Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Dairy quota policy hearing concludes this month

Thursday, May 7, 2009

by SUSAN MANN

A hearing to strike down Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s current quota policy including the controversial section on transfer assessments wraps up later this month at the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.

The hearing concludes on May 29 with summations and closing comments. It was held Feb. 3-6 in Ottawa and April 27-May 1 in Guelph.

The policy calls for a 15 per cent transfer assessment on all production quota sold on the provincial organization’s quota exchange effective Nov. 17, 2006. Several farmers successfully challenged having to pay the assessment and, in related decisions, the Tribunal has ordered DFO to refund a total of $918,246.32.

DFO has declined to outline how it defended a decision to not rescind its three-year-old quota policy. Spokespeople for the Ontario Quota Rights Organization, which is appealing the Tribunal to reverse the provincial dairy organization’s decision, can’t be reached for comment. 

George MacNaughton, DFO production and regulatory compliance division director, says “our position was presented to the Tribunal and we’re not going to make it public.” He also declines to speculate on what the impact would be if the Tribunal orders the elimination of the quota policy.

MacNaughton says DFO’s board declined a request to rescind the policy last year. “We put it in place for the sustainability and the long-term interests of the dairy industry,” he says. “Why would we rescind it?”
 
On Aug. 1, DFO will introduce new quota policies as Ontario and the other four P5 provinces (Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) introduce harmonized policies across all those provinces. The new policies will immediately eliminate transfer assessment, exemption of the last 10 kilograms from the assessment, and the pay-what-you-bid policies.

Other polices would be phased in during this year and next. They include a quota price cap, new entrant quota assistance program, a change in the over-production credits and a requirement that future general quota increases applying to all farmers would be non-saleable. Information about the new policies is available on DFO’s website. BF
 

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Calf Auction Raises Funds for Youth

Monday, June 30, 2025

Wyatt Westman-Frijters from Milverton won a heifer calf named Ingrid through a World Milk Day promotion by Maplevue Farms and a local Perth, Ontario radio station. Instead of keeping the calf, 22-year-old Westman-Frijters chose to give back to the community. The calf was sent to the... Read this article online

Cattle Stress Tool May Boost Fertility

Friday, June 27, 2025

Kansas State University researchers have developed a cool tool that may help reduce cattle stress and improve artificial insemination (AI) results. The idea came from animal science experts Nicholas Wege Dias and Sandy Johnson, who observed that cattle accustomed to their environment... Read this article online

Ontario pasture lands get $5M boost

Friday, June 27, 2025

The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million to strengthen shared community grazing pastures. This funding supports the province’s plan to protect Ontario’s agriculture sector and help cattle farmers improve pasture quality, ensuring long-term sustainability and... Read this article online

Health Canada sets rules for drone spraying

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Health Canada has approved the use of drones, also called Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), for pesticide application under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Drones are considered aircraft by Transport Canada, but Health Canada treats them differently due to their unique... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top