Province Growing Northern Ontario's Agri-Food Sector

 

Ontario is helping to diversify and strengthen the northern economy by growing the agriculture, aquaculture and food processing sector in the region.

 

Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, on behalf of Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, made the announcement at the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance Research Symposium in Thunder Bay

 

The Northern Ontario Agri-Food Strategy encourages businesses and communities to work together with the province to drive the growth and development of its agri-food sector and help increase local food consumption in Northern Ontario.

 

Developed with the input of agri-food businesses and organizations, as well as local and Indigenous communities, the strategy identifies government commitments to help grow the sector, such as supporting research and the growth of the food, beverage and aquaculture industries, as well as expanding livestock farming and soil mapping in the region.

 

Supporting economic growth in northern communities is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. This plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

 

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.