Zorra quarantine lifted

 

An avian flu quarantine in Zorra Township in Oxford County has been lifted.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency imposed the quarantine zone on Dec. 22.

NFU hires Thompson

 NFU chooses David Thompson

 

David Thompson is moving from Ontario to the National Farmers Union as its new executive director.

He has worked for the Ontario branch on  policy research and analysis, managing programs and interviewing farmers.

He has also been on working groups with the International Programs Committee.

“Dave is the kind of deeply knowledgeable leader who brings everyone along while staying firmly committed to the mission and values of the NFU,” said NFU president, Jenn Pfenning who is an organic farmer between New Hamburg and Baden, Ont.

He earned a master’s degree in cultural, social and political thought from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and a PhD in history from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

In 2018, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Ottawa. Much of his academic work was about the history of labour and activism. He has also worked as a union organizer for the Public Service Alliance of Canada which represents federal government workers.

                           

Sunterra hit with lawsuit

 

A farmer’s co-operative, Compeer Financial, has included Sunterra Farms of  Alberta in a lawsuit alleging cheque kiting.

The lawsuit is against three hog farms in Yankton County, South Dakota—Sunwold Farms, Sunterra Farms, and Lariagra Farms—alleging involvement in a cheque kiting scheme resulting in significant financial losses. 

The lawsuit, filed in the South Dakota District Court, seeks the appointment of a receiver to manage approximately 110,000 hogs and to recover damages totaling $36 million.​

According to the complaint, the defendants pledged their pig inventory as colla

Cheque kiting involves creating artificial balances by continuously writing cheques between accounts at different banks without sufficient funds, exploiting the time it takes for cheques to clear.​

The entities involved are connected to the Sunterra Group, a multi-state and international swine operation led by the Price family based in Alberta. 

Sunterra Group manages approximately 500,000 pig spaces across various entities, including Sunwold and Lariagra. 

Specifically, Sunwold Farms, a South Dakota corporation, finishes over 62,000 pigs, while Lariagra Farms, also based in South Dakota, finishes approximately 48,725 pigs.​

JBS wins double-jeopardy challenge

A federal judge in Minnesota has ruled that Sysco must uphold a $50 million settlement agreement with JBS. 

The decision stops Sysco from seeking more money by participating in a coalition of plaintiffs about price fixing.

The settlement required Sysco to release all claims against JBS once payment was made, however, in June 2023, Sysco assigned its claims to Carina Ventures,;

 In March, the court formally recognized Carina as the new plaintiff. JBS argued that Carina’s rights were still bound by the original settlement, nullifying any additional claims.

This week the court agreed with JBS.

Canadian Meat Council launches Protein Pact

The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) launched the Protein PACT sustainability framework for the Canadian meat processing sector on Thursday.

It comes amidst United States President Donald Trump’s plans to disrupt relations with a 26 per cent tariff on Canadian products, presumably including meat.

The Protein Pact aims to enhance sustainability practices across the industry, aligning with global standards while addressing critical issues, CMC said in a release.  It is a close joint effort with the U.S. meat industry.

The Protein PACT was developed by the U.S. based Meat Institute, in which Canada’s main meat packers are members, is a partnership uniting stakeholders across the animal protein industry to accelerate progress toward global sustainable development goals, focusing on people, animals, communities and the environment, the organization said in a news release. 

Bringing the Protein PACT to Canada allows CMC members to collaboratively and pre-competitively advance the sustainability of the animal processing sector. By adapting this framework for Canada, CMC’s goal is to emplower Canadian meat processors to collaborate on shared sustainability goals and work together to improve North American-wide practices, it said,

“Canada’s red meat processing sector have sophisticated science-based practices and outcomes across their establishments and systems in place,” CMC president and chief executive officer Chris White. “This initiative will provide a vehicle to broadly communicate these initiatives and demonstrate our leadership to key stakeholders.”

Through initiatives like the Protein PACT, the North American meat processing industry is poised to make even greater strides in advancing sustainability and meeting the challenges of the future together, the release said. 

“By uniting industry stakeholders under a common framework, the Protein PACT will ensure that Canada’s meat processors can continuously improve their operations to achieve the highest standards of sustainability, transparency, and accountability,” Meat Institute President and chief executive  Julie Anna Potts said.

Listowel’s ag centre progressing

Supporters of the Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre got an update on the plans during the third annual meeting in Listowel.

