The Ontario Pork producers marketing board has gained power to licence farmers and to collect fees on hogs that farmers transfer to farms they own outside of the province.
The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission has posted notice on its website that it has amended the pork board’s plan to give it the new licencing authority.
Stacey Ash, communications and marketing manager for Ontario Pork, said “when regulations regarding weaner pig fees were introduced in May, 2013, Ontario Pork noticed an error in the legislation.
“That error, not tested in court, potentially allowed owners who were transferring weaner pigs across international borders within the same ownership structure to avoid paying the weaner pig fee of 20 cents per pig.
“At that time, Ontario Pork notified the OFPMC of the issue and began the process of addressing the error.”
It has taken five years during which “Ontario Pork has worked to move this issue forward, through numerous communications, meetings and consultations,” she wrote iin an e-mail.
“In November we were notified that the revised legislation would be passed.
