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PESTICIDE BAN OPPONENTS SEEK CHARGES AGAINST ONT. MINISTER

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

From Farms.com & The Canadian Press

A group representing dozens of lawn care companies is trying to bring charges against Ontario's environment minister and senior bureaucrats over the province'scontroversial pesticide ban.

The legal manoeuvre, if endorsed by the court, could result in federal charges being filed against Environment Minister John Gerretsen and others by police or by a private individual, and there may be sufficient grounds for a criminal charge of fraud.

The so-called "private information" against Gerretsen and senior ministry staff was filed Wednesday in a Kingston court.

The action stems from Ontario's pesticide regulations, which permit the use of azadirachtin, a chemical that is not approved for use in Canada, said Jeffrey Lowes, a spokesman for the group and a director at MREP Communications, a Kingston-based public relations firm.

"There's something fundamentally wrong with the whole system," he said.

"We would be subjected to federal prosecution if we use the products if we abide by the Ontario laws, and if we abide by the federal laws, we would be prosecuted by the Ontario government."
Ban based on flawed report, group says

The government's reclassification of pesticides is based on a methodology that "was not based in regulatory science," he said.

The action to seek a fraud charge stems from a report that formed the basis of that methodology, Lowes said.

The report, a peer-reviewed pesticide literature review of products used in the lawn care industry, was written by the Ontario College of Family Physicians, he said.

Lowes alleges that one doctor who was listed as having peer-reviewed the report was not aware that her name was on the report until it was published, and then denied she had reviewed the report.

Lowes, who said he represents a group of about 36 Ontario lawn care companies, said similar actions may be filed in other provinces that have adopted similar legislation governing pesticides.

Lowes said the action will be heard Feb. 17 in a Kingston court.

Gerretsen wasn't immediately available for comment, but his spokesman John Karapita said the ministry has only recently been made aware of the allegations made against it.

"Until we have the chance to review the information filed today, it would be inappropriate to provide further comments," he said in an email.

"We will be reviewing what information was filed with the courts."

Ontario's ban, which took effect last April, prohibits the sale and cosmetic use of more than 80 ingredients and 250 products, as a way of protecting public health and the environment.

Quebec has also stirred up controversy with its pesticide ban, which sparked a NAFTA challenge.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, which manufactures banned weed killer 2,4-D, has decided to sue the federal government and seek at least $2 million in damages, arguing that Quebec's rules violate Canada's trade obligations because it prohibits a product without any scientific basis.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/01/1...zz0e10oQaPp
 
OFA, CFFO URGE GOVERNMENT TO INVEST IN AGRICULTURE
02/01/10
From a release - LONDON – Acknowledging the difficult economic state the Ontario government currently faces, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is urging the government to invest in agriculture for the best return on its investment. “These investments in agriculture will pay dividends in our rural and urban economies,” Bette Jean Crews, OFA President, advised Hon. Dwight Duncan, Ontario finance minister, in the federation’s pre-budget submission.

President Crews noted in OFA’s submission to the Ontario Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, that the document represents the combined wishes and expectations of a broad base of the province’s agricultural organizations under the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC). The coalition came together last October to develop and take a single message to governments for farmers.

The submission to Minister Duncan said “an investment in agriculture pays significant dividends and will avoid catastrophic job losses across the agri-food sector.....it is critical the province of Ontario make agriculture, one of our largest employers, to be an economic priority.” President Crews said.

OFA and all the other OASC partners joined in the call for a premium-based Business Risk Management Program (BRMP).

Stevens, in the CFFO presentation, urged the provincial government to “step forward and provide the leadership and support that our agriculture industries need to thrive in the coming years. We believe that a healthy primary agriculture system will result in a healthy and prosperous Ontario.”

“There is no question the economic strength of our agriculture sector has weakened over the past year and further erosion will occur if left unchecked,” Crews said in the OFA presentation. The OFA brief urged the government to “continue to fund research and technology transfer as a priority in the 2010 budget.”

 
CORN PRICES & ACREAGE SAID TO BE MOVING HIGHER-AGRI-FOOD CANADA
01/29/10
From Agri-Food Canada's Grains & Oilseeds Outlook

For 2009-10, imports are forecast to increase
due to strong demand from the ethanol sector.
Carry-out stocks are expected to decrease by
about 25%. Corn prices are forecast to fall
under pressure from lower US corn prices.

