The Produce Marketing Association has cancelled the in-person event in New Orleans, Louisiana that was scheduled for October 28-30. The city is still reeling from the impacts of Hurricane Ida and now remnants of tropical storm Nicholas.  

Plentiful July rain and sunny August days have contributed to sweetness and flavour in the 2021 Ontario apple crop. That said, the crop will be down about 15 per cent due to spring frosts according to Cathy McKay, chair of Ontario Apple Growers. 

Kingsville-Ontario greenhouse grower, Mucci Farms, is entering an exclusive marketing agreement with Casey Houweling in Camarillo, California. 

September 15th kicked off the annual harvest says Kalpna Solanki, chair of the BC Cranberry Marketing Commission. Most of the crop is transformed into Craisins, an Ocean Spray product. 

BASF Canada has received registration for a fungicide with new active ingredient Revysol for broad spectrum control against foliar diseases such as early blight, black dot and brown spot in potatoes.  It will be available for the 2022 growing season. 

A veteran of Canada’s potato industry, Kevin MacIsaac, plans to retire this fall after a decade as general manager of the United Potato Growers of Canada. His diversified career spans 42 years as an extension agronomist, farmer, industry organizer and articulate advocate for agriculture. 

Increasing average farm size leaves wide swaths of farms behind, those previously viewed as viable family businesses. The shift to very large farms is accelerating say the authors from Agri-Food Economic Systems

A second Etobicoke, Ontario store will open September 16 in the continuing expansion of the Empire-owned banner. Two more locations are expected to open doors by end of 2021 – one in Toronto at Dupont and Christie and one in Ottawa-Stittsville.

A smart scanning system is in development to detect fruit size, colour and possible defects for the Ontario apple and tender fruit industries. The goal is to have more consistent, higher-quality fruit and less reliance on manual processes.

Producers designated under the new regulations are required to register and report their 2020 material supply data on or before October 1 to the Resource Productivity & Recovery Authority (RPRA).