Announced changes to how Ontario carrot and tomato growers and processors negotiate price are being blasted by the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG). Provincial Agriculture Minister, Ernie Hardeman recently announced that the tomato industry will move to a direct marketing system: Every producer will have a written “associated producer agreement” with their processor for a… Read More
RealAg Radio is back with a new show after the Easter break. Today’s show includes: Jessika Guse with the top ag news stories of the day; Claude Vielfoure, president of Hylife, on the company’s sale to a Thailand-based company; Cathy Lennon, of the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers, on the Ontario government’s unexpected changes to the… Read More
Ontario’s processing vegetable growers are expressing their disappointment over a recent provincial ruling concerning contracts for the 2020 processing tomato crop. The provincial agriculture department announced recently its intent to overhaul the regulated marketing system and move to a direct contracting model versus the current negotiation model between growers and processors. The Ontario Processing Vegetable… Read More
In a rare, but completely legal move, Ontario’s provincial government has removed an elected board of directors and named a trustee to oversee the organization. Late last week, Jeff Leal, minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) fired the entire Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers (OPVG) board, and appointed Elmer Buchanan, a farmer and former OMAFRA minister… Read More