Negotiations continue for machine-harvested cucumbers.
The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers Marketing Board is
facing tough negotiations this year following interventions by the Ontario Farm
Products Marketing Commission followed by a response from Ontario Agriculture
Minister Jeff Leal.
Former commission chairman Geri Kamenz called for
negotiations about the commission's proposal to take price-bargaining power away from the marketing board.
He cited the persistent decline in the Ontario fruit and
vegetable processing sector.
Then Leal intervened to put Kamenz’s proposal on hold and
called for further consultations.
That’s where matters still stand with the association
representing processors insisting that it wants an end to the marketing board’s
involvement in pricing and the board and a broader group of marketing boards
and general farm organizations insisting that those powers must remain with the
board.
The key crop is tomatoes and there the politics are
particularly interesting because Heinz pulled out of Leamington and now a group
of former Heinz managers have set up Highbury Canco to continue processing
tomatoes at the plant.
Last year Highbury Canco formed a joint venture with a
tomato grower and the marketing board objected. That issue ended up before the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Tribunal which ruled
that the joint venture can operate in the industry.