For 2010-11, seeded area is forecast to rise by
6% with production expected to rise by 15%.
Imports are forecast to remain steady. Supply
is forecast to rise by 7% while carry-out stocks
rise slightly. The average Chatham elevator
price is forecast to rise by $10/t from 2009-10.
 
SOYBEAN PRICE FORECAST TO DROP-AGRI-FOOD CANADA
01/29/10
From Agri-Food Canada
For 2009-10, exports are forecast to increase
due to higher domestic supplies. Carry-out
stocks are expected to increase sharply, with
the average price down by over 10%.

For 2010-11, seeded area is forecast to rise by
4%, with production increasing by 5%.
Domestic supply is forecast to increase by 7%
due to larger carry-in stocks, with imports
declining as a result. Both exports and
domestic use are forecast to rise. Carry-out
stocks are forecast to decrease. The average
Chatham price is projected to decline, as a
result of lower US prices and the stronger
Canadian dollar.
 
GM WHEAT COULD HAMMER U.S. PRICES
01/29/10
From Farms.com

A new report is warning of a catastrophic drop in wheat prices if genetically modified wheat is introduced to the U.S.

The report – commissioned by the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) and released yesterday - concludes that wheat buyers in Europe, Japan, and other Asian countries are likely to switch to GM-free wheat from other countries if GM wheat is introduced in the U.S. As a result, the price of U.S. hard red spring wheat would fall 40%, and the price of durum wheat would drop 57%.

“Introduction of genetically modified wheat in the United States is a risky proposition,” Dr. Neal Blue, author of the report, said in a statement.

“Consumer attitudes in the European Union and Japan are not ready for GM wheat,” according to the report. “In addition, Asian countries such as South Korea and Taiwan are leery about importing GM wheat. Major customers of U.S. wheat, particularly the EU and Japan, have labeling and traceability requirements that make it difficult to sell GM wheat.”

However, other groups advocate GM wheat as a means of addressing declining wheat acres and fighting world hunger.
 
STILL NO DATE FOR HURON COUNTY ETHANOL PLANT CONSTRUCTION
01/29/10
From Farms.com

While there is still no construction date on the much-delayed Hensall ethanol plant, GreenField Ethanol says it remains committed to Hensall and still intends to build in the village.

That was the message Hensall residents heard at a public meeting Jan. 21 at the Hensall Arena hosted by the Municipality of Bluewater and GreenField. The $150 million Greenfield Ethanol plant, announced with much celebration several years ago, had a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site adjacent to the Hensall District Co-op in March 2007. However, as GreenField founder and chairman Kenneth Field said in Hensall last week, the looming financial crisis resulted in the banks backing down on the $150 million loan the company needed for the project. However, Field said that situation will change, financing will once again become available when the economy recovers and he still intends on building an ethanol plant in Hensall.
Field can't say when that will be, though.

In his presentation to the public last week, Field said the company has already invested $20 million in the Hensall site. He explained the reason for the delay in building, saying that while GreenField had its $150 million in loans lined up, the company was called to Bay Street and was told, “there are no loans going ahead.” While he admitted the company was in denial for a while, Field said GreenField can understand the banks' reasoning for pulling back the loans, describing the recession as the worst since the Great Depression. He noted the collapse of major companies in the U.S. and the bailouts that took place, and added GreenField is “a strong, good company . . . I am just so pleased we still have a wonderful business.”

Field said the ethanol industry is profitable again and oil prices are up. He added Canada's Renewable Fuels Standard, being implemented Sept. 1, 2010, will mandate that gasoline in Canada include five per cent ethanol.

Field said Canada's ethanol production displaces 4.7 million barrels of imported foreign oil and gas each year. And responding to a belief that it takes more energy to make ethanol than is created from it, Field said, “It's not true. It's a myth.” He said a study from the University of Nebraska shows there is a positive net energy gain out of the creation of ethanol.

Field said ethanol use in gasoline is good for the environment and added corn growers also profit from ethanol, explaining that $300 million of corn will be bought this year to make ethanol in Ontario.
“Ethanol positively impacts at least 15,000 farms in Ontario,” information from GreenField states, adding ethanol also causes higher farm gate income.

