Grain farmers seek diesel price relief

Grain Growers of Canada asked the federal government for a 50-cents per litre diesel subsidy 18 days before United States President Donald Trump announced a $8-billion diesel subsidy for farmers.

Grain Growers said in its letter to federal finance minister Francois-Philippe Champagne that it wants immediate help, but failing that, help when Champagne tables his budget Nov.8. 

“This is just highlighting that other countries are recognizing it as an issue as well,” said Kate Sauser, executive director of Grain Growers.

Grain Growers calculated that a Class 8 combine consuming 70 litres of diesel per hour, seven days a week over 30 harvest days, would use 16,800 litres of fuel.

“This calculation excludes fuel used by grain carts, trucks and other equipment supporting harvest,” Grain Growers stated in its letter.

At the proposed rebate of 50 cents per litre would be $8,400 for that one combine.

Farm Credit Canada estimates that a 5,000-acre farm in Saskatchewan

is experiencing an increase in its fuel bill of between $68,000 and $106,000 in 2026, not including the increase in trucking costs and rail freight.

                  

Conagra plans to leave Dresden tomato plant

Conagra is planning to either sell or close its tomato plant in Dresden. It said it is in discussions with Highbury Canco of Leamington.

Highbury Canco emerged when Heinz closed its tomato-processing plant.

The plant in Dresden has been in business since 1947.

Conagra didn't explain why it plans to leave the area, only that its decision was made after a careful review.

Steve Pinsonneault, the provincial member of the legislature for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, said “the potential closure of the Conagra tomato processing facility in Dresden would have a significant impact on the local community and surrounding agricultural sector. I understand the potential consequences extend well beyond the facility itself. Local tomato growers, employees, suppliers, and other businesses all have a stake in its future, and the effects would be felt throughout the community." 

In 2022 Conagra said it employed 175 workers at the plant full time and roughly 225 seasonally.

Chicken consumption increasing

 

Per capita chicken consumption in Canada is at record levels and expected to climb further, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

In its annual report on the Canadian poultry market, the agency projects 2026 chicken meat consumption at a record 39.5 kilograms (87.1 pounds) per person, still about 16 pounds below U.S. per capita consumption, leaving room to grow. Canadian prices are more than two times higher than the U.S.

The Canadian data represents a 10.3 per cent increase per person from a decade ago and 5.6 per cent in the last two years. FAS is forecasting another increase next year by 0.8 per cent to 39.8 kilograms.

“Total chicken meat consumption in Canada has nearly tripled over the last 35 years, due in part to the country’s steady population growth, which peaked in 2025 at 41.6 million people, up from nearly 28 million in 1990,” FAS’s Ottawa bureau said in the report.

Chicken has been steadily available and cost less than beef and lamb and Muslims and Jews shun pork. Rising per capita consumption is expected to keep the country’s total demand rising. The federal government is about to announce updated immigration targets.

Total Canadian domestic consumption is projected to increase by 1.7 per cent to 1.63 million tonnes in 2027.

“Increased chicken consumption can also be attributed to the proliferation of chicken-based quick-service offerings, as well as Canada’s changing ethnic composition,” FAS wrote.

“Canada’s immigrant population increasingly originates from countries with stronger dietary preferences for chicken rather than beef or pork.” said FAS. “Rising diversity has also expanded the range of foodservice outlets offering chicken-based dishes. As in the United States, chicken’s popularity in foodservice and at retail is indisputable.”

U.S. exporters last year sold 191,000 tonnes of poultry worth $609 million to Canada. Exports through August are 1.8 per cent behind the 2025 pace. 

Canada’s chicken marketing agency has repeatedly raised concerns about spent fowl imports that escape tariffs, noting that the total have at times exceeded total U.S. supply of spent fowl.

FAS also said a significant fraction of U.S. chicken exports to Canada receive further processing for re-export to the United States, as well as some other markets. The only other meaningful source of Canadian chicken imports are Brazil, Thailand and Chile, which has only gained a notable market share since 2023.

PED in Perth County

 

Swine Health Ontario reported an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus at a finisher barn in Perth County.

Chicken demand remains strong

 

Because consumer demand for chicken remains strong, the national supply management agency is calling for production at 4.5 per cent above base quota for the period from Feb. 7 to April 3.

