London, Elgin Dairy Farms withdraw appeals

London Dairy Farm and Elgin Dairy Farm have withdrawn their appeals against the Dairy Farmers of Ontario marketing board.

Notice of withdrawal appeared on the website today for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal.

Really, timely, guys!

The public hearing was scheduled to take place Mar. 4 to 6 at the tribunal headquarters in Guelph.

Cake mixes on recall

Ecoideas Innovation Inc. has launched a nation-wide recall of its Ecoideas brand Chocolate Cake Mix, Brown Rice Pancakes Mix and Buckwheat Pancakes Mix.

The company identified potential contamination with salmonella food-poisoning bacteria.

There have been no illnesses reported in connection with the products under recall.

Bayer reaches Roundup compensation deal

Bayer AG has reached an informal agreement with about half a dozen lawyers pushing class-action lawsuits related to Roundup weed killer.

There have been persistent rumours that settlements will cost the company about $10 billion.

No details of the informal agreement have been released and it has yet to be signed, so things could change.

There have been several multi-million-dollar court decisions in the United States, but laws limiting liability have imposed caps far below what juries have awarded people who convinced them that Roundup caused their cancers.

Bayer paid $63 billion to buy Monsanto, the company that discovered and commercialized glyphosate as Roundup. It basically kills almost all green plants.

Gord Surgeoner appointed to research council

Gord Surgeoner of Fergus has been appointed to a two-year term on the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.

The institute advises the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on its research priorities and projects.

Surgeoner taught at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agriculture College for 28 years and was president of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies which facilitated the transition from research to industry innovation.

It's the wisest appointment the Ford government has made.

Chicken board cancels annual meeting

Chicken Farmer of Ontario has cancelled its March 26 annual meeting.

Instead it will be providing its annual report and some of the featured presentations online on that day.

The cancellation came after the province asked that any meetings of more than 250 people be suspended or cancelled to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Grain Farmers cancels March 24 meeting

Grain Farmers of Ontario has cancelled its March Classic that was scheduled for March 24 at London.

The annual event usually attracts about 1,000 people, but the province has asked that any meetings of more than 250 people be cancelled to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Barry Senft, chief executive for Grain Farmers of Ontario, said “We have been watching the COVID-19 situation closely as it unfolds in Ontario and we deliberated on whether or not to move forward with the show, but our concerns for farmer-members safety, and the safety of all attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, and staff, ultimately led to the decision to cancel the conference.”

CUSMA gets rushed approval

Canada ratified the trade deal with Mexico and the United States in a last-minute rush Friday before the House of Commons closed for five weeks in response to COVID-19 concerns.

Opposition parties gave up on further hearings and objections that were scheduled to last for weeks, the Senate granted its approval and Governor-General Julie Payette provided Royal Assent.

Mexico was the first to ratify the deal and the United States voted approval earlier this month.

A number of agriculture-related concerns surfaced in recent weeks, including provisions to enable grain imports from the United States to be granted Canadian certification, changes to reporting requirements for milk imported for processing but required to be exported and a requirement that milk marketing boards reveal their milk pricing schedules to the U.S.