OMAFRA invests in ag research

Jul 16, 2019

The University of Guelph will study possible solutions to crop issues

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The provincial government is investing more than $1 million to help researchers find solutions to crop challenges affecting Ontario producers.

Yesterday, OMAFRA announced $1.3 million in funding through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance to the University of Guelph. The money will go towards multiple research projects including

surveilling blight management in field tomatoes
investigating production of a year-round supply of high-quality potatoes for Ontario
developing approaches to combat Fusarium in wheat.

Providing farmers with relevant and current resources will help them overcome challenges during their cropping seasons, said Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs.

“We know plant diseases can be very difficult to deal with and expensive for farmers,” he said in a statement yesterday. “By giving crop farmers up-to-date information and tools, they can make better decisions to sustain and improve crop health and productivity.”

Producers are interested in what the research could turn up.

Coming up with different approaches to the challenge of Fusarium could be difficult because weather can dictate the disease, said Byron Gutoskie, a cash crop grower from Chatham-Kent, Ont.

“As farmers we can choose the varieties, the crop protection products we apply and when to harvest the crop,” he told Farms.com. “But, at the end of the day, it boils down to Mother Nature and the kind of growing conditions you have. It’ll be interesting to see what (the researchers) are able to find.”

Farms.com has also reached out to the Ontario Potato Board for comment.

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.