Tobacco growers could be in for a windfall from the national tobacco settlement of $32.5 billion last March.
The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Council has posted a notice that it intends to make the Ontario Flue-Cured Tobacco Growers Marketing Board responsible to getting the money to qualified growers.
The public has until April 20 to comment on the proposal.
The notice does not say how much money to board will receive for distribution to growers.
The developers of Cattleytics software for dairy farmers failed to win any backing during an appearance on the CBC Dragon’s Den television show, but are pleased they got a change to put agriculture in front of a large Canadian audience.
Shari Van Pol of Dundas said they were in it more for publicity than money the panel members might invest in the software that helps analyse data and management.
She is the founder and chief executive officer, but caught a lot of attention when Mac and Rose Jakeman brought an Ayrshire cow to the studio on the 10th storey of the CBC office.
The dragons understood the value, and congratulated van de Pol on being able to build the company she has without outside investors. They were impressed by the amount of government funding she was able to find.
“Doing that as a solo founder is nothing short of amazing,” said dragon Tara Bosch.
Van Pol asked for $1.2 million to grow her company.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has posted proposals to amend beef grading standards to clarify marbling definitions.
The proposals are open for public comment until April 3.
The Canadian Beef Grading Agency said grades will remain as they are for beef, veal and bison.
The proposed amendment does not change the current marbling standards for Canada A, Canada AA, Canada AAA or Canada Prime carcasses, nor does it change the application of these standards by CBGA graders.
Briefly, the CBGA believes that it would be beneficial to provide additional clarification on the different degrees of marbling in the Grades Document, the agency said.
The degrees of marbling are fundamental in both the Canadian and American beef grading systems and are identical between the two systems for Canada AA to Canada Prime, it said.
The Credit Valley Conservation Authority said it has updated its watershed mapping which could mean property owners will need a permit for projects.
The maps outline areas that are prone to flooding and erosion.
The new map reduced the protected area by about 15 per cent so 28,687 hectares remain in the regulated areas.
The new map is available on the CVC’s website at cvc.ca/RegulationMappingUpdate.
Reuters news agency said the world’s farmers face soaring fertilizer and fuel prices as the war in the Middle East escalates, leaving some scrambling for supplies as the spring planting season approaches.
The war, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz, has shut down fertilizer plants in the region and severely disrupted shipping routes, potentially curbing supplies to key importers around the world .
Europe. China, India and Australia will likely be more impacted by fertilizer shortages for this year’s planting season than farmers in Canada and the United States. Their suppliers either produce on the continent or have most of their imported stocks en route or in place.
Shipments from the Middle East are likely to drop not only because transit through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped, but also due to cuts in production.
Qatar Energy has had to stop production at the world’s largest single-site urea plant, as it lost its source of natural gas feedstock after the company shut down gas output due to attacks on its LNG facilities.
At the same time, sulfur output has been cut in other parts of the Middle East.
Quebec’s cheese curds used to make poutine are special, according to the Conseil des Industriels laitiers du Quebec.
It is seeking a protected geographical indication which is somewhat like a trademark.
The most famous product with that status is champagne from a specific region within France. No other wine can legitimately call itself champagne.
Quebec has the designation for its ice wine, for Neuville sweet corn and Charlevoix lamb.