Crispin Colvin, a beef farmer from Thorndale, has been named to a two-year term on the Ontario Agriculture Appeal Tribunal.
Earlier this year he was re-elected a director of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
He owns Torodin Farm and is also the former mayor of Thames Centre. He has served as chairman of Farm and Food Care Ontario.
Agropur reported sales increased two per cent and profit by 12.6 per cent last year.
Sales were $8.9 billion and profit $686.4 million.
The cooperative gave its members $70 million in patronage dividends.
Royal Bank said in the past five years, growth funding for agriculture has dwindled and isn’t getting a fair share of investment from funds such as go pension plans.
The bank said agriculture and food sectors can help Canada accomplish some of its goal of attracting $1 trillion in investment over five years, but the recent track record of growth funding has been poor.
Growth capital is needed by companies at the stage when they are operational and need to scale to be successful.
That’s often when the most funding is needed and is beyond the ability of venture capital funds and smaller funders to provide.
“In the Canadian context, a lot of where that money is coming from would be in the early stage,” said Lisa Ashton, agriculture and nature policy lead with RBC Thought Leadership.
Royal Bank is Canada's largest bank and ought to look in a mirror when it issues reports such as this one.
Gleaners follow in fields and orchards that have been commercially harvested, picking up leftover produce that is suitable food.
The gleaned food goes to soup kitchens, food banks and community meal programs.
The successful applicant will be a community-focused partner who will work with local farmers and coordinate volunteers for gleaning activities.
A total of $25,000 worth of funding is available, and applications will be accepted until April 1.
Federal government budget cuts are putting Canada’s wheat breeding programs at risk, said the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition in its review of the Canadian wheat breeding innovation system.
It said the budget cuts the government has already made are especially risky for “the variety development and pre-market evaluation stages.”
And it said federal government agriculture wheat research “is an integral part” of wheat development.
“Wheat breeding is a long-term process and decisions made today will impact agriculture decades into the future,” and coalition’s report said.
“It’s clear that the status quo is not a viable path forward,” says CWRC chair Jocelyn Velestuk, the coalition’s chair and a farmer from Broadview, Saskatchewan.
“Our system has been incredibly productive for farmers and for the sector but it’s no longer working. Securing the future of wheat in Canada requires a reimagining of our wheat breeding innovation system,” she said.
Historically, farmer investment in wheat breeding has paid major dividends. Farmers received $33 in benefits for every dollar they invested in wheat breeding from 1995 to 2020, according to a recent study from the University of Saskatchewan. Since 2020, the coalition has committed $70.5 million to western Canadian wheat breeding programs.
“Western Canadian farmers are invested in the future of wheat breeding in Canada,” Velestuk said. “We must create a path forward that addresses research gaps, delivers field-ready varieties and protects our long-term investments.”
I wonder how the return on federal subsidies compares with the research benefits. And why farm organizations lobby so hard for the subsidies and say so little about research budget cuts.
Swine Health Ontario reported an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus at a hog finishing barn in Perth County.
Farmers for Free Trade is pushing back on United States President Donald Trump’s musings that separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico might be better than the Canada-U.S-Mexico (CUSMA) agreement which is up for review beginning in July.
Farmers for Free Trade is an umbrella organization for U.S. farmers.
Speaking on “AgriTalk” from the Commodity Classic meeting, Farmers for Free Trade executive director Brian Kuehle said renewing and strengthening the CUSMA is one of the most important trade priorities facing the Trump administration.
At the same time, Trump’s chief negotiator said any new deal will include tariffs.