Ontario’s production target is 4.7 per cent above base, putting it back in the lead after two quota periods of lagging the national targets.

The Ontario board said on its website that “demand for chicken continues to be strong. This is supported by competing meat prices, steady per capita consumption and overall positive economic indicators.”

Americans challenge Trump’s Canada tariffs

 

Gellert Global Group of New York has filed a court challenge against United States President Donald Trump’s most recent tariffs on Canada, including his ban on Canadian dairy products.

The court filing argues Trump lacks authority to use a Depression-era law to impose the tariffs which hit thousands of small Canadian businesses with a 50 per cent import tax.

Global Group argues that Trump’s tariffs are not justified by the use of the old law, but are a response to provincial bans on U.S. liquors, to dairy supply management and auto trade.

Canada and the U.S have long trading relationships underlined by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement negotiated during 
Trump’s first term as president.

“These tariffs disrupt those relationships overnight and create costs and uncertainty that ripple through the entire supply chain,” said a news release from the Gellert Global Group.

John Weber dead at 95

 

John Weber, a farmer in the Elmira area, has died. He was 95.

He was active in agriculture and community organizations and opened his farm to host school children.

He was a president of the Ontario Maple Syrup Association and a founding member of the Elmira Syrup Festival, the largest event of its kind in Canada and perhaps North America.

He lived 92 of his 95 years on the family farm.

                           

Virus outbreak in pig nursery

 

There has been an outbreak of porcine deltacoronavirus in a nursery barn in Huron County, reports Swine Health Ontario.

CFIA holding off on zinc supplements

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will maintain the current interim maximum zinc concentration of 3,000 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) in piglet starter feeds, delaying a proposed reduction to 300 mg/kg while regulators review additional evidence submitted by Canada’s pork industry.

The Canadian Pork Council has been in consultations with the CFIA on zinc supplements since 2018.

Had that reduction gone into effect, feed manufacturers and nutritionists, would have needed to change ration formulations and seek alternative nutrition or management strategies.

In its response to proposed feed regulation changes in 2021, Ontario Pork advocated maintaining access to zinc oxide at concentrations up to 3,000 mg/kg for a limited period following weaning.

The organization argued that elevated zinc concentrations could provide benefits associated with feed intake, gut health and post-weaning performance.

The Canadian Pork Council has been providing technical information and developing supporting documentation related to zinc oxide use in Canadian nursery diets.

 

In its response to proposed feed regulation changes in 2021, Ontario Pork advocated maintaining access to zinc oxide at concentrations up to 3,000 mg/kg for a limited period following weaning.

The organization argued that elevated zinc concentrations could provide benefits associated with feed intake, gut health and post-weaning performance.

The current regulations are:

Feed category	Maximum zinc concentration
Piglet starter feeds, pigs under 25 kg	3,000 mg/kg
Grower and finisher feeds	300 mg/kg
Sow and boar feeds	300 mg/kg

Hog outlook positive for Canadians

 

The United States is likely to increase imports of Canadian hogs and pork this fall and winter said a report from the United States Department of Agriculture.

There will be fewer market hogs from U.S. producers this fall, it said, and a survey indicated they intend to reduce farrowings by two per cent and then increase production next spring and summer.

It said “imports of live Canadian hogs and pigs will take on added importance as a way to increase the supply of domestic market hogs.“

Its survey found that producers’ first set of farrowing intentions for the December 2026−February 2027 quarter are two per cent higher than a year earlier and may result in higher domestic numbers in the summer of 2027.

Trump to subsidize farm diesel

 

United States President Donald Trump announced an $8-billion subsidy for farm diesel while campaigning recently in Kansas State.

He said the subsidy will be administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He has been making big subsidy promises as he tries to stem the loss of supporters in the upcoming Nov. 3 election for members of congress and the senate.

Trump has proposed sending $5,000 checks ⁠to all adult citizens if Republicans keep control of the House and Senate in the midterms, though analysts, economists and even some Republicans in Congress have reacted with skepticism.

Earlier this month, Trump said the US. government would send a one-time payment of $90 to more than 20 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, a health ‌insurance program for the elderly.

Maple syrup sold out

 

Quebec’s maple syrup marketing board said it is sold out for the first time in more than a decade.

