Ontario Beef Farmers Congratulate Newly Elected and Re-elected Members of Provincial Parliament

Jun 03, 2022

Guelph, Ont. – The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO), representing Ontario’s 19,000 beef farmers, would like to congratulate Premier Ford and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario on their successful bid to form the next Ontario government, and to all elected and re-elected Members of Provincial Parliament.

BFO would also like to extend a sincere congratulations to Lisa Thompson and Ernie Hardeman, who served Ontario’s agriculture community as ministers of OMAFRA under the previous government, on their re-election in the ridings of Huron-Bruce and Oxford, respectively.

“We look forward to working with our returning and new Members of Provincial Parliament across the province to ensure our farmers have access to programs and resources that will sustain Ontario’s beef capacity and promote new economic output for the province,” shares Jack Chaffe, BFO President. “Beef farmers are currently facing unprecedented levels of uncertainty and risk that cannot be mitigated by good management alone due to significant inflationary cost of inputs, trade and supply chain disruptions, increasing frequency of adverse weather events, and a level of market volatility we have never experienced.”

BFO has asked the new provincial government to commit to the following priorities to help mitigate food
production risks and ensure food security for Ontario and our communities:

Increase the cap on the Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP) by $100 million annually.
Increase investment in programs that support meat processing capacity and infrastructure, and the training, recruitment, and retention of meat cutters and industrial butchers.
Support for mental health services and resources for farmers and agri-food workers. Financial insecurity is one of the leading causes of mental health issues for farmers. No one should be asked to produce food at a loss.
Preserve farmland through sound provincial land use policy that sees agricultural lands, including marginal lands used for livestock grazing and carbon sequestration, protected as the highest and best use of our province’s arable land.
Conduct a review with the agriculture sector of farm inspection and enforcement practices employed under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act.

The beef industry is an important economic driver of Ontario’s agri-food sector. Combining the revenue from primary production, processing and retail, the beef industry contributes $2.69 billion to Ontario’s GDP on an annual basis.

Source : BFO

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.