Food suppliers adding fuel surcharges

Maple Leaf Foods and Tree of Life, a Canadian distributor of United States organic produce, are among the food suppliers and distributors that have already sent fuel-related charges to wholesale distributors and grocery retailers, according to the Globe and Mail.

It has obtained a copy of a letter Maple Leaf sent to its clients and said it got confidential information from a Tree of Life source.

Josh Kuehnbaum, Maple Leaf Foods senior vice-president of sales and customer business development, sent a letter informing customers it is introducing a “temporary fuel surcharge” of 11 cents per kilogram on its prepared meats and poultry shipments.

“This is not a permanent price increase, but rather a temporary adjustment tied directly to fuel cost movements,”. Kuehnbaum‘s letter said.

The surcharge may “move up or down in line with fuel prices,” he wrote.

Olymel’a spokesperson Stéphanie Couturier said it is assessing the situation.

The Globe and Mail said some smaller, independent grocers say they have received multiple fuel-surcharge notices from their suppliers in the past couple of weeks.

Trump’s war sending beef prices higher

 Phil Lempert, the SupermarketGuru, predicts that the war with Iran will add 10 to 15 cents to a pound of ground beef prices in the United States even if it ends by the end of the month.

After that, the impact rises to 25 to 45 cents. If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed or uncertain until August, he estimates ground beef prices will rise by 75 cents to a dollar a pound.

He said the war has increased to cost of fertilizer to grow corn for cattle and diesel prices are up.

“And when we look at meat in particular, that’s brought to our distribution and our supermarkets by refrigerated trucks, which use more diesel than non refrigerated trucks, and then the plastic packaging and everything else,” Lempert told Meatingplace magazine.

Australia was the biggest foreign supplier of beef for hamburger iand it is among the most vulnerable economies to the Hormuz crisis, he said,

 Authorities there, as well as ranchers and other business people, are already warning that they could run out of transportation fuels as early as mid-April.

Two months ago United States President Donald Trump said he would bring beef prices down. Then he relaxed trade restrictions on beef from Argentina, a move that irked American beef farmers and meat packers.

PED in Oxford County

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus has broken out at a farrow-to-finish farm in Oxford County.

Profit guarantee entices corn growers to experiment

 

Farmers for Climate Solutions is enticing corn farmers to try split nitrogen applications, starting with only 30 pounds per acre at planting time and then whatever soil sampling reveals what’s best for the second application early in the growing season.

It was tried on a 12-acre plot in Lambton County last year where Mathew Wagenaar found it works. His iintention was to apply 130 pounds per acre at planting with a second application later.

The guarantee is that the plot following the Farmers for Climate Solutions program will not be less profitable than fields managed as the farmer traditionally does.

The idea is to improve fertilizer efficiency and reduce business risk.

Wagenaar said he worried that if the spring turned out wet he would be unable to apply the second side dressing on time.

Those who sign up this year get up to $500 in agronomist services for project support, including nutrient management recommendations, full reimbursement for the required nitrate test and a $1,000 honorarium for their time.

“Our goal is to assess if a profit warranty can be a helpful new tool to optimize nitrogen use,” said James Cober, strategic initiatives manager for the program 

“What enticed me is the fact that I get to try this without the fear of lost income,” Wagenaar said, adding he was already actively learning about new approaches to split-nitrogen application.

Spoelstras win award

Drew and Heather Spoelstra have been chosen winners of the Ontario Outstanding Young Farmer award.

Drew has been president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture since 2923.

They own Roy–Lea Farms Ltd., in Binbrook Ont. Where they breed purebred Clydesdale horses.They farm 2,000 acres of cash crop and dairy and beef cattle.

Royal Zaatar on recall

Alarjawi brand Royal Zaataris on recall due to salmonella food poisoning.

Royal Zaatar is a premium Middle Eastern herb blend, often featuring wild thyme, toasted sesame seeds, sumac, and salt, sometimes enhanced with pistachio.

It is a versatile seasoning used for dipping oil, seasoning meats, or in savory pastries.

CFIA suspends another Laval business licence

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by Dan Gifts Inc.

It said the company failed to identify and analyze hazards, was short of compliance on addressing complaints, recall and traceability procedures.

The company is out of business until it establishes compliance.

Two other Laval establishments had their licences suspended in March.