Chairmsn Steve Dolson said the project remains in the early stages, and over the next few months the team will be reaching out to more businesses in the immediate area to try and secure their membership and show that there's solid interest in the project.

"We are going to be developing plans to go outside the Huron-Perth area to get financial support for this whole centre to be a reality. It's at minimum a $20 million project and potentially upwards of $38 million," Dolson said.

He said this will be Canada's first agriculture and food science centre and it will be 10 acres of land beside the Listowel arena.

Dolson said the centre will aim to educate people about the agri-food industry's importance, but another goal is to encourage young people to take interest in the industry.

"We also want to excite young people about the many, many careers that are out there in this field. There's a lot of opportunities out there that people aren't aware of and we want to stimulate that interest, as well," Dolson shared enthusiastically.

The board includes Sylvia Behrns, Dawne Boersen, Dave Bray, Barry Crean, Steve Dolson, Cassie Greidanus, Elizabeth Johnston, Jillian Lewis, Claudia Prescott, Christine Schoonderwoerd and Marlin Stoltz.

So far, those supporting the centre include Boulevard North, Corteva Agriscience, DesignLogix Engineering Inc., Grand River Agricultural Society, Hensall Co-op, Huron Perth Agriculture and Water Festival, Molesworth Farm Supply Ltd., Ontario Trillium Foundation, OPPA Branch 6, Perth County Cultivating Opportunity Grant, Schoonderwoerd Bros. Concrete Ltd., The Municipality of North Perth, Trillium Mutual Insurance, Ward & Uptigrove and Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd.

PDCoV hits Huron farm

 

There has been an outbreak of porcine deltacoronavirus at a farrow-to-wean hog operation in Huron County, reports Swine Health Ontario.

New approach leads toward vaccine for African Swine Fever

There could soon be a vaccine against African Swine Fever based on work by researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and Virginia Tech .

They have genetically engineered a weakened version of the the deadly virus using reverse genetics—essentially “building” the virus from cloned DNA in a controlled laboratory setting. This advancement allows scientists to safely manipulate specific genes in the virus, enabling the creation of an attenuated vaccine strain.

Dr. Douglas Gladue of the ARS team said it is “a major step forward” because the weakened virus builds immunity without sickening pigs.

The new reverse genetics–based vaccine has shown promising results in preclinical trials,and further testing is ongoing. 

While this doesn’t mean an immediate end to ASF, it does signal a potential turning point.

Niagara to host IPM this year

 

The Niagara Region will host the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo at the Niagara Fairground Sept. 15 to 20.

It was last held in Niagara Region in 1926.

As usual, the event will have daily entertainment, animal exhibits, demonstrations, local artisans, farm and rural goods and services, a rodeo and, of course, plowing competitions.

Combine sales down, tractors up

Canadian dealers sold only 21 new combines in January, down from 123 last year, and United States dealers sold 97 this year compared with 460 last year.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers reported that Canadian sales of four-wheel-drive tractors increased from 49 last year to 59 this year.

Second AI outbreak in Lambton

There has been a second outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza in Lambton County. The first was Mar. 14.

London Public Health Unit has been working with the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) †o contain, monitor, and respond to the situation.

Cam Hamilton, a regional manager with the CFIA, said migrating birds are carrying the virus, but may be infecting wild birds that stay all summer and pose an ongoing threat.

He also said in an interview with CBC Radio Kitchener that infected migrating waterfowl might contaminate ponds and rodents could become infected and carry the disease into poultry barns.

Farmers support Canadian Foodgrains Bank

 

John and David Lugtigheid presented the Canadian Foodgrains Bank with $39,000 on Tuesday at the Evangel Community Church.

The father and son have been growing and selling crops for the organization on land owned by the church.

John Lugtigheid told Chthm-Kent News Today they've never collected a cent off of any of the work.

"Over the years, we've never turned a bill in and we still pay our help for doing the work," he said.

John also gave a shoutout to local agri-businesses who have donated fertilizer and other chemicals. 

"The local agri-businesses have been very good in supporting [the farm]," he said.

John said he's expecting another $4,000 to $5,000 once they get the farm's premium payment

Henry Reinders, an Ontario regional representative for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, said the grain is no longer shipped to needy people overseas, but sold and the money used to provide help.

"We're not spending money on shipping costs. We're providing the people who are receiving the food a product they're familiar with because we're buying it locally, and we're also helping local farmers who have something to sell by providing a market for them," Reinders said.

