The Canadian Produce Marketing Association announces a Half Your Plate partnership with 2020 Olympic team qualifier Florence Maheu. The kayaker has qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has launched an online resource to its members that addresses waste and recurring procedural problems. 

January 15, 2020 is a milestone for new regulations that focus on prevention and allow for faster removal of unsafe food.  The rules apply to importers, exporters and all those engaged in interprovincial trade. 

Two projects have received funding for further research. One is identifying potato varieties that reduce environmental impact and cost. The other is turning haskap and Saskatoon berries into anti-oxidant-rich nutritional supplements.

Execulytics Consulting is launching the Produce Almanac, 2020 edition. One key asset is the retail price comparisons weekly 2019 vs 2018, weekly organic vs conventional, varieties within a category, size premiums and source differences.

The showcase of 2020 Innovation Award nominees will be a top attraction in Berlin from Feb 5-7.  One of them is a cross between Chinese green cabbage and broccoli with a distinctive purple stalk. 

The Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers confirmed its 2020 board. The sector earned just under $90 million in farmgate sales in 2019. Sweet corn had its strongest showing in four years with an estimated $8.017 million in farmgate value.  

ChemChina and Sinochem are consolidating their agricultural businesses into a new holding company to be called the Syngenta Group Co.  ADAMA is becoming a member of this group.

The P.E.I. Potato Board is launching a series of short videos which will give consumers a better idea of how Island potatoes are grown. The planting and harvesting videos have been released in advance of “Potato Month” celebrated in February. 

To date, more than 135 Ontario beekeepers have received federal/provincial funding to equip themselves with better tools to prevent diseases, improve winter survival, adopt best management practices and grow their businesses.