Ag Minister Backs Tribunal's Pork Decision

Ontario Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell agrees with the Farm Products Tribunal's ruling on the future of hog marketing in this province.
She'd taken the Tribunal ruling under review.
Her decision, released this week, made only one significant change to the Tribunal's ruling - the timetable involved.
Mitchell says rather than the 18 months the Tribunal gave Ontario Pork to make the changes she'd like them in place by December of this year.
Ontario Pork officials say they believe they can meet that new deadline.

(Link to Minister's full decision.)

May 14th - Closing Markets

BLACKBURN AGRI-MEDIA CLOSING MARKET REPORT:
Date: 05-14-10

On the Chicago Board of Trade:

Corn Futures:
May down 9 and a half at 3.56 and a half
July down 10 at 3.63

Soybean Futures:
May down 12 and a half at 9.48
July down 11 at 9.53 and a half

Wheat Futures:
May down 7 and a half at 4.63 and a half
July down 7 and a half at 4.71 and a half

Oat Futures:
May down 2 and a half at 1.90
July down 2 and a quarter at 1.95 and a half

-> FROM DAUPHIN FEED AND SUPPLY, THE 48% SOYBEAN MEAL QUOTE, F-O-B HAMILTON = $347/tonne

-> CLOSING LOCAL GRAIN PRICES FROM SNOBELIN FARMS:

09 CROP CORN = down 10 at 3.55/BU
2010 CROP CORN = down 9 at 3.63/BU
2011 CROP CORN = down 7 at 3.86/BU

09 CROP SOYS = down 11 at 9.39/BU
2010 CROP SOYS = down 9 at 8.56/BU
2011 CROP SOYS = down 8 at 8.63/BU

09 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = down 7 at 3.77/BU
2010 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = down 7 at 3.77/BU
2011 CROP SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT = down 6 at 4.85/BU

(Click icon for O-C-A Report)

-> ONTARIO PORK REPORTS:

TOTAL SALES FOR THE WEEK = 82,895
THAT'S up 3,548 FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
INCLUDED WERE 73,128 CONTRACT HOGS
AND 5,093 EXPORTS.
THE ONTARIO POOL PRICE = $168.89 PER 100 KILOGRAMS
THE ONTARIO POOL PLUS PRICE = $165.32 PER 100 KILOGRAMS
FRIDAY'S PRELIMINARY U-S NATIONAL COST PRICE = $88.03
THAT'S down 29 cents
FRIDAY'S OPENING FORWARD CONTRACT PRICE FOR August-September DELIVERY = $145.37
THAT'S down $1.68 FROM THURSDAY.

Perth Leaders Drumming Up Grassroots OASC Support

Farm groups in Perth County are pushing for grassroots farmer support for and involvement in the OASC cause.
The Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition is a group of non-supply-managed commodities trying to get a risk-management plan for their producers.
Perth Federation of Agriculture spokesman Brent Royce says in his county it's not just the non-supply managed farmers who understand there are problems in the industry.

(Click icon for audio)

Royce says it's important for all farmers to show support for the coalition and help push it's risk-management proposals.
He says you can check out the coalition through it's website at www.oasc.ca.
And Royce is encouraging any farmers with questions about the coalition to contact the Perth Federation by email - ofaperth@quadro.net.

WTO COOL Panel Set Up

The W-T-O has set up a three-member panel to look into the U-S Country Of Origin labelling rules.
Both Canada and Mexico have asked for the panel, arguing the COOL rules are a violation of international trade rules.
Canadian Pork Council Chair Jurgen Preugschas says forcing U-S processors to segregate Canadian animals and meat imposes unnecessary costs in already difficult market with little benefit to the American consumer.
He says the Canadian government gave the U-S ample opportunity to amend the requirements to reflect the highly integrated swine and pork industry in North America - but nothing was done.
The panel is expected to being hearings into the COOL ruls later this year.

Crop Specialists Say Frost Damage Minimal

OMAFRA Corn Specialist Greg Stewart says last weekend's frost is unlikely to have caused any lasting damage to the province's corn crop.
He says seedlings with frozen tissue will almost completely recover.
Soybean specialist Horst Bohner says most of the planted fields had not emerged when the frost hit.
He also points out that soybeans can tolerate.
Winter cereals specialist Peter Johnson says scattered injury has been reported to advanced wheat, winter barley or rye.
He says wheat developed has slwoed slightly with the cool temperatures but that the crop continues well ahead of normal.
And OMAFRA's Brian Hall is reporting that canola seeding is 95 per cent complete across the province.

Huron Pork Direct Marketer Adds Value

Dashwood-area pork producers Martin and Teresa Van Raay have added a few of their own twists to the direct-marketing business model.
They sell packages or baskets with various cuts of pork directly to consumers.
But they deliver, too.
That includes trips to Toronto, Guelph, Sarnia, Kitchener, London, Exeter and Grand Bend.
Teresa Van Raay says that's not cheap but it's a way to get to know their customers.
She expects it to pay off once volumes increase.

(Click icon for audio)

Van Raay says they buy all their small pigs from one producer - have it processed at one abattoir - and guarantee only their own meat goes into the packages.
They're also marketing on-line at www.thewholepig.ca.

Monsanto Deal For Canadian DeKalb Distributor

Monsanto Canada has found an Ontario distribution centre for it's DEKALB corn products.
The company is closing it's Chatham corn manufacturing facility and needed a distribution centre for product coming in from the 'States.
Monsanto has signed a deal with Future Transfer.
The deal means Future Transfer will run a distribution centre in Tillsonburg for DEKALB brand corn products for all of Canada.
Future Transfer already runs a distribution centre for Monsanto's Roundup products.
Their Tillsonburg operation will take in DEKALB products from the U-S and distribute those products to Monsanto's retail network across Canada.
They'll start receiving those products this month.

CFFO GM Says Agriculture Key In Africa's Future

A recent Globe and Mail edition focussing on Africa has prompted a response from the General Manager of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario.
The newspaper tried to draw the attention of Canadians to the plight and potential of Africa.
The CFFO's John Clement says agriculture plays a huge role in lifting Africans out of poverty.

(Click icon for audio)

But Clement also points out agriculture poses a huge challenge in Africa.
He says those challenges include uncertain rainfall , nutritional deficiencies in African soils and their small and dispersed domestic markets.

(Click icon for full CFFO commentary)