Drone Spray Canada wins award

 

 

Drone Spray Canada won two of the excellence awards which were presented during the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair in Toronto.

The company won the minister’s award and research and innovation award.

The company is based in Blenheim.

Other winners are:

Agribusiness Excellence: Western Fair Association (The Grove) – County of Middlesex 

Education Excellence: Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association – City of Ottawa

Urban Agriculture Excellence: Cambridge Food Bank – Regional Municipality of Waterloo 

Northern Business Excellence: Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance – Temiskaming District

Women’s Farming Excellence: Janet Harrop – County of Wellington 

Farm Family Excellence: Hy-Hope Farm – Regional Municipality of Durham 

2026 Honourable Mentions:

Research and Innovation Excellence: Agriculture Environmental Renewal Canada (AERC) Inc. – City of Ottawa

SK8 Biotechnologies Inc. – Regional Municipality of York

Agribusiness Excellence: Elite Agri Solutions Inc. – County of Middlesex 

WOWBUTTER Foods – County of Perth

Education Excellence: Sandi Brock – County of Perth

Women’s Farming Excellence: l’Union Culturelle des Franco-Ontariennes (UCFO) – United Counties of Prescott and Russell

The government also announced $2.3 million in three years of support for 4-H Canada.

Warner Transport loses appeal of fine

 

Warner Transport of Thedford has lost its appeal of a $13,000 fine by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in connection with a load of hogs it delivered to Conestoga Meats of Breslau.

Ten of the 270 market hogs that Warner Transport were either dead or euthanized on arrival.

Despite a spirited defence by William Warner, co-owner of the company, the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal confirmed the fine.

Warner explained that the density guidelines do not reflect the lean body condition of the hogs now being raised and transported in Canada. 

Since the 2001 publication of the Transport Code, hogs have been

bred to have more muscle mass, which is denser than fat. 

Therefore, hogs today are leaner at a given weight than they were when the guidelines were created. Warner testified that their lean body condition means market hogs take up less space and correspondingly have more space available to them in the trailer despite being of

equivalent weight.

There was testimony that the Berdix trailer used in this shipment has a ventilation system that is different from pot-bellied trailers and hogs are less likely to seek warmth by crowding away from side openings.

"Although there is some logic to Warner Transport’s arguments," tribunal member Patricia Farnesse wrote “I am not persuaded that the loading density guidelines in the Transport Code should be set aside in this case.”

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency website reveals that several livestock and poultry trucking companies have been fined $9,000 and 

$10,000 each this year.

Lisa MacDonald appointed

Lisa MacDonald of Elora has been appointed to a three-year term on the Rural Economic Development Advisory Panel.

She is a councillor on Centre Wellington Council and a member of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators.

She holds a certificate from Osgoode/York University in Administration of Boards, Tribunals and Commissions.

Fuel drives inflation higher

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that inflation in member countries averaged 4.5 per cent in September because fuel cost more.

That’s because Iran has blocked traffic in the Strait of Hormuz as part of its response to the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.

Average prices across the OECD were more than 40 per cent above their December 2019 levels, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, food prices are almost 50 per cent higher than before the pandemic, while energy prices are close to 70 per cent higher.

There are 38 countries that are members of the organization.

Farm details included in budget

 

The federal budget includes some modest changes for agriculture.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be tweaked to “better align with regional labour market needs, in collaboration with provinces and territories, while improving processing time and strengthening employer compliance.” the budget documents said.

It also proposed to help transition up to 200,000 temporary residents already in Canada to permanent residency by the end of 2027.

Nieces and nephews and their children will be included in farm inheritance tax breaks.

The budget proposes regulatory amendments to the Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties Act, Feeds Act, Fertilizers Act, Health of Animals Act, Plant Protection Act and Seeds Act to modernize Canadian Food Inspection Agency fines and penalties and strengthen enforcement.

On the spending side, there is $176.9 million over three years starting in 2028-27 to renew the Wine Sector Support Program, $124 million over three years for the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, which supports food banks and other community food infrastructure such as greenhouses and food storage facilities, and $6.2 million over four years for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to support Canada’s Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence, which could help power AI platforms in farming.