It said demand has been exceptionally strong, including some bulk buyers such as Rogers Sugar Inc. and Les Industries Bernard & Fils.

The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, known by its French acronym PPAQ, said “at the end of next February, all the remaining syrup sold under contract will be gone.

 “Our warehouses will be at zero,” said Simon Doré-Ouellet, deputy director-general for PPAQ. 

The PPAQ sets minimum prices for bulk shipments, regulates production volumes through quotas, and monitors safety and quality standards. 

Maple syrup that’s not sold goes to three warehouses in Quebec with a combined capacity of 133 million pounds (218,000 barrels worth $400-million if the space is all full) that can be drawn on when weather conditions yield a lower crop. 

The aim is to have a greater stability in supply and pricing from season to season.

Five more rabid bats

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency identified five more bats with rabies in Ontario during September.

That brings the total to 66 this year.

There were no other cases of rabies in Ontario so far this year.

Extra hens approved for vaccine production

 

The Farm Products Council has approved applications from the provinces of Quebec and Ontario for 423,690 vaccine quota layers for the Glaxo-Smith-Kine (GSK) production during the period of

December 27, 2026, to December 25, 2027. 

In July it approved a request for 492,000 Sanofi quota layers.

Grocery prices finally moderating

Grocery prices rose by 1.7 per cent over the previous year in September while overall inflation increased by 3.1 per cent.

It was a welcome change from more than a year when grocery prices increased more than overall inflation.

The September increase was the smallest since May 2024.

Prices for fresh vegetables declined by 2.9 per cent. 

Beef prices rose at a slower pace in September, up by 8.7 per cent compared with an 11 per cent increase in August.

Statistics Canada said prices for groceries have increased by 33 per cent since September 2020.

CFIA suspends Morales Food licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by Morales Food Ltd. of Montreal.

The CFIA said Morales failed to identify and analyze food safety hazards and failed to develop and implement a food safety plan.

The company imports exotic foods.

U.S. subsidies issued

 

The United States Department of Agriculture is releasing $13.2 billion in crop subsidies for 2025 just days before the federal elections.

The payments will vary by state and county.

This is a record high farm subsidy under two federal crop programs, yet is less than th $13.9 billion estimated earlier.

Rice subsidies are the highest and are estimated at $120 per base acre for medium-grain and $344 for long-grain. Rice estimates could still shift because final prices for the three rice types have not been set.

Maud Murray heads Ontario ag. department

Maud Murray has been chosen acting deputy minister for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.

She is also deputy minister of Red Tape Reduction.

“She brings extensive leadership experience to the role, including work supporting small businesses and economic growth across Ontario,” Michelle DiEmanuele, secretary of the cabinet, said Tuesday on social media.

Murray is a lawyer and served as the agriculture ministry’s deputy legal director from 2013 to 2015.

John Kelly is retiring after six years as deputy agriculture minister.

Agriculture now has two new people at the top. Sam Oosterhof, who was the youngest person elected to the Ontario legislature, was recently appointed agriculture minister.

Hoekstra named head of new UG position

 

Paul Hoekstra has been named executive director of Agri-Food Strategy and Partnerships, a new position at the University of  Guelph.

Hoekstra has been vice-president of  strategic development for Grain Farmers of Ontario since 2020.

His main job at University of Guelph will be advancing the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a province-wide platform for agri-food research, training and innovation.

Hoekstra holds a PhD in environmental biology from the University of Guelph and a bachelor of science (B.Sc.) from the University of Waterloo.

 

 

         

PED hits Waterloo farm

 

Swine Health Ontario reported an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus at a hog finishing barn in the Waterloo Region.

It is the first outbreak in Ontario since September 10.

Perth County invites grant applications

Perth County is open for applications for its Stewardship Program Spring 2027.

Past experience indicates the money will soon be snapped up.

The grant program "supports local landowners and community groups in enhancing the natural environment through projects focused on planting windbreaks, block plantings, forest restoration, forest health assessments, and community tree sale events," said a posting on the county website.

Since 2024, the Stewardship Program has had 99 project applications, planted 28,429 trees, and 43 kilometers of windbreaks across Perth County. The 2027 program offers four grant streams:

·       Forest Management: supporting management strategies for woodlots and woodlands.