The change has also allowed the organization to support different kinds of projects such as improving farming practices in different countries.

This is how one American views Trump’s ag. policies

 

Journlist  Anthony Pahlky took aim at United States President Donald Trump’s impact on farmers, and it’s not nice. This is some of what he wrote:

For someone who tells us frequently how much he loves farmers, Trump sure has a strange way of showing it.

Look no further than how his tariffs on China have sparked retaliatory actions targeting U.S. exports of products including soy, corn, wheat and pork. American grain farmers still struggle to regain the market share that they lost to Brazilian competitors the last time Trump was in power.

Potential responses from Mexico and Canada will only exact more economic damage. 

To the north, a possible tariff on potash — a key ingredient in fertilizer — will drive up input prices for our producers and cut into their already thin profit margins. 

To the south, if Trump’s efforts at using tariffs in 2018 are any indication, U.S. farmers can expect their markets for pork, milk and cheese to be negatively affected.

Trump’s promise during his address to Congress — that farmers will now be selling into our home market — may be forced upon our nation’s food producers because they won’t have the chance to sell anywhere else.

Still, agricultural policy doesn’t have to operate this way. Tariffs particularly, when used along with a larger ensemble of tools such as targeted investments and antitrust enforcement, could make markets more profitable and competitive. But as tariffs are currently being deployed, farmers can expect four years of economic hardship.

But rather than having such foresight when thinking about our nation’s food security, the USDA has canceled the Local Food for Schools Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which together represent over $1 billion in funding to support local farmers sell to schools and food banks. 

Along with funding freezes for specific projects, including initiatives for planting organic crops and improving water lines on operations, farmers are having both their productive capacity and domestic markets taken from them.

What we know from Trump 1.0 is that when markets are harmed, the government may step in — with bailouts. Last time the Republican was in office, trade wars with China led to two relief packages. 

As much is almost guaranteed now, as export markets are threatened and programs that could help farmers transition for local, domestic production, are being cut.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ expedited $10 billion in emergency payments to mark National Agriculture Day for “market uncertainty” is a taste of what is to come.

Meanwhile, Trump has once again made dairy policy national news, targeting Canada for protecting its producers with tariffs in that country’s system known as supply management. 

In terms of specifics, the Canadian system assures a base price for farmers by coordinating supply and demand, including what is imported into the country.

Back when renegotiating NAFTA, Canada’s supply management system caught Trump’s attention for limiting the entry of U.S. dairy exports. Part of the USMCA deal, which replaced NAFTA, assured U.S. dairy farmers slightly greater access to Canadian markets.

But even with the USMCA in effect, dairy farm exits have risen. In Wisconsin, from 2014 to 2024, the state experienced a 46 percent decrease in the number of dairies.

The state led the country in farm bankruptcies in 2020 and 2021, fresh off the heels of Trump supposedly taking a stand to support U.S. farmers against unfair Canadian trade practices.

Moral of the story: Scapegoating the Canadian system for challenges dairy farmers face didn’t help keep U.S. producers on the land when Trump was president the first time. 

Accordingly, there is no reason why pursuing this approach again will generate any different results.

Without tackling the concentrated nature of agricultural markets, Trump’s promise to farmers that they can sell domestically is really an invitation to poverty.

Tariffs could be part of an effort to truly assist America’s farmers. Trump deserves some credit in this regard, particularly for pushing back on the free trade orthodoxy that has reigned unchallenged for decades. 

But pushing tariffs on their own while contracts are cut and programs are canceled, is a recipe for disaster for our country’s food producers. Farmers deserve better.

                      

 

 

 

U.S. pork producers plead for Canadian mercy

 

The National Pork Producers Association in the United States is pleading for Canada to drop plans to impose retaliatory pork tariffs.

“The tit-for-tat tariff exchanges will disrupt supply chains that have been built up over decades. We request that Canada seeks to preserve the benefits of the integrated North American market to the maximum extent practicable, including by excluding U.S. pork imports from retaliation,” said Maria Zieba, the council’s vice-president for government affairs. It was in a letter to Canadian government officials. 

“As of this writing, goods originating in North America, including Canadian pork, are exempt from tariffs. While we cannot predict what will happen in the future, NPPC supports continued duty-free trade in both directions,” she wrote.