While the Hensall plant was originally going to be a corn ethanol plant, Field said technology is moving rapidly and there are new developments in the ethanol world. He said the Hensall plant will probably use corn and cellulose to create ethanol. Field said cellulose ethanol is the “next big thing” in ethanol.

According to GreenField's website, cellulose ethanol “can be created from a variety of feedstocks that would otherwise be disposed of as waste materials.

The key ingredient is cellulose, a fibrous material that makes up most of the plant matter in biomass such as corn cobs, corn residue, wood chips, trees, municipal solid waste and pulp and paper industry wastes.”

During public questioning, Hensall's Larry Uyl asked if there will be enough corn to make ethanol and added there are Third World countries who need food.

Field said corn yields will increase rapidly in Ontario and he expects crops will double over the next 15 years.
“There is going to be lots of corn,” Field said, but added GreenField is exploring making ethanol from other sources as well.
 
SHOULD SELL-BY DATES BE THROWN OUT?
01/29/10
From barfblog

The Independent reports that the U.K. Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says British consumers each year throw out 370,000 tonnes of food that has passed its "best before" date, and a further 220,000 tonnes that is close to, but still within, its "use by" date.

Yet last week, Approved Foods, announced that its sales for the final week of December were up a staggering 500 per cent year on year. At sites such as Approved Foods and Bargainfoods.co.uk, you can pick up four tins of pinto beans for £1, or a can of tuna for 59p. Or how about four Toblerones for 99p? There's nothing wrong with the foods. They're just coming up to their "use-by" dates or have gone beyond their "best before" dates.

Last year, Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, called on food manufacturers to consign to the dustbin date labels such as "sell by" and "display until", retaining only the crucial "use by" date.
A recent FSA study revealed a rise in the potentially deadly disease listeriosis due to people consuming chilled ready-to-eat foods -- products such as pre-packed sandwiches, salads, cooked sliced meats, smoked salmon, soft cheeses and pates -- that have been in their fridges too long. The findings highlight the potential risks involved in both our ignorance and our habits of going on gut instinct.
 
SUPPORT AGRICULTURE PROGRAMS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS
02/01/10
From a Release - RIDGETOWN, ON – The Lambton-Kent Agriculture in the Classroom committee is very pleased to announce its 13th Annual Gala Fundraising Dinner, “A Taste of Lambton-Kent”, to be held on March 26, 2010 in Willson Hall at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. This exciting event showcases the finest agricultural products of the region through an elegantly presented six-course meal.

The funds raised at this event, the primary fundraiser for Lambton-Kent Agriculture in the Classroom (LKAITC) committee, help to foster programs designed to increase awareness and appreciation of agriculture within the local educational system. Current committee projects include Harvest Days tour program for grade 3 students, Spring Days tour program for grade 4 students and a new Healthy Eating pilot program for students in grades 6, 7 and 8. LKAITC also provides classroom activity kits developed with the assistance of the Lambton-Kent Science Education Partnership.

"Through our local Ag in the Classroom activities, we are able to educate hundreds of students and teachers each year who may otherwise have very little understanding of the importance of the agriculture industry," says Dennis Bryson, Chair of the Committee.

There are 210 tickets available for this dinner at a cost of $60.00 per person. A $20.00 tax receipt will be provided. Sponsorship opportunities also exist for businesses wanting to support this worthwhile endeavour. For tickets or to inquire about sponsorships, please contact Marlene Morris by phone at 519-674-1588 or e-mail at mmorris@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca.
 
POULTRY FARMS GET BIOSECURITY BOOST
02/01/10
Ontario’s agri-food sector is getting additional support to improve biosecurity on poultry farms and to boost food safety and traceability through the development of educational and training programs.
The Farm Biosecurity Program will provide funding to individual poultry producers to help them implement or improve biosecurity measures that are based on the National Avian On-Farm Biosecurity Standard. Strong biosecurity helps reduce the risk of disease, pests and pathogens.

In addition, the Food Safety and Traceability Education Program will help organizations to develop and deliver educational and outreach programs to promote best practices to Ontario producers and processors.

Both programs are part of the Best Practices Suite of programs under Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

“Farmers across Ontario can take pride in their animal handling practices. Our Governments are working together so that farmers have access to the latest and best farm animal care techniques. This investment will help farmers build new trade opportunities and boost their bottom line and Canada’s economy,” said MP Dave Van Kesteren, (Chatham-Kent Essex) on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.
 