·       Living Snow Fence: supporting rural landowners planting trees along roads to make a windbreak.

·       Landowner Tree Planting.

·       Community Tree Planting: supporting non-profit community groups that plant trees on public lands.

More information is available online at www.perthcounty.ca/stewardship.

Eleven organic cheeses on recall

Because Canadian Food Inspection testing detected Listeria monocytogenes food-poisoning bacteria, 11 organic cheeses distributed across Canada are on recall.

Four were from Farm Boy stores and six from L'Ancêtre.

There have been no reports of illnesses linked to these cheeses.

                           -30-

High demand for AI chips for machinery

 

ASML computer company said its customers are already queuing for machines to be delivered in 2030.

That’s because chip makers can’t keep up with demand.

Nigel Green, deVere Group chief executive officer said it is exploring ways to increase its chip-making capacity more than its already planned increase of 30 per cent.

“Everyone’s focused on how much money is pouring into AI,” said Green. 

 “The more useful question is how fast it can actually be spent, and that comes down to how many of these machines get built each year. 

“A trillion-dollar pledge doesn’t mean much if the equipment won’t turn up until 2030.

“Only one company in the world can make the machines the most advanced chips depend on, and there’s a limit to how many it can build. 

“You can raise all the capital you like, but if the equipment isn’t there, the money sits and waits.”

 

Hackers attack European grocers

 

Hackers raised the temperature of refrigerators and freezers at hundreds of French supermarkets to as high as 50 degrees overnight, causing fires ‌and spoiling food.

The spoilage is estimated to be tens of millions of Euros.

Félix Aimé, a senior ​cyber threat intelligence analyst at Sekoia Threat Detection and Research, said Spain, Portugal, Poland, Germany and Belgium ​had also been affected.

Carrefour said 80 of its supermarkets were hit, while Monoprix, which operates about 490 stores in France, said five per cent of its stores were affected.

Les Mousquetaires, owner of retailer Intermarché, said fridges at around 150 of its stores were heated up to 50 ​C for six hours overnight. A spokesperson said all affected food had been discarded to eliminate health risks.

Coopérative U’s chief executive officer (CEO) Dominique Schelcher said his supermarket group had also been targeted.

Intermarché CEO Thierry Cotillard told BFM TV ⁠the "unprecedented" attack would represent losses amounting to "tens of millions of euros nationwide in a single day."

The attacks resemble disruptions ⁠reported at about a dozen U.S. military commissaries in late August that led to food losses after fridges were affected.

Dutch ​retailer Ahold Delhaize, which operates the Netherlands's largest supermarket chain Albert Heijn and has major operations in the U.S., said it was dealing with a "security issue" on its network and ​had taken several systems offline as a precaution.

A message ⁠on the retailer's smartphone app said it was unable to deliver groceries because of a "cybersecurity incident."

Online orders account for about 10 per cent of Albert Heijn sales. Physical stores remained open, while Dutch news agency ANP reported that rival retailers had seen a surge in delivery orders.

Ahold Delhaize said there was no reason to see a link between the incidents in France and its supermarkets.

Another round of government subsidies

 

The federal and provincial governments announced a new round of subsidies to encourage farmers and processors to diversify markets other than the United States.

Ontario Agriculture Minister Sam Oosterhof said in a news release that the money will help more than 130 Ontario farmers and processors sell more Ontario grown products around the world.

This government funding, combined with cost-shared investments by the sector, is expected to generate up to $134 million in investments for

Ontario farmers and processors.

“The Market Diversification and Trade Resiliency Initiative is protecting agri-food jobs and agribusiness resilience in the face of unprovoked tariffs from Donald Trump,” said Oosterhof.

“This $22 million investment is unleashing over $110 million in private sector investment, creating over 900 new good-paying jobs and keeping Ontario’s food supply chain secure, sovereign and self-reliant,” he said.

The news release also highlighted previous projects funded earlier by the federal-provincial program.

Up to $499,000 went to Martin’s Family Farm in Waterloo to develop an innovative packaging line for apple sauce.

Up to $70,000 went to Beck’s Broth in Kitchener to launch new products and expand distribution nationally.

Up to $494,000 went to Lynch Ag Ltd. in Englehart for a handling line, optical sorter and AI enabled grading software to support increased interprovincial and export sales.