It also proposes amending the Agricultural Loans Act “to improve access to capital for farmers, support intergenerational farm transfers, reduce costs and administrative requirements for lenders and producers, and better reflect today’s agricultural realities.”

Saputo revenues, profits up

 

Saputo reported a 3.6 per cent increase in second-quarter revenues to $4,256 billion.

Net earnings were $213 million, up from $171 million for the same quarter last year.

Horse nutrition company supports the Royal

 

Mad Barn, a Kitchener-based horse nutrition company, has extended a partnership with the Royal Agriculture Winter Fair that began in 2023 to 2028.

It began with support for two events and now is for four events such as jumping and dressage.

Mad Barn is also an official partner with Equestrian Canada.

Emily Gilbert, high performance lead for Mad Barn, said nutrition is important for animal welfare, longevity and performance.

                           

Nutrition highlighted in Rabobank report

Rabobank said nutrition is becoming central to food industry growth strategies as consumers increasingly seek products that deliver measurable health benefits and companies invest in solutions that position food as an active contributor to health and wellness.

It said the emerging concept of “food as medicine” is gaining broad-based acceptance and reshaping how food and beverage brands, retailers and ingredient suppliers develop products, engage with consumers and create value.

For many years, healthier products were largely defined by what they excluded, such as sugar, calories, artificial ingredients and highly processed components. 

Today, consumers are increasingly looking for foods and beverages that proactively contribute to their well-being. 

Evidence-based claims related to protein, fiber, gut health, immunity and energy are gaining importance as consumers seek tangible functional benefits rather than simply cleaner labels.

That also reflects a demographic shift to a population that is living longer.

“Whether the movement reflects a broader consumer trend toward better health or a larger embrace of food as medicine as a concept, manufacturers, brands and retailers continue to invest in more nutritious ambitions,” said Billy Roberts, food and beverage economist with CoBank.

 

Market estimates place the global food-as-medicine sector at approximately $26.5 billion in 2025, with forecasts projecting double-digit annual growth through 2033. 

Ingredient developers are investing in clinically supported compounds that address immune health, digestive wellness, microbiome support and other targeted health benefits. 

Demand is also rising for ingredients that can be incorporated into foods and beverages at effective dosages while maintaining desirable taste, texture and convenience.

Scalability remains among the industry's most significant challenges. 

Delivering personalized nutrition solutions to large populations requires more than scientific innovation. Companies must also address supply chain capacity, ingredient availability, affordability, consumer education and regulatory considerations. 

Greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and minimally processed foods may place additional demands on agricultural production, cold-chain infrastructure and distribution networks.

Protein continues to stand out as one of the most influential nutrition priorities shaping consumer purchasing decisions. 

Fiber is emerging as another major area of opportunity. Consumers are looking foods for digestive health, blood glucose management, satiety and overall gut health.

Roberts said the biggest opportunities are likely to emerge where consumer demand, medical relevance, clinical evidence and scalable manufacturing capabilities intersect, positioning food as an increasingly important tool in supporting long-term health and wellness.”

                           

Maple Leaf sales up, profits down

 

 

Maple Leaf Foods reported third-quarter sales were $1,034,703,000, up from $1,010,574,000 for the same quarter last year.

Net earnings were $22,327,000, down from $43,656,000 last year.

Maple Leaf to hike prices

 Maple Leaf Foods plans to increase prices early next year in response to a “challenging external environment,” chief executive Curtis Frank said in the company’s third-quarter earnings call. 

The company said it had not yet announced the details of the price hike to its customers, which include all major grocery retailers across Canada. Maple Leaf products are found in 92 per cent of households across the country. 

Maple Leaf is paying eight per cent more for live poultry compared with the same period last year, Frank said, adding that chicken products account for 40 per cent of the company’s overall sales. 

Fuel surcharges have also increased by 17 per cent in the last quarter, alongside “near everything else,” including labour, packaging and ingredients. 

“When you lump all those together, there’s just more overhanging general inflation than we would have expected at this point in the year,” Frank said. “We’re going to have to address that early in the year next year.” 