“A trade war will leave the North American pork sector weaker and more fragmented. While we understand the impulse to impose tariffs on U.S. goods in response to unjustified U.S. tariffs, such duties likely would rupture the integrated supply chain that has been so beneficial to our two countries, especially since the creation of NAFTA,” she wrote.

So, her advice to Canadians is to sit there and take it. No way!

Agristability doubled for Chinese canola tariffs

 

The federal government has doubled AgriStability support for canola farmers hit by China’s 100 per cent tariff on canola oil and meal. It has not increased tariffs on canola seed.

The announcement came late Saturday afternoon, ahead of an expected Sunday election call.

 Agriculture minister Kody Blois said the agriculture sector is experiencing multiple challenges, including China’s canola tariff and the U.S. threats of a 25 per cent tariff next week.

AgriStability’s compensation rate has been increased from 80 to 90 percent and the $3-million payment cap has been doubled for this year.

Sheep is infected with avian flu

Bird flu has been detected in an ewe in northern England, the first known case of its kind in the world, Britain’s government said.

Many different mammals have died of the H5N1 bird flu virus across the globe including bears, cats, dairy cows, dogs, dolphins, seals,  tigers and million of chickens and turkeys have been slaughtered to prevent the disease from spreading to other commercial flocks.

The case was identified following routine surveillance of farmed livestock on a premises in Yorkshire where highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) had been confirmed in birds, the government said.

Although there have been a few human infections, most of them mild, there has been no spread from a human to another human.

The sheep that tested positive was a ewe with signs of mastitis and no other clinical signs, the government said.

CFIA reports AI in Lambton

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported an outbreak of avian influenza in a commercial poultry flock in Lambton County.

A quarantrine zone is in effect. 

That brings the total of active cases in Ontario to 10 and euthanization of 1,107,000 birds.

Six rabies in Ontario

 

The Canadian Food inspection Agency reported five cases of rabies in bats and one in a rrd fox during February.

That is more than half the Canadian total of 10.

Carney axes capital gains tax hike

Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government will cancel the proposal to hike to the capital gains tax.

"Cancelling the hike in capital gains tax will catalyze investment across our communities and incentivize builders, innovators and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in Canada," Carney said in a statement. 

Had the changes gone through, individuals with annual capital gains over $250,000 would have had two-thirds of those gains taxed. Two-thirds of all capital gains earned by corporations and trusts would also have been taxed.

The current tax rate is 50 per cent of the capital gains.

 

The statement also said the government will maintain its increase in the lifetime capital gains exemption limit to $1.25 million "on the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property."

                                    

PETA loses trespass law challenge

A federal judge has upheld Iowa’s law barring trespassers from using cameras or recording devices to investigate livestock facilities, dismissing a challenge from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and an Iowa citizens’ group.

Chief U.S. District Judge Stephanie Rose ruled that the law serves Iowa’s interest in protecting property rights and privacy while allowing other legal means for advocacy. The decision follows a remand from the Eighth Circuit, which had upheld most of the law but allowed a challenge to the provision restricting the use of recording devices.

Plaintiffs argued the law suppresses whistleblowing and public discourse, while the court found it appropriately tailored to prevent unauthorized surveillance. The plaintiffs are considering an appeal.

Feds finally crack down on chicken import fraud

 

Newly-appointed federal Agriculture Minister Kody Blois is kicking the Canadian Food Inspection Agency into action on long-standing import fraud with chicken imports falsely called spent fowl that skip out of tariffs.

David McGuinty is also involving the Canadian Border Services Agency he oversees.

Chicken Farmers of Canada has complained for years about the fraud and even showed the government how it could use DNA testing to stop it.

At times imports of spent fowl have exceeded the entire United States population of spent fowl.

The imports take Canadian markets that belong to Canadian producersl

“The issue of spent fowl misrepresentation is one that demands decisive action,” said Blois.

“This is fraud and it undermines consumers, our farmers, distorts our markets, and puts Canadian jobs at risk.,” Blois and McGuinty said in a joint news release.

CFIA suspends Booby Food licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence for Booby Food of Calgary.

The CFIA said the company failed to comply with standards for sanitation and prevention and for trading across provincial and national borders.

The company dries and freezes breast milk.

Blois axes CFIA regs

Kody Blois has axed a number of Canadian Food Inspection rules and regulations to make Canadians more competitive with the United States.

It is one of the first things he did after new Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed him agriculture minister.

