Processing vegetable growers are facing global headwinds
KAREN DAVIDSON
Ontario’s processing vegetable growers recorded a milestone in 2023: a farmgate value of $162 million for nine crops that find a home in soups, stews and frozen foods. That figure will be in eclipse in 2024 as processors contracted fewer tons.
The same trend is evident in Québec. Contracted acres in 2024 were also down for beans, sweet corn and particularly peas according to Mélanie Noël, general manager, Québec Processing Vegetable Growers.
The bump coming out of the COVID pandemic reflected consumers’ refreshed view of the value of processed vegetables. But something happened in the last year that’s changed the dynamic. Take butternut squash for example.
“Our contracted tonnage was down 60 per cent in 2024,” says Tracy Gubbels who farms with husband Pete
near Mount Brydges, Ontario. “The heads-up came in late spring from Nortera, considered North America’s leading vegetable processor. We had to make some last-minute changes on how we planted our land.”
Butternut squash is a small slice of the overall processing vegetable pie. It brings in the least revenue of the processing crops in Ontario at about $1.5 million but it’s a bellwether of what happened in 2024. Contracted tons were down in cucumbers, green beans, green peas, lima beans, onions, sweet corn and tomatoes. Carrots were the only crop to increase in tons contracted.
One reason is foreign competition. Despite the fact that Nortera invested in a new freezing tunnel at its Ingersoll plant in 2023, the company lost favour with some of its end-use clients. Amble down any freezer aisle at a supermarket and the story becomes clear. Frozen vegetables now have labels that say Product of Belgium, Product of France, Product of Spain, Product of Greece. Continued on page 3
Butternut squash growers Tracy and Pete Gubbels survey their crop near Mount Brydges, Ontario, pointing out that contracted tonnage fell 60 per cent in 2024. The processing vegetable sector is vulnerable to not only climate change but overseas competition. Photos by Glenn Lowson.
AT PRESS TIME…
BC government offers $4M in bridge financing to tree fruit growers
The British Columbia government is working with the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF) to help tree fruit growers impacted by the July 26 closure of the BC Tree Fruit Cooperative. An estimated $4 million will be offered in bridge financing so that growers can be paid for past harvests without having to wait until the court process plays out.
“These are very challenging times for B.C.’s tree-fruit growers and we are continuing to support them in getting their fruit to market as well as with cash in their pockets now,” said Pam Alexis, BC Minister of Agriculture and Food. “Our priority from the beginning has been working with growers to ensure they are receiving as many of the services the co-op provided as possible, including food-safety certification, access to storage and bins, and connecting with packing houses. This is why we set up an emergency table with the sector to work together on solutions. We are monitoring the court process closely and will continue to support growers in finding alternative arrangements for their harvest.”
The IAF will assume the co-op members’ position as creditor and pay growers in the coming weeks. The IAF will then recoup funds at the end of the court process. The co-op will be reaching out directly to affected growers in the
coming weeks to initiate the process.
Additionally, the BC government has provided $100,000 to the BC Fruit Growers’ Association to support food-safety certification.
Source: BC Government September 12, 2024 news release
BC Vegetable Marketing Commission suspends payments to greenhouse growers’ association
The aspirations of the British Columbia Greenhouse Growers’ Association (BCGGA) to set up its own marketing agency have challenged the mandate of the British Columbia Vegetable Marketing Commission (BCVMC) under which it currently operates. BCGGA chair Armand Vander Meulen and his five-member board have been advocating for a new way to conduct business because, he says, the $342 million sector has little in common with storage crops such as potatoes and root vegetables. (AAFC 2022 stats).
In response on September 17, 2024, BCVMC chair Derek Sturko announced the suspension of payments to the members’ greenhouse group until it “is satisfied that funds are being used appropriately and not used to undermine the purposes of the BCVMC as established by the provincial government.”
Sturko cited the benefits of the current commission structure:
• Improved sales of regulated
greenhouse vegetable crops.
• A coordinated, centralized approach to marketing across the supply chain to maximize returns to growers.
• Managed growth and stability of the industry by limiting the number of agencies, limiting the competition among agencies on price and managing production volumes.
• The capacity to better negotiate with retailers and improve returns to growers.
• Protection and equitable opportunities for producers through a designated agency.
• A more cost-effective approach to market and sell storage crop and greenhouse vegetables.