China extends tariff relief for peas, canola meal

 

China has extended significant tariff reductions on Canadian peas, canola meal, lobster and crabs, peas and canola meal for another two years after a meeting in Beijing between Chinese officials and International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.

The tariff reductions, set to expire on Dec. 31, have been extended to the end of 2028, Sidhu said in a statement from Beijing.

The suspended tariffs include 100-per-cent levies on peas and canola meal and 25-per-cent on lobster and crab. Shipments of these products for the first eight months of the year reached $1-billion, according to Sidhu’s office.

“This extension gives farmers, producers and harvesters predictable access to the Chinese market, and it’s how we will grow our exports to China by 50 per cent by 2030 to create good-paying jobs and new opportunities for businesses across Canada,” Sidhu said.

Meat industry weeps over U.S. voting

 

Livestock farmers and meat packers are disappointed that four senators who are pushing a bill to over-ride California’s livestock housing regulations lost in the mid-term elections.

Those who lost are Ashley Hinson of Iowa. Gabe Evans in Colorado, Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin and Rob Bresnahan in Pennsylvania.

They are pushing the “Save Our Bacon” bill that would have the federal government setting animal welfare standards for livestock housing and those national standards would over-ride California and other state regulations.

The California standard for housing, such as a ban on confining gestating sows in crates, impacts Canadians who market hogs and pork to the United States where it is costly for packers selling to multi-state customers to segregate pork into lots that do or do not comply with California’s standards.

Maison Si Bon Inc. loses licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by Maison Si Bon Inc. of Montreal.

It said the company failed in the development and implementation of a preventive control plan, sanitation and cleaning procedures and procedure to prevent the risk of food contamination.

Farmers optimism inches up

 

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer inched up by three points in October to 126.

The index for farm capital investment posted its strongest reading in nearly a year.

Their biggest concern remains the high input costs of inputs and they are less pleased about trade policy and the country's long-term direction.

The university conducts a monthly survey of about 400 farmers.

Farmers informed about hog research

Saskatchewan farmers got an update on swine research via internet connections to scientists studying feed rations, animal welfare environmental impacts.

The Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium featured presentations by Swine Innovation Porc.

Dr. Atta Agyekum, research scientist in nutrition at the Prairie Swine Centre, told how her research targets precision delivery of rations that improve production efficiency at affordable costs and benefit environmental sustainability.

Dr. Luiene Moura Rocha, research scientist in animal welfare at the swine research centre in Quebec talked about weaning practices, animal welfare, health, antimicrobial use and growth.

Dr. Lee-Anne Huber, associate professor at the University of Guelph, talked about her research on reducing environmental footprint and feed costs while increasing competitiveness in grow-finish pigs.

McRib leads to lawsuit

The return of McRib sandwiches to McDonald’s menu has led to a lawsuit complaining that it’s not pork ribs but pork fashioned to look like ribs.

A federal judge in the United States is allowing proposed class-action lawsuit against McDonald’s to move forward.

United States District Judge April Perry rejected McDonald’s bid to dismiss the case, saying it was too early to conclude that reasonable consumers would not expect rib meat based on the sandwich’s name and advertising. 

The lawsuit alleges McDonald’s shaped the patty with rib-like ridges and marketed the product in a way that encouraged consumers to believe they were purchasing a sandwich made with rib meat rather than other pork ingredients. 

Judge Perry wrote the plaintiffs’ understanding of the term “McRib” was “not unreasonable or fanciful.”

CFIA suspends Grace’s Choice Inc.

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence for Grace’s Choice Inc. of Toronto for failure to comply with food safety standards and regulations.

It faulted the company over labelling, recall preparedness, traceability, hazard identification and complaint procedures.

Milk price to increase by 2.8 per cent

 

Milk prices will increase by 2.8 per cent on February 1, the Canadian Dairy Commission has announced.

Fuel and feed costs have risen, but so too has the value of beef-cross calves.

The commission initially calculated an increase of 3.5548 per cent was warranted, but reduced that to 2.8 per cent after consulting  stakeholders including the restaurant trade, supermarkets, farmers and processors/

Some of them said cost-of-production increases may not persist into next year.