One of the regulations that will go is the requirement to remove specified risk material from cattle carcasses, a rule that came into effect when bovine spongiform encephalitis was discovered in the brain of a cow that died in Alberta in May, 2003.

Canadian farmers and meat packers have long lobbied for an end to the regulation which puts them at a competitive disadvantage with the United States. It is estimated to increase their costs by $31.7 million a year.

“We know that is a crucial time right now for Canadian farmers and we have to be doing everything in our control to reduce costs,” Blois said in a video posted on X.

The CFIA will also be speeding product approvals to provide alternatives to U.S.-sourced animal feed. The move was touted to alleviate tariff pressures on feed producers by making more feed ingredients available in Canada or from other countries.

Blois said the CFIA will also address “stakeholder irritants” through regulatory changes. Canada will explore increasing the maximum slaughter age for feeder cattle to 40 weeks from 36.

Harmonizing Canadian testing requirements for salmonella at hatcheries with U.S. regulations is also in the works.

Blois said “outdated prescriptive requirements” would be removed regarding labeling requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables. The CFIA will also continue to work on modernizing fruit and vegetable grades.

An honour

I was honoured with a King Charles III Coronation Medallion on Wednesday for volunteering with the local Habitat For Humanity organization.

I has been a privilege to help people own a home.

There are 30,000 Canadians who have been honoured this way for contributions to their communities.

Trevor Jones new Ontario agriculture minister

 

Trevor Jones is the new Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, taking over from Rob Flack who is now Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

He represents Chatham-Kent-Leamington, was a police officer and a municipal councillor in Leamington.

On his website, it says “he worked closely alongside service groups and communities in the agricultural space” and “his passion for his communities, and a desire to support innovation and food security” led him to a career change “to a business executive role to advocate for Ontario’s agriculture sector and ensure it remains a world leader.”

He provides no information on his business career, nor is there any online information about who and where he worked.

He was first elected to the legislature in 2022 and has been Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

                           

Turkey levy increasing

The Turkey Farmers of Canada marketing agency is increasing its fees on April 1.

It is the first increase in 10 years and comes after a couple of years of budget deficits and a projected deficit for this year.

The Farm Products Council of Canada, which governs the national agencies, has approved a levy rate 2.1 cents per bird, up from 1.8 cents per bird.

Hatching egg levy increasing

 

The Farm Products Council of Canada has approved an increase of the levy on hatching eggs to 0.0034 cents per egg from 0.0030 cents per egg.

The combined national agency and Ontario commission levy rises to 0.009304 per egg which is still the lowest in Canada. The other five provinces in the national agency charge from 0.012850 to 0.021800 per egg.

Farmer loses appeal

 

Even though the drainage company ruined his field, a farmer from Mari[posa Lakes in the Kawartha District has lost an appeal tribunal decision.

The tribunal ruled that he will not be paid compensation for his $5,960 cleanup costs and $1,500 for reseeding because he did not include those claims in his appeal.

As for the field damage, the tribunal ruled that the work followed the plans laid out by the engineering firm.

The tribunal decision was written by a lawyer who followed the rules, but it completely ignores common sense and fairness.

Trevor Little told the tribunal how the construction damaged his parents’ field of high-protein alfalfa.

When the construction on this farm started in December, 2023, he had concerns because the land was very wet and having done excavation himself, he knew that construction under these conditions was going to cause problems. Trrevor is a contractor.

The contractor started at the low end of the drain near Little Britain Road and crossed mostly non-agricultural lands with the open portion of the drain until he reached the Graeme’s field.

Trevor said he was surprised excavation began in the field in December because the clay soil was very wet and that he did not stop there.

 Because the soil was so wet, the contractor could not strip the topsoil. All the soil got mixed because they could not separate the topsoil and subsoil. The site was very muddy and the machinery was getting stuck and causing ruts up to two feet deep.

The work spread out to up to 60 metres in some places, far beyond the 20 metres in the proposal.

He also testified that there was an “agreement” that the drainage works on his property would be carried out in August when the soil was dryer and that the topsoil and subsoil would be segregated.

The field was supposed to be restored to its original condition. In fact he trucked in tonnes of topsoil to remedy the damage.

He is claiming $5,000 for crop loss in 2024 and $3,120 for expected crop loss in 2025. The Report allowed them $1,098 as an allowance for crop loss.

