts and beans.

Canada is one of 14 countries that exports more than $1.4 billion annually of the listed commodities to Europe.

Lentils would be hard hit.

Janelle Whitley, senior director of market access and trade policy with Pulse Canada, said “this policy would shift how MRLs (minimum residue limits) are set from a risk-based process to a hazard-based process that isn’t yet clearly defined,

“We continue to raise these concerns with the Canadian government and directly with officials in Brussels,” said Whitley.

The pesticides glufosinate, spirodiclofen, mancozeb and metiram are tied to the largest import values that are at risk.

“It is explicitly a preliminary, exploratory analysis, not the rigorous impact assessment required under the EU’s own Better Regulation framework,” the U.S. Department of Agriculutre’s Foreign Agricultural Service stated in an Aug. 25 report summarizing the JRC study. It has more than $16 billion US at risk.

“This point reinforces why the United States and other trading partners are right to insist that no MRL reductions be finalized . . . until a complete, dedicated impact assessment — one that meets the EU’s own procedural standards — has been conducted.” the U.S. said.

Succession plan wins international award

2026-09-01T10:32:21.040-04:00

A farm succession planning guide developed by Wellington County has won the award of excellence in innovation from the International Economic Development Council.

Justine Daynard, leader of the project, said the idea came from looking at Statistics Canada data about the age profile of farmers in Wellington County and the province.

Many have not developed a comprehensive plan for what usually is a very personal, emotional, complex and detailed challenge.

It goes far beyond considering whether a family member will inherit the farm or if it will be sold to someone who respects the land and community.

Finances are important, including taxes.

Today’s farming operations are larger than a generation ago, the finances are more complicated and a lot of people and businesses can be involved. For example, there could be written or hand-shake agreements for land rental, hired workers, equipment rentals or custom-operator contracts and sales commitments.

The process typically takes three to five years, Daynard said.

Wellington County farmers immediately responded when workshops were first offered two years ago. Two workshops were fully subscribed and all 250 copies originally printed were snapped up. More than 1,000 visitors have checked out the on-line website.

Daynard and her team have now developed a “white label” plan that other municipalities can adapt to their unique situations.

People from other nations have also expressed an interest in using the plan for their farmers.

Hackbert to head fruit and veggie growers

2026-09-01T10:30:41.608-04:00

Stephen Heckbert is leaving the Canadian Pork Council to be executive director of Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada.

He takes over as growers try to navigate through the tariff war launched by United States President Donald Trump and tariff responses from Canada.

It is also a time when the provinces have promised to reduce inter-provincial trade barriers.

Calgary company has licence suspended

2026-09-01T10:29:45.178-04:00

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence of Fresh Bites Inc. of Calgary, Alta.

The company’s products were found to be contaminated with food-poisoning Listeria monocytogenes bacteria.

The CFIA investigation discovered improper sanitation procedures, unsatisfactory equipment maintenance, improper employee traffic flow and deficiencies in the company’s preventive controls.

The company is out of business until it can satisfy the CFIA that it is in compliance with Safe Food for Canadians regulations.

Trump to allow on-farm butchering

2026-09-01T10:28:49.719-04:00

United States President Donald Trump is planning to allow farmers to slaughter livestock and poultry on their farms, probably with no health, sanitation and food safety inspection.

Here’s what he posted on Truth Social:

“Ranchers and Farmers have always been a number one priority for me.

They work very hard, are smart, efficient, and immaculately CLEAN, but for years I have heard that they have had a tremendous problem with the Big Processors, who many say are a nasty Monopoly.

“There are, essentially, 4 of them, a very non competitive number, and they make life miserable for our wonderful Farmers and Ranchers, and I can't let that happen, can I?

“So, in order to break this powerful monopoly, with much of its ownership based outside of the U.S., I am authorizing legal documents to be drawn in order to allow Farmers and Ranchers to be given the right to PROCESS THEIR OWN FOOD. This should

move quickly.