Rabobank foresees trouble for pork

 

Rabobank predicts weakening global demand for pork which is reducing prices and squeezing farmers’ margins so they may reconsider production plans for next year.

Rabobank’s October Global Pork Quarterly Q4 2026 report warned that disappointing third-quarter markets in North America, Europe and China had increased pressure on producers despite relatively modest expectations for supply growth.

In the United States, pork cutout values were running 25 per cent below year-ago levels, driven partly by declining demand for bellies and hams. Belly prices had declined by 39 per cent year over year to their lowest seasonal levels since 2017, while ham prices were down by 19 per cent.

Rabobank attributed the weakness to reduced foodservice demand, limited retail promotions and consumers facing continued inflationary pressures. Shifting dietary preferences also contributed to slower demand for processed meat products.

AGCO weathering tough market

 

"AGCO delivered resilient third-quarter results in what is the weakest global industry demand environment in more than a decade," said Eric Hansotia, AGCO's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

He said machinery companies face higher input costs and uncertainty in commodity markets and trade, but AGCO survived by adjusting production to demand, maintaining cost discipline and managing dealer inventories.

“We also advanced our Farmer-First strategy by strengthening the market position of our premium brands and expanding precision agriculture solutions that help farmers automate tasks, address labor constraints and get more from their equipment," he said.

Net sales for the first nine months of 2026 were approximately $7.2 billion, an increase of seven-tenths of one per cent from last year.

Net income was $177.2 million compared with $625.8 million.

Kosher meat packer disgruntled

 

Mendy Boyarsky said he is being shut out of an important part of the kosher meat market in Montreal and is considering a legal challenge to Canada’s Competition Tribunal.

He believes the Jewish Community Council of Montreal (JCC), which operates Montreal Kosher, known as MK Kosher certification, has used its dominant position in the market to squeeze out competition among meat suppliers — such as himself — and pressure local congregations to buy only MK approved kosher products. 

“They don't allow competition in the market. So they're able to charge exorbitant prices,” he said.

The market he covets is sales to synagogues and banquet spaces. He is surviving on sales to shoppers who come to his store., Adelph Meats in Côte Saint-Luc, in Montreal's west end.

“There hasn't been another option other than the MK in Montreal for who knows how long,” he said.

He chose to operate outside of MK Kosher’s certification system and to use a different kosher meat certifier — Kashrut Supervision du Rabbinat (KSR).

“We have to be able to sell it to the synagogues, we have to be able to sell anywhere we want to be able to sell to,” he said.

He has support from many in the Montreal Jewish community who want to see his situation put before the Competition Tribunal, said Joshua Krane, a competition law specialist and partner at MLT Aikins in Ottawa.

Quebec cheese company licence suspended

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence for Le Fromage au Village Inc. of Lorrainville, Quebec.

The CFIA said the company failed to identify food safety hazards, to develop and implement monitoring, control and response procedures to prevent Listeria monocytogenes food-poisoning bacteria and lacked an adequate product traceability program.

Ontario wants to map underground services

The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure wants to create a province-wide map of underground services.

A proposal that is open for comments for 30 days said “information about Ontario's underground infrastructure is currently maintained by hundreds of organizations, including municipalities, utilities and other owners and operators. 

“This information is often fragmented across different systems and formats, making it difficult to access the reliable information needed to plan and build infrastructure projects. 

“Improving access to accurate and timely information about the location of underground infrastructure assets can help reduce project delays and costs, improve planning coordination, and contribute to the efficient delivery of Ontario's $236 billion capital plan to build transit, highways, hospitals, schools and childcare spaces.”

NFU worried about pesticides reviews

 

National Farmers. Union President Phil Mount is worried about the federal government’s plan to stop automatically reviewoing the safety of pesticides every 15 years.

He worries it may reduce Canadian access to markets such as the European Union which has stiffer requirements than Canada.

But Pierre Petelle, president and chief executive officer of Crop Life Canada which speaks for companies making and selling pesticides, defended the proposal that is contained in the federal government’s omnibus Bill C-30.

And he raised a different issue: there are other countries such as the United States that are approving new pesticides before they receive clearances from Pesticide Regulatory Directorate which is within the Health Canada department.