Up to $310,000 went to Canada Royal Milk in Kingston for a pulse light system and a shrink wrapper packaging system to diversify beyond Canadian retail markets.

Syngenta picks Jeff Cecil

 

Syngenta has picked Jeff Cecil as president and regional director of North America.

He was a farmer in west Kentucky before beginning his career with Syngenta.

Hee takes over from Vern Hawkins who is retiring after 40 years with Syngenta.

Cecil said “I think the farm economy is troubling. It’s definitely a challenged market space. The geopolitical situation is volatile, and I think that we need to be as stable as we can be through that.”

Beaf packers challenge price-fixing

Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef have asked a federal appeals court to overturn a decision allowing cattle producers to pursue a class-action lawsuit alleging the companies conspired to suppress fed cattle price

They say that cattle producers failed to demonstrate that the alleged conspiracy caused widespread harm sufficient to justify class certification.

The appeal challenges a July 16 ruling by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in Minnesota certifying a class of fed cattle producers seeking approximately $27 billion in damages. 

Sunova must pay legal costs

 

Sunova Implement Ltd. has been ordered to pay $7,213.35 in costs to CLAAS of America Inc. in relation to matters before the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Appeal Tribunal.

And the tribunal set a 10-day time limit for Sunova to provide documents requested in August when the first tribunal hearing on motions took place.

The tribunal wrote that:

-  The Tribunal finds that the rationale provided for by the Applicant (Sunova) in failing to comply with the prior Orders of the Tribunal to the Date of the Decision to be unconvincing.

 

-       The Tribunal determines that the conduct (CLAAS) is granted and the Applicant is ordered to pay costs in the amount $7,213.35 to the Respondents within seven days or the Application will be dismissed in its entirety without further notice.

McCain buying in India

 

McCain Foods of New Brunswick is buying Falcon Group, a family-owned potato business in India.

The deal was announced while federal Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu was on a trade mission in India.

 Falcon Agrifriz Foods’ potato operations in Gujarat, a state in northwestern India, employs 450 workers and buys from more than 1,000 farms.

McCain and Falcon did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

McCain began operating in India in 1998 and currently has 1,800 employees in the country, and buys from 2,500 potato farmers. It also markets vegetables and cheese in India.

It has operations in 160 countries, has more than 20,000 employees and has annual sales of $16 billion.

U.S. probing farm machinery industry

The United States Federal Trade Commission and Department of Agriculture are looking for public input as they investigate farm equipment dealers and manufacturers.

The joint Request for Information comes in response to the increasing number of complaints the agriculture department has received from farmers facing multiple barriers when purchasing machinery or accessing the parts and services required to keep equipment operating

Federal regulators are encouraging farmers, independent repair providers and former employees of agricultural equipment manufacturers and dealers to share their experiences. The FTC and USDA are seeking public input on:

• Any relevant business models, policies, agreements or contractual terms.
• Any firsthand experiences or documented cases of restrictions, penalties or retaliation.
• Broader competitive implications — how these practices might impact pricing, market entry, innovation, farmer welfare or rural economic resilience.

According to the agencies, this input will help them ensure the market place for agricultural equipment remains, “fair and that farmers can continue to put food on Americans’ tables.”

Ag Discovery Centre seeks input

The Ontario Agri-Food Discovery Centre group held an open house event in Listowel on Wednesday to get feedback from the community on the project.

Chairman Steve Dolson says they wanted to get insight from people to help plan what will be included in the centre.

But they also want the provincial and federal government to chip in for the project which is estimated to cost $50 million. So far the only government support has come from the local municipality.

 

Dolson said the open house was "very much an opportunity for them to weigh in on what's important to them as far as what's in the centre for exhibits and experiences. So what else do people want to see in there, both inside and outside the centre? That's what we want to know."

Reitch and Petch, a Canadian-based international multidisciplinary design firm, held the open house.

It has worked on the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Science North in Sudbury and the London Children’s Museum.

Dolson says a huge part of the centre will be teaching people about the importance and impact of the agricultural industry on all our lives.

"The farm population is less than two per cent of the Canadian population, but one in nine Canadians are employed in this industry, they're part of it. Their jobs and their economies of their local communities in rural Ontario and beyond, from one end to the other, it's dependent on our industry," he said.