The drainage supervisor, Richard Monaghan, testifed that he was not aware of the agreements Trevor cited, said the report did not state a starting date for the work on the Graeme field and that the drain was constructed in accordance with the report.

He said the conservation authority recommended the work be delayed from June because the soil was too wet. But apparently that reasoning was ignored in December.

And he said the contractor claimed he stayed within the 20-metre allowance. He did not provide any pictures or insped5ion reports to verify that claim.

Butter takes a hit from Harvard University

Butter is far less healthy for people than vegetable oils extracted from seeds said a paper from researchers at Harvard University published in JAMA Internal Medicine published  by the American Medical Association.

It clashes with Robert F. Kennedy’s claims that “seed oils are one of the most unhealthy ingredients that we have in foods and the reason they’re in the foods is that they’re heavily subsidized.” Kennedy is  United States secretary of health and human services.

He said that in an October 2024 interview on Fox & Friends.

But Harvard said consuming plant-based oils such as canola oil is much healthier than butter.

In fact, it can prevent premature death, the study said,

“Women and men who were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or neurodegenerative disease at baseline were included,” wrote lead researcher Yu Zhang from the Harvard School of Public Health’s department of epidemiology.

“After adjusting for potential confounders, the highest butter intake was associated with a 15 per cent higher risk of total mortality compared to the lowest intake,” says the paper.

“In contrast, the highest intake of total plant-based oils compared to the lowest intake was associated with a 16 percent lower total mortality. There was a statistically significant association between higher intakes of canola, soybean, and olive oils and lower total mortality.”

Farmers welcome end of carbon tax

 

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture, chief spokesman for farmers, is welcoming the end to the consumer carbon tax.

President Keith Currie said “farmers are being squeezed from seemingly all sides at once with inflation and tariffs from both the United States and China. 

“The long-awaited removal of the carbon tax will provide farmers a bit of relief from this pressure and can be seen as recognition for the difficult place Canadian farmers and consumers find themselves in today,” he said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is cancelling the tax effective April 1.

But the federal carbon tax on businesses will remain.

Grain Farmers of Ontario has been lobbying hard since the tax began for an exemption for grain drying and barn heating, such as for day-old chicks.

McVeggie test marketing begins

McDonald’s Canada is test marketing McVeggie sandwiches.

It is another attempt to test the Canadian market for meals in a bun that do not contain meat.

This time there is no attempt to make it look like a meat hamburger because some of the vegetable ingredients, such as carrots, will be visible.

Whether someone has dietary restrictions or is seeking variety, chief marketing officer Francesca Cardarelli said she thinks the dish’s appeal is obvious as soon as one takes a bite out of the sandwich and spots the melange of chunky greenery that forms the patty.

“You can really see the vegetable component in it, which I think adds a bit of a vibrancy and uniqueness from what we’ve tested in the past,” she said. “This is what they’re looking for now.”

The sandwich, which will come in regular and spicy habanero varieties, has a breaded patty made of carrots, green beans, zucchini, peas, soybeans, broccoli and corn. It comes on a toasted sesame bun and is topped with shredded lettuce and sauce.

It will be tested at Brampton and Windsor, Ont., and Dieppe, Moncton, Riverview and Sussex, N.B., and Richmond and Surrey, B.C. from now until April 14.

                         

                  

 

Horse exporter fined

Bouvry Exports Calgary Ltd. has been fined $17,000 for failing to file verified documents supporting its export of horses to Japan.

Animal activists, such as Animal Justice, have been pressuring the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over horse exports to Japan, including frequent requests filed with Access to Information to learn about the exports.

Liberal Member of Parliament Tim Louis has introduced a bill in the House of Commons to ban horse exports. He represents a mixed urban-rural riding on the west side of Kitchener.

Olymel faces uncertain markets

 Olymel said it is facing tariff troubles when it released its annual report.

China is set to impose a tariff of 25 per cent, effective March 20, on Canadian pork.

United States President Donald Trump said he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on April 2.

Olymel has increased sales to Japan and South Korea since China temporarily banned Canadian pork in 2019.

But it still sells byproducts to China – heads, feet and bones.

The Globe and Mail said Canadian pork prices could drop by 10 per cent because of a 25 per cent U.S. tariff.

But the good news is that Oymel turned from losses in 2023 to profits last year.

It had net earnings of nearly $197 million, a 39 per cent improvement from 2023.