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

President DONALD J. TRUMP"

Leslie, Leach lose appeal

2026-09-01T10:27:21.594-04:00

Chantelle Leslie and Erik Leach have lost their appeal to regain a licence from the Dairy Farmers of Ontario milk marketing board.

Evidence from the hearing conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Agribusiness Appeal Tribunal detailed a long history of compliance issues, including milk quality and milk marketing.

It is not the first time they have filed an appeal with the tribunal.

The tribunal wrote in these excepts from its decision that “both Erik and Chantelle have been suffering from stress and anxiety resulting in major depression at various levels from the time that they took over Erik’s parents’ dairy operation in 2014.

“The causes appear to be family friction in negotiating the purchase of the family farm, financial difficulties and various issues with DFO.

“The use of shared facilities might have saved the Appellants from the final shut-off. Shared facilities may have given the Appellants the breathing space necessary to deal with their SCC and AFP issues and their mental health.

“The Tribunal appreciates that all farming endeavours are stressful, maybe dairy farming more than others. Dairy farmers are required to comply with strict quality standards developed by the provincial government, the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission and the DFO Board to ensure that processors and consumers have a safe supply of milk and milk products.

“For the reasons that the Tribunal has given, it finds that it cannot grant the Appellants’ request to reinstate their licence.”

Turkey price-fixing cases closed

2026-08-31T09:12:25.369-04:00

A federal judge in Illinois has granted preliminary approval to the final two settlements involving direct purchasers in long-running turkey price-fixing lawsuits. It means court cases scheduled for October trial are not needed.

The lawsuits resulted in the recovery of $130.7 million from processing companies.

The final settlements were with Butterball, Hormel Foods Corp. and Jennie-O Turkey Store.

The direct-purchaser class alleged that some of the nation’s largest turkey producers conspired to inflate prices by exchanging competitively sensitive information.

The winners are people and businesses that purchased fresh or frozen uncooked turkey breast, ground turkey or whole-bird turkey products directly from the processing companies between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2016.

Chapman’s spurns American suppliers

2026-08-27T15:42:49.733-04:00

Chapman’s Ice Cream is busy replacing suppliers in the United States with ones in Canada and other countries.

It’s Chapman’s response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.

It aims to it replace more than 70 per cent of its American ingredients and won't increase prices for two years -.i.e. to March 2028.

One of the big changes involves sugar cones.

There are no producers of industrial sugar cones in Canada, so the company partnered with Original Foods, a company outside Hamilton, to bring in a cone oven, Chapman said.

“We are going to be the only company in Canada who has a 100 per cent Canadian cone line."

Original Foods Limited will produce the sugar cones for Chapman's. The Dunnville, Ont.-based manufacturer tapped the ice cream retailer a few months ago when trade talks with Canada and the U.S. intensified.

"We knew there will be opportunities for customers who are currently buying in the U.S. to look for local manufacturing and we approached Chapman's to discuss if they would be interested to buy locally," said president Steeve Tremblay.

Chapman's is also moving production of wafers used in its ice cream sandwiches to Canada and is sourcing ingredients such as almonds from Australia and cherries from Chile.

Chapman said some of the changes are long-term commitments, including the five-year contract for Canadian-made cones.

Chapman’s is also working to make its production more efficient to help control costs, he added.

“I am fully confident that we are going to make it to the other side of this,” Ashley Chapman told CBC Radio London, Ont.

The company said it will continue to use 100 per cent Canadian dairy in its ice cream.

I find that generous because I well remember reporting on the difficulties the family had starting its business at Markham and because the milk marketing board ran a plant supply program, it would not supply all the milk Chapman's needed to grow its business.

It's one of a few reasons why I am no fan of milk supply management marketing boards.

CFIA suspends a licence, cancels another

2026-08-27T10:29:50.888-04:00

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by G.B. La Référence Inc. of Montreal and has cancelled the licence held by Animals Halal Sano Inc. of Lasalle, Que,

It said G.B. La Référence fell short on the identification of hazards, a preventive control plan, recall procedures and product traceablility.

