Hearing dates set for national pork promotion and research agency proposal Thursday, December 17, 2015 by SUSAN MANNThe Farm Products Council of Canada is holding two days of hearings next year to look into the merits of a Canadian Pork Council proposal about establishing a pork promotion and research agency.The hearings will be held Jan. 19, 2016 at the Delta Bow Valley Downtown Hotel in Calgary and Feb. 16, 2016 at the Montreal Hyatt Regency in Montreal.Canadian Pork submitted its proposal to Farm Products in July. The new pork agency’s objectives would be to promote domestic pork consumption, further develop export markets for Canadian pork and support technical and market research.“These objectives are intended to strengthen the markets for hogs and pork, optimize production efficiencies, increase domestic consumption and enhance financial returns from the marketplace,” the proposal says.The levy to fund the new agency would apply to both domestic production and imports. It would be 75 cents per market hog or live hog equivalent for imports.Gary Stordy, Canadian Pork public relations manager, says the levy wouldn’t be new for Canadian producers. “The proposal takes into account the existing levies producers pay,” he says.The new agency is needed because in several provinces the current levy collected and spent on research, promotion and market development is decreasing, the proposal says. Furthermore, imports have never contributed towards research and promotion activities, as there isn’t currently a levy on pork and pork product imports.The estimated net return to Canadian producers is at least $4.79 for each check off dollar invested, the proposal says.Many provincial pork boards across Canada, including Ontario Pork, support the proposal.Stordy says if the proposal were successful the new agency would be set up within the next year. BF Pork council victor in ear tag dust-up New organization tackles swine health
Manitoba Crops Advance Quickly as Heat Speeds Development Across Fields Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Manitoba farmers saw significant crop progress during the week of July 14 to July 21 as above-normal temperatures accelerated development across most major commodities. While the warmer weather helped push crops through critical growth stages, moisture conditions remained inconsistent... Read this article online
Canola Growers May Gain New Tool for Water Stress Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Mosaic Biosciences and Elicit Plant have entered into a joint development agreement to create a new agricultural solution aimed at helping canola growers across North America manage water-stress challenges. The collaboration will use Elicit Plant’s proprietary EliTerra technology... Read this article online
Pilot project supports Ontario and Quebec ag Wednesday, July 22, 2026 A new two-year pilot project is designed to help livestock farmers in Quebec by giving them access to an Ontario abattoir. The project, a collaboration between the Quebec and Ontario governments, with additional support from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), would see a limited... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Harvest One of Canada’s Top Carrot Crops Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Carrots are among Ontario's most important vegetable crops, contributing significantly to local food production and year-round fresh produce availability. Ontario grows the most carrots of any Canadian province – 45% of the country’s carrots. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario... Read this article online
Weather Outlook Raises Flash Drought Concerns Across Central U.S. Tuesday, July 21, 2026 A growing flash drought across the central United States, lingering wildfire smoke impacts, and the rapid development of El Niño are creating a challenging weather outlook for North American agriculture. According to the latest weather analysis from Nutrien meteorologist Eric... Read this article online