After two years of research and pilots, Luci Faas was successful in identifying a home-compostable cucumber wrap for Nature Fresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association is honouring her as one of 10 Women in Produce nominees. 

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association announces its 2021 board of directors.  At the April 28^th board meeting, Guy Milette of Courchesne Larose Ltée will assume the role as chair for 2021/2022.

The Canadian Horticultural Council recognized Quebecer Jocelyn St-Denis and Ontarian Hector Delanghe for their outstanding contributions to the sector. 

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has announced 20 participants for the Passion for Produce program to be delivered virtually around Fresh Week in April.  

Kevin Smith, a veteran of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, is joining the Dispute Resolution Corporation in Ottawa as vice-president, operations.  

Cultivar, a produce company based in Spain, has won first prize in the “Best Convenience Packaging” category of the World Food Innovation Awards. The jury praised the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the paper-based format, while noting the reduction of plastic.

Despite the pandemic, the produce supply chain held strong in 2020 with Canada receiving 49 per cent of American produce exports valued at $3.5 billion. The number is unchanged from 2019.  

The Mosaic Company, a producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients, will collaborate with AgBiome, to discover, develop and launch novel biological approaches to enhancing soil fertility.

The Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association will combine on January 1, 2022. The new association will be led jointly by Cathy Burns and Tom Stenzel throughout 2022. After that, Burns will become the sole CEO. 

2020 exports of the blue superfruit were valued at US$1.020 billion, up 23.4 per cent compared to 2019. For two years now, Peru has outpaced Chile in blueberry production. 

Charles Stevens, chair, crop protection section, OFVGA, discusses the restricted capacity at the Pest Management Centre to conduct toxicological trials needed to register crop protection products.

Steve Funk, director of agriculture risk management resources for MNP, discusses business risk management and interconnected government, crop insurance and private insurance programs.

Brian Gilroy, president of the Canadian Horticultural Council, talks with Karen Davidson, editor, on lobby efforts to exempt Canadian agriculture from carbon taxes on all energy use.

Karen Davidson, editor of The Grower, talked to Bob Tosh, MNP, to find out how this accounting company offers more than tax planning and accounting.

Scott Hodgins has been in the crop protection business for 20 years and shares his thoughts on the impacts of COVID-19 on research for horticulture.

Health Canada will allow some key uses of clothianidin and thiamethoxam on crops with additional risk mitigation measures. Changes are effective by March 31, 2023.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has released its re-evaluation decision on linuron, allowing use on carrots, parsnips, potatoes, asparagus and shelterbelts. Risk-reduction measures will apply.  

Biobest, a global supplier for biological control of pests and disease, is partnering with Ecoation Innovation Solutions to digitize the scheduling of integrated pest management in the European market. 

Nufarm, in partnership with Valent Canada, announces a new fungicide for control of scab and powdery mildew in apples. Excalia must be applied between green tip and petal fall. 

The active ingredient in Zidua SC has maximum residue levels established in the major export markets for Canadian potatoes. They are the United States, Mexico and Japan says BASF Agricultural Solutions. 

In recent years, the mergers of global crop protection companies promised robust R & D pipelines.  But the reality is that fewer products and label extensions will come to horticulture. That’s because there’s a bottleneck of reduced trial capacity at the Pest Management Centre says apple grower Charles Stevens, Newcastle, ON. 

The cost of energy-intensive fertilizer is set to increase under a new carbon tax regime. It’s yet another burning issue for horticulture, on top of labour and crop protection. 

John Molenhuis, business analysis and cost-of-production specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) worked with the grape, tender fruit and apple groups for years, updating baseline measurements every five years that compare the average of the group to the top 25. 

Events by invitation-only became the norm in 2020 as the pandemic curbed in-person contact. The impacts of COVID-19 on research, new product launches and extension efforts will be felt for years to come. 

Dejected workers gather to tear down the brittle leaves of a cucumber crop that perished after Nature Fresh Farms was shut down by public health authorities on June 30, 2020. In a recent short documentary, the story is told how 199 asymptomatic workers tested positive for COVID-19 but no one was ever hospitalized. The devastating effects of losing 7.8 million pounds of produce aren’t just economic but emotional as guest workers have testified. 

Health Canada will allow some key uses of clothianidin and thiamethoxam on crops with additional risk mitigation measures. Changes are effective by March 31, 2023.

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has released its re-evaluation decision on linuron, allowing use on carrots, parsnips, potatoes, asparagus and shelterbelts. Risk-reduction measures will apply.  

Biobest, a global supplier for biological control of pests and disease, is partnering with Ecoation Innovation Solutions to digitize the scheduling of integrated pest management in the European market. 

Nufarm, in partnership with Valent Canada, announces a new fungicide for control of scab and powdery mildew in apples. Excalia must be applied between green tip and petal fall. 

A portfolio of more than 270 active ingredients belonging to ADAMA is now available more widely throughout eastern Canada for growers of apples, potatoes and a variety of vegetable crops. 

After two years of research and pilots, Luci Faas was successful in identifying a home-compostable cucumber wrap for Nature Fresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association is honouring her as one of 10 Women in Produce nominees. 

Joshua Mosiondz will be joining the Horticulture Technology unit of Ontario’s ag ministry, effective immediately. 

The Canadian Horticultural Council recognized Quebecer Jocelyn St-Denis and Ontarian Hector Delanghe for their outstanding contributions to the sector. 

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has announced 20 participants for the Passion for Produce program to be delivered virtually around Fresh Week in April.  

Kevin Smith, a veteran of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, is joining the Dispute Resolution Corporation in Ottawa as vice-president, operations.