Animals Halal Sano had its licence suspended in December.

2026-08-27T10:09:40.356-04:00

Where's the beef?

Global beef production is expected to decline by two per cent this year, according to Rabobank’s quarterly report on beef.

Rabobank expects production to fall in the United States, Brazil, China and Europe, with the global contraction expected to continue over the next 12 months. The tighter production outlook comes as trade flows shift in response to declining supplies, tariffs and import restrictions.

In the U.S., declining domestic production and historically tight cattle supplies have driven record beef imports. It’s beef imports increased by 11 per cent from a year earlier to a record 3.3 billion pounds during the first six months of 2026.

Australia, Mexico and Argentina accounted for much of the growth, increasing shipments by 99 million, 91 million and 71 million pounds, respectively.

Cattle and beef prices reached highs across nearly every major U.S. market category during the second quarter before retreating sharply entering the third quarter.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s all-fresh retail beef price peaked at $10 per pound in April, while 500-pound and 800-pound steer prices reached record monthly averages of $5.17 and $3.68 per pound, respectively. Fed steers averaged $2.59 per pound in May.

Since those highs, cattle prices have declined by between8 eight and 16 per cent, reducing farm and ranch revenues by an estimated $200 to $500 per head depending on the market segment, according to Rabobank.

Ample frozen beef inventories also allowed wholesale buyers to resist additional price increases during the summer grilling season.

International trade shifts could put additional beef into the U.S. market during the second half of the year.

Australia and Brazil could become increasingly dependent on U.S. buyers as both countries reach safeguard quotas for exports to China.

The Trump administration has also said it is increasing import quotas by 300,000 pounds.

Feds renew innovation funding

2026-08-27T09:58:10.526-04:00

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) announced that it will award $50-million to the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN).

It enables CAAIN to launch new programming, beginning this fall.

CAAIN will continue to focus on its primary mandate of funding the development and adoption of innovation that increases the productivity, profitability, and/or sustainability of our nation’s agricultural

producers, it said.

Over the past six years, we have committed more than $42M of ISED dollars to 56 projects whose total value exceeds $133M.million said board chair Laura Kilcrease.

Thirty projects have completed their CAAIN funding cycle, a number have successfully gone to market, validating ISED’s and our faith in their

long-term value and effectively providing taxpayers a strong return on investment, a news release said.

“To say we appreciate ISED’s belief in us and what we do would be an understatement. As someone who once farmed, I can’t begin to express the importance of the investments the ISED program allows,” she said.

Lambton has new venue for plowing match

2026-08-26T19:00:26.531-04:00

The Ontario Plowmen’s Association has secured aa farm owned by Clayton and Linda McLauchlin for the 2027 International Plowing Match and Rural Explo.

It is east of Petrolia in Lambton County.

Earlier this summer, the Lambton County Plowmen’s Association withdrew its offer to host the match.

Then a week later the Ontario Plowmen’s Association said it would go ahead with the match in Lambton County.

The OPA said the Petrolia Line property has the perfect open landscape, easy access, and major operational footprint needed to pull off an event of this scale.

The OPA said it demonstrated the county’s ability to bring together agriculture, innovation, community leadership, and visitors from across Ontario.

The match is to be held Sept. 21 to 25, 2027.

U.S. blames Canada for failed trade talks

2026-08-26T18:48:12.135-04:00

In an interview with CBC News on Wednesday, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Canadian side had new requests when Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc returned from Ottawa after the tentative deal was struck on Aug. 18.

"We had agreed to, as I've shared before in the press, really the best deal available to any country on the planet with respect to Canada," Greer told CBC News chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton in his first one-on-one interview with a Canadian news outlet since trade talks broke down on Friday.

"When [LeBlanc] came back, they had some additional views. They had some additional requests. They had some additional things that that were too much for the United States."

Yet when Trump was asked who in the U.S. weighed in with last-minute changes, he said “that sounds like me.”