Chicken farmers support processors

 

Chicken Farmers of Ontario has announced the companies it has chosen to support through its Growth Program for Processors launched last year.

The marketing board operates a quota-like system to allocate supplies among the province’s processors. That policy came after pricing broke down amidst a battle between Ontario and Quebec processors who were offering premium prices to buy chickens.

The marketing boards deemed that a threat to supply management which is granted by governments on the condition they keep their markets supplied at controlled prices.

Under this year’s Ontario Market Opportunity Policy the board allocated chickens to Farm Fresh Poultry Ltd., Hafiz Halal Poultry Inc.,Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Sargent Farms a division of Sunrise Poultry, and Simple Path Farms Poultry Ltd.

Those supported under the new entrant program are Country Poultry Processing Inc. and Nipissing Game Farm Inc. 

Existing new entrants who are receiving additional support this year are Amir Specialty Poultry , Laplante Poultry Farms Ltd. / Ferme Avicole Laplante Ltèe. and Simple Path Farms Poultry Ltd.

Chobani investing in Pennsylvania

Chobani will invest about $1.7 billion Cdn over the next five years to establish a major manufacturing and warehouse hub in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

The project represents the largest single private sector investment in the history of Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector.

As part of an expanded transaction with Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Chobani is purchasing an existing 1.5-million-square-foot facility in Upper Macungie Township for $125 million, with full commercial dairy processing scheduled to commence in 2027.

Chobani will use it to make high-protein, lower-sugar ultrafiltered milk, ready-to-drink protein shakes, dairy creamers, and cold-brew coffee beverages under its La Colombe brand. 

The location provides significant supply-chain advantages, positioned within a 500-mile radius of approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population, it said.

Ontario and Quebec could also say they have huge U.S. markets within 500 miles.

B.C. and Manitoba to build food terminals

 

British Columbia and Manitoba are planning to build food terminals and take advantage of new federal funds that support them.

BC Food & Beverage, which represents provincial food processors and manufacturers, is planning a $700-million facility similar to the Ontario Food Terminal.

The western anchor would be part of a network of terminals along interprovincial routes already running to Alberta, the Prairies and Northern Canada.

Manitoba’s industry association is looking to build a terminal that will cost between $150 and $200-million.

“What Donald Trump has done is, he’s made us realize, ‘Wow, we’re vulnerable – we have a lot of eggs in one basket,’” said Michael Mikulak, executive director of Food & Beverage Manitoba. 

Food terminals, which function as independent wholesale food marketplaces, offer a more efficient way for Canadian supply to meet Canadian demand, he said.

Chicken target rising

 

Chicken Farmers of Canada is calling for production at 5.5 per cent above base quota for December 13 to February 6.

Ontario’s allocation is at 5.1 per cent above base.

Chicken Farmers of Ontario said * the Ontario allocation is lower than national allocation this period due to Ontario having no population growth kilograms. 

“This number has generally been favourable for Ontario, leading to a higher provincial number compared to national.”

It is the third month in a row that Ontario’s allocation has been less than the national target.

Canada’s population surged when the federal government issued record amounts of foreign student and temporary worker permits. 

After facing a housing shortage, the Trudeau government slashed the number of permits.

Now Ontario is pleading for an increase in worker permits.

Storm rips through southern Ontario

Huron and Perth counties were hit particularly hard as winds topping 100 kilometres an hour, torrential rain, and large hail swept across Southern Ontario.

Environment Canada issued severe storm warnings throughout midwestern and southwestern Ontario.

There were tornado warnings for Clinton, Mitchell, Seaforth, Vanastra and south to Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge.

The University' of Western Ontario’s Northern Tornadoes Project has sent out teams to investigate whether there were tornadoes, but straight-one winds took down trees, power lines and some buildings.

"An active storm day in parts of southern Ontario with most damage being reported from about Bayfield to Cambridge. Some of the damage is significant (e.g. barn destroyed)," Northern Tornadoes Project said in a social media post. 

The tornado researchers also warned about suspected fake, AI-generated images circulating online of tornadoes in Guelph and Paris.

"These are becoming increasingly prevalent in storm situations," the

Northern Tornadoes Project said. 

Toronto was hard hit by flooding.

Chip companies hit by false labels in India

Leading chip and snack companies, including PepsiCo, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Unilever, are under Canadian Food Inspection Agency investigations over false labeling by a supplier in India.

Indian officials raided the plant and fake nutrition information and expiry dates on products prepared for export.

Indian authorities raided a Mumbai warehouse last week, seizing products worth nearly $110,000 as well as chemicals and printing machines.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency “is monitoring the situation to determine whether it presents any risk to imports into Canada. At this time, the CFIA has no information indicating that products associated with this operation entered Canada,” it said in a statement to Reuters news agency.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency takes food fraud, including false date markings, inaccurate nutrition information, and misleading origin claims seriously,” it added.

It is the first foreign agency to react to the incident.

Why do these companies import from India? 

Maple Lodge heavily fined

 

Maple Lodge Farms Ltd. has been fined $162,500 for a workplace safety violation in its poultry deli packaging department.

The Brampton company did not have a carbon dioxide detector or alarm in the area where a carbon dioxide hose was severed.

The gas is used to cool product during packaging.

The fine was $500,000 plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.