Fire Blight Risk Remains High, May 24-29

Fire blight infection risk continues to be high to extreme/exceptional from May 24-29 in many regions of the province according to the OMAFRA prediction maps for apples and pears. Later regions will be in bloom shortly. Early regions should watch for rattail bloom in any blocks that are in petal fall.

 

Growers should keep a protective program until the risk drops back down below high. The rain, windy days and increasing pollinator activity this week will have moved bacteria to open blossoms, particularly if fire blight has been an issue in the orchard or neighbourhood. Infection will occur with any wetting event if a protectant program is not in place under high to extreme risk conditions. Under extreme risk, even orchards that did not have fire blight last year are likely to see infection.

Video: How to Capture the $80 Million Ground Pork Opportunity | 2026 Retail Trends

Meat is having a moment, and ground pork is perfectly positioned to help you capture new category growth.

In this business intelligence deep-dive, National Pork Board experts Bailey Morrell and Rick Smith break down the latest consumer behaviors, retail trends, and an $80 million incremental retail opportunity in ground pork.

Watch to learn how expanding your ground pork offerings, utilizing proper fat-lean ratio labeling, and building a dedicated "grinds set" can attract Gen Z and Millennial shoppers while driving "center of the plate" profitability.

we cover:

• Insights from the 2026 Power of Meat presentation.

• Why ground pork is the "gateway meat" for younger, high-value shoppers.

• How adding just two new ground pork SKUs can drive incremental sales.

• Actionable merchandising strategies, including the right fat-lean ratios for specific recipes.