Ontario Ag Minister Tours Drought Fields

Jul 24, 2012

NFU Pressures Ontario Government to Provide Relief

After lobbying pressures by the National Farmers Union (NFU) for the Ontario government to provide disaster relief for farmers, Ontario agriculture minister Ted McMeekin went out into the field of Niagara based Vuckovic Farms to see first-hand the impact that drought has had on farmer’s crops. Since April, Ontario has only had 40 to 60 percent of normal rainfall putting stress on crops which could severely impact yields. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs predict that 10 to 20 percent of the provinces corn crops are already unsalvageable.

“Our members across much of the province are facing a severe shortage of pasture and forages to feed livestock for the rest of the summer and to store for winter feed,” Ontario NFU co-ordinator Ann Slater said in a statement.

It’s going to take a lot more than a walk in the field to convince Ontario farmers that the province has their back. It will be interesting to see if the government will step in to provide additional relief above basic crop insurance that farmers already have.

Video: Heat Stress in Pigs: What to Prepare for Before Next Summer - Dr. Joshua Selsby

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Joshua Selsby from Iowa State University explains how heat stress affects swine biology and why now is the ideal time to prepare for next summer’s challenges. He breaks down its effects on muscle function, immune responses, and long-term metabolic outcomes. Learn how early planning can protect herd performance when temperatures rise again. Listen now on all major platforms! "Heat stress leads to a cascade of biological damage, beginning with metabolic disruption and expanding across multiple organ systems." Meet the guest: Dr. Joshua Selsby is a Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. With over 15 years of research on skeletal muscle physiology and heat stress, he focuses on understanding how thermal stress disrupts swine metabolism, immune function, and muscle integrity.