THREE FARM LEADERS NAMED TO AG HALL OF FAME
02/01/10
From a Release - Milton - In its thirty-first year, the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Association will induct three leaders into the Hall of Fame Gallery at Country Heritage Park in Milton on Sunday June 13, 2010. Inductees include: Vera Mitchell, Metcalfe a dairy and cash grain farmer in Metcalfe in Eastern Ontario, Dwayne Cecil Acres, a sheep, diary and cash grain farmer from Osgoode and Dr. Terry B. Daynard of Guelph. Terry Daynard’s background in the corn industry is wide-ranging, as a corn producer, a corn researcher and educator at the University of Guelph, as Managing Director of the Ontario Corn Producers’ Association (OCPA), as contributing editor of Ontario Corn Producer magazine and as Executive Development Officer of the Ontario BioAuto Council.
 
AG EQUIPMENT SALES SLOWING IN 2010
02/01/10
From Rae Groeneveld, AgriSuccess

Canadian and American agriculture equipment manufacturers are predicting slower sales for tractors and combines throughout 2010. According to a survey from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, double-digit sales drops are expected before the bottom is reached in 2011.

"The recession reached the agriculture sector in 2009, and the drop in equipment sales in most categories is attributed to a combination of the fall in commodity prices, significant drops in net farm income, the tightening of credit throughout the ag equipment distribution channel, and the overall reduction in economic confidence," says AEM Vice President of Agricultural Services Charlie O'Brien in a news release.

The AEM is made up of North American agriculture equipment manufacturers and it polls its members annually on sales predictions for a variety of farm-related equipment.

"The recession is expected to continue to drive negative growth rates in many equipment categories in 2010. However, it is important to keep in mind that the larger equipment has been coming off of some very good production years, specifically the 100 HP tractors, which were at a 25-year-high watermark in 2008," says O'Brien.

In Canada in 2010, the AEM is predicting sales of large four wheel drive tractors will drop by 18 per cent, the biggest of any class of equipment. Canadian combine sales are expected to drop 13 per cent when compared to 2009.

"Other influencing factors fuelling market uncertainty include legislative issues such as cap and trade, the ongoing debate on increasing food production while reducing agriculture's contribution of approximately 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gases, Country Of Origin Labelling, and emission standards that will raise the cost of powered equipment," reasons O'Brien.

Two wheel drive tractors over 100 horsepower are anticipated to see a drop in sales of eight per cent this year while the 40 to 100 hp units will only drop four per cent when compared to the amount of sales made in 2009.

The AEM is predicting a stabilizing of farm equipment sales in 2011 and strong upward movement in 2012. For combines, four-wheel drive tractors and large 100 hp two-wheel drive tractors, modest sales increases of zero to four per cent are expected in two years' time. Smaller tractors, 40-100 hp and less than 40 hp, will see larger gains. AEM members expect those sales to grow by as much as six per cent in 2011 and 10 per cent in 2012.
 
PORK BEATS OUT VIAGRA IN ARGENTIA
02/01/10
From barfblog, Doug Powell

In a move to apparently counteract the negative associations with swine flu, Argentine President Cristina Kirchner told a gathering of business people at a meeting at the presidential palace that eating pork is at least as effective as popping a Viagra pill to spice up your sex life, stating,
"Pork consumption improves sexual activity. This is not a small detail. Besides, some nicely grilled pork is much more gratifying than taking Viagra."

Kirchner said she ate some roasted pork over the weekend with her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner, at the couple's retreat in Argentina's bucolic southern Patagonia region, with "impressive" results.

"We were in high spirits the whole weekend," she said, smiling.

The head of the association of pork producers, Juan Uccelli, on Thursday said people in Denmark and Japan, where pork consumption is high, "have much more harmonious sexual lives than us Argentines have."
 
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RESEARCHERS FIGHT WORLD HUNGER BY MAPPING THE SOYBEAN GENOME
02/01/10

From the University of Missouri-Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. -– In 2009, soybeans represented an almost $30 billion industry in the U.S. alone, making soybeans the second-most profitable crop next to corn. Worldwide, soybeans have been used in human foods and livestock feed for centuries and have been a key component in industrial products, such as plastics and soy biodiesel, an environmentally friendly fuel. A team of researchers, including University of Missouri researchers, recently completed a study identifying 1.1 million base pairs of DNA in the soybean genome, including more than 90 distinct traits that affect plant development, productive characteristics, disease resistance, seed quality and nutrition, which could lead to extensive crop improvements.