Mount said “eliminating mandatory pesticide re-evaluation is one of those very low bars that that is required by many of these new markets that we’re theoretically looking for. It’s going to do nothing but harm.”

Mount also criticized the government for “hiding” the new regulations in the omnibus bill.

Mount argued the changes in C-31 were designed behind closed doors without input from producers nor the special scientific advisory committee at Health Canada.

 

Petelle said concerns about Bill C-31 may be misleading. The Pest Management Regulatory Directorate will still be required to determine if risks associated with products have changed so “no one’s scrapping anything.” 

Data that suggests a problem with a product would still initiate a review, and that could happen at any time, he said.

Canada Packers lost money

 

Canada Packers lost $28.1 million in the third quarter since it was spun off from Maple Leaf Foods.

It made substantial profits in the first two quarters – eg. $25.6 million in the second quarter.

The results included a $47.6-million non-cash decrease in fair value of its hogs compared with $4.9-million in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Canada Packers says it earned 23 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.13 per share a year earlier.

Sales in the quarter totalled $420.7-million, down from $481.80-million a year ago, when they included operations not acquired in its spinoff from Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

Change would gut official plans

The province has posted its plans to prevent people, including municipalities, from appealing official plan changes when the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has referred the issue to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The provincial cabinet appoints the members of the Ontario Land Tribunal which has also vetoed a number of municipal government decisions after developers have filed appeals. 

This recent change is up for public comment. It is posted on the province’s regulatory registry.

Good luck if a developer persuades the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing that it wants to change your farm from agriculture to residential development in your local official plan.

P+H closing Owen Sound terminal

 

Parrish and Heimbecker (P+H) plans to close its grain elevator in Owen Sound on Dec. 18.

"The decision is part of P&H's ongoing evaluation of its grain network and long-term infrastructure needs as we continue to align our operations and investments with the future needs of the business and the customers we serve," Monika Robertson, P&H marketing manager, said in an email to the Owen Sound Sun Times.

Robertson said they have made no decisions regarding the future of the site and the iconic grain elevator buildings after P&H shuts down operations.

Locally, crop farmers use the Owen Sound terminal as an outlet when capacity at inland elevators becomes limited.

Some tariff relief

 

United States President Donald Trump has removed some tariffs he placed on Canadian products this fall.

They are:

·      Industrial machinery, plant or equipment for the treatment of materials, by process involving a change in temperature.

·      Packing or wrapping machinery.

·      Refrigerating or freezing equipment.

·      Machines for cleaning, sorting or grading food items.

·      Machinery for filling, closing, sealing, capsuling or labeling bottles, cans, boxes or other containers.

·      Plywood not over 6mm thick.

·      Sacks and bags.

·      Nonadhesive plates, sheets, film, foil and strip.

·      Bleached paper and paperboard, coated, impregnated or covered with plastics.

·      Cartons, boxes and cases of corrugated paper or paperboard.

Susan Collins, the Republican senator from Maine who is in the midst of a tight reelection campaign, issued a press release taking credit for the tariff changes.

NFU supports food hubs

 

The National Farmers Union has come out in favour of new food hubs but said the federal government’s promise of $432 million spread among dozens of pilot projects would be a mistake because they would collapse after the subsidies end.

Instead what is needed is well-funded hubs that include food-processing ventures with support from local farmers and run as locally-controlled co-operatives, it said.

It should not be food hubs run by large established companies such as Sysco and Gordon’s Food Services, the NFU said.

It also noted that the promise of a Food Link Fund with $1 billion pales when compared with the profits of Canada’s biggest supermarket chains.

Food hubs could provide the missing link between regional farms and institutions—such as prisons, schools, hospitals and universities, it said.

Mandating that publicly-funded programs—like the National School Food Program—purchase a fixed proportion of their food from local hubs would create a stable demand for farmer goods.

“The NFU maintains that new food hubs should be publicly owned, co-operatively owned, or farmer owned-and-operated,” it said.

It pointed to the Summerland Food Hub in British Columbia as an example that will operate as a partnership between a non-profit producer cooperative (the LocalMotive Farmers Network Cooperative) and a non-profit processing organization (the Okanagan Food and Innovation Centre).