Rainfall emergency in Niagara Region

 

Successive storms have flooded large areas of the Niagara Region leading to emergency declarations and significant farm losses.

Vineyards, orchards and floral farms have been flooded and waters have been slow to recede.

Farm organizations are thanking municipal and provincial governments for assistance, but have a few specific requests.

One is for regulatory approvals for aerial application of fungicides in fields too flooded or wet to support spraying equipment.

The federal government recently approved the use of drones to apply pesticides that have been approved for aerial application.

Another ask is for the extension of foreign workers stay in Canada so they can help with the recovery.

While Niagara Region has too much rain, British Columbia’s grape and wine industry is far too dry and under threat from wildfires.

Wine makers fear that wildfire smoke will taint their products.

Agri Stats settles pork lawsuit

Agri Stats has reached settlements with the remaining pork-industry companies that filed class-action lawsuit alleging price fixing.

They claimed Agri Stats gathered and share information with pork packers that enabled them to adjust production and pricing.

 

Agri Stats has denied wrongdoing but said it settled to contain legal costs.

Numerous pork processors have previously settled claims brought by various purchaser groups in the litigation, leaving Agri Stats as one of the final defendants facing continuing claims.

The private litigation is separate from the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Agri Stats. The company reached a settlement with the DOJ and six states in May requiring changes to how it collects and distributes competitively sensitive information about the meat industry.

No dollar amounts involved in the settlement have been reported.

                           

 

CFIA suspends, cancels licences

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended licences held by Groupe 3CNT Inc. of Chateauguay, Que. and by a business in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

It has cancelled two licences held by companies in Contrecoeur, Que. They are licences 7V7LVWL and 8N6CKY86.

                           

The non-helpful people at CFIA do not identify the company names by which they do business, nor do they allow the public to search its licence registry for the names.

PED outbreak in Huron County

 

There has been an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea in a finishing hog operation in Huron Count, reports Swine Health Ontario.

It is the first outbreak since May 21.

Gay Lea investing $200 million

Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Ltd. is investing $200 million to expand and modernize cottage cheese production at its facility at Clayson Road in Toronto.

There has been a global surge in demand for protein since people began using GLP drugs to address diabetes and lose weight.

Extra protein is required when using the drugs.

Gay Lea said the expansion will introduce advanced processing technology and modern manufacturing capabilities designed to increase production capacity, strengthen productivity and enhance operational flexibility. 

The expansion, to be complete in 2028, will create up to 75 new positions.

The investment is part of planned investments of $450 million over several years in Gay Lea’s facilities.

                           

Canada Packers reports loss

Canada Packers lost $28.4 milllon in its second fiscal quarter.

A year ago it made a profit of $23.4 million.

Sales declined by 8.8 per cent because pork prices came down. 

The total was $421.7 million this year compared with $473.2 million last year.

There is more pork in the North American market this year – two per cent more market hogs in the United States despite a one per cent decline in the sow herd, and aggressive expansion in Mexico.

The financial report includes a $48.3 million non-cash decrease in fair value of biological assets. 

                            

Saputo sales down, profits up

 

Saputo’s sales declined by 1.5 per cent, but its profits increased by 10.4 per cent.

The surprising results come from increased demand and prices for whey.

Saputo’s global operations are tilted towards cheese production.