"The genome sequence will be a new tool for plant breeders, industrial engineers, geneticists, biochemists, technologists, nutritionists and anyone else who uses soybeans worldwide," said Henry Nguyen, director of the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. "With knowledge of which genes control which soybean traits, scientists may be able to better adapt the plant to drought conditions, bringing a new cash crop and food product to poor areas of the Earth."

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, MU scientists, in collaboration with researchers at other institutions, mapped the soybean genome to make crop improvements and provide a key reference for more than 20,000 different species of plants. Nguyen already has begun collaborating with animal science and nutrition experts to modify soybeans added to animal feeds that could increase the health value of meat. Specifically, he is looking at ways to impart certain antioxidants that are known to decrease the frequency of cancer, and proteins from soybeans into the meat. Nguyen also is studying the root system of soybeans and how they respond to drought. He's pinpointing which proteins or genes contribute to drought tolerance.

"Perhaps the most exciting thing that we have found for the soybean community is the gene that confirms resistance to the devastating Asian Soybean Rust disease," Nguyen said. "In countries where this rust is well established, soybean losses can range from 10 to 80 percent. Improved soybean strains resistant to the disease will greatly benefit production and increase foodstuffs around the world."

In addition to mapping the soybean genome, MU scientists have created a database of soybean transcription factors, which regulate the expression of genes and can turn genes on or off. The database, SoybeanDB, can be accessed through a web server and contains information such as protein sequences, protein family classifications and web links to other protein databases.

The genome research has been published in the January issue of Nature magazine, and Nguyen's research on soybean drought-tolerance has been published in Plant, Cell and Environment. Faculty members from the MU College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, College of Engineering and the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center contributed to the study. Nguyen was recently elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his research contributions in plant genetics and genomics and the national and international recognition of his research and leadership in plant abiotic stress, most notably in drought tolerance.
 
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ph: 519-674-1575 Email - jvanmol@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca
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Event - Ontario Sugarbeet Growers Assocuiation Annual Meeting Date - March 24, 2010 Time - 9:00 AM Place - Wyoming Fairgrounds Contact Name - Mary Lynn Lister Santavy, 519-352-6710 Email - osga@ciaccess.com
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Event - Chatham Kent Association of Christian Farmers Annual Banquet Date - March 26, 2010 Time - 5:30 PM Place - Chatham, Smitty's Pancake House, Grand Ave. W. Contact Name - Jacques at 519-682-1057 Alt Contact Name - Jim at 519-692-3293
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Event - “A Taste of Lambton-Kent” Gala Fundraising Dinner & Charity Date - March 26, 2010 Time - 1:00 PM Place - Ridgetown Campus, Willson Hall Contact Name - Dennis Bryson
Chair, Lambton - Kent Agriculture in the Classroom
Phone: 519.828.3311
Email - dline@xcelco.on.ca
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Event - Local Food Connection: Farmer Food Buyer Networking Event Date - March 29, 2010 Time - 9:00 AM Place - London Hunt and Country Club Contact Name - 519-232-9638 / 1-888-832-9638 Email -  kareneatwell@execulink.com Website - www.ledc.com
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Event - London Swine Conference Date - March 31,2010 to April 1, 2010 Time - All Day Event Place - London Convention Centre Website - http://www.londonswineconference.ca/
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Event - Poultry Industry Conference and Exhibition Date - April 14,2010 to April 15, 2010 Time - All Day Event Place - Western Fair Grounds, London Website - http://www.westernfair.com/shows/poultry.html
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Event - OIA Conference and Annual General Meeting Date - April 16,2010 to April 17, 2010 Place - Hilton Garden Inn, Niagara-on-the-Lake
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Event - Annual Ontario Pork Congress Date - June 23,2010 to June 24, 2010 Time - All Day Event Place - Stratford Website - www.porkcongress.on.ca
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To view these listings online, please visit us on the web at
http://www.ridgetownc.com/agrilink/agrilink..._events.cfm
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John Jordan
Editor, AgriLink and Farm Market News
University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus
Tel. 519-674-1577
Fax. 519-674-1530
E-mail: jjordan@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca
AgriLink website : www.ridgetownc.com/agrilink