• Promoting innovation in the industry to improve efficiency, reduce costs and improve market access.
• Facilitating the ability of the BCGGA (and other organizations) to add extra value to the industry by funding research and development activities through levies gathered by BCVMC.
He also stated in his letter to greenhouse growers, “It appears the regulatory model of most interest to the BCGGA would be like the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) structure, which provides less protection to growers and would be inconsistent with how commodities are regulated in BC.”
The greenhouse growers’ association has not indicated how it will respond now that its funding has been cut off.
Source: BC Vegetable Marketing Commission September 17, 2024
NEWSMAKERS
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) welcomed a new executive director in mid-September. The bilingual Massimo Bergamini returns to his roots, recalling his formative days on a vegetable farm in the Montérégie region of Québec. FVGC president Marcus Janzen said, “We are confident that his association leadership and advocacy experience, his strong commitment to workplace inclusiveness and wellness and his understanding of government will help FVGC embrace the fresh approach our members and our sector expect.”
Caleigh Hallink-Irwin has been hired as the new general manager, Canadian Potato Council. Most recently, she has worked as director of regulatory affairs for CropLife Canada. And prior to that, she was manager of crop protection for the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada. Her start date is October 15.
Jeff Duc was named Grape King 2024 by the Grape Growers of Ontario. He is a third-generation grower in Niagara-on-the-Lake, working alongside his dad at Forrer Farms. They operate approximately 250 acres of vineyards with varieties including Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon, Merlot, and some hybrids. They also produce icewine.
Congratulations to Jaime Bustamante on his recent promotion to vice president of trading assistance and business development for the Fruit & Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC). DRC cited his hard work, strategic vision, and commitment to the produce industry. He has a successful history of fostering connections within both domestic and international fresh produce markets.
Dennis Beesigamukama, a postdoctoral fellow at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi, Kenya, is the 2024 recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application. He’s the innovator behind insect-composted fertilizers that are benefiting more than 100,000 farmers in East Africa.
The Centre for Agri-Food Benchmarking announces the appointment of Tarra Drevet as the new executive director. With more than 15 years of experience in executive leadership and program management across agriculture, industrial manufacturing and secondary education, Drevet brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique skill set to advance the sustainability outcomes of Canada’s agri-food sector.
Hearty congratulations to Dylan Jules, a seasonal agriculture worker at The Fruit Wagon, Harrow, Ontario. With the encouragement of employer Leslie Huffman, he entered the pie-making contest at the local Harrow Fall Fair. To his surprise, he won first place in rhubarb pies. And a second-place finish under the novelty fruits section. His winning entry was auctioned for an astounding $10,000.
Massimo Bergamini
Jaime Bustamante
Jeff Duc
Processing vegetable growers are facing global headwinds
Squash is particularly labour-intensive at harvest time, from mid-September to late October. First, temporary foreign workers knock off the gnarly stems with a blunt hoe. A second team follows, hand-picking the heavy squash into front-end loaders.
Zast Corporation, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, has a line of frozen vegetables called Cookin’ Greens. Some ingredients come from countries such as Belgium, Spain, France and Greece.
Continued from page 1
Zast Corporation is one provider of frozen vegetables in a line called “Cookin’ Greens.” From its headquarters in Toronto, it is supplying an attractive medley of kale, butternut squash and quinoa. Its website refers to a “proudly Canadian company” and sports a logo that shows “farm to freezer in hours.” It specializes in organic, dark leafy greens and as such, is finding its raw materials overseas.
“Canadians historically like to source products from home, and when labels are not clear it makes it difficult for our consumers to know if the canned or frozen vegetables they purchase are grown here or a product from somewhere else,” says Keith Robbins, general manager, Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers. “Price is only one factor in global competition, and I believe that our customers want products grown here especially coupled with our high food safety standards to feed to their families.”
Cloudy outlook
Foreign competitors aren’t the only challenge to growers of processing vegetables. Climate change affected
crops in both Ontario and Québec in 2023. As Jennifer Thompson, agriculture manager for Nortera Foods explains, sweet corn is processed before butternut squash. That meant the longer growing season favoured sweet corn and pushed the squash run back into the late days of October.
When three inches of snow fell in southwestern Ontario on October 31, the crisis was to get butternut squash trucked to the factory as quickly as possible before it deteriorated.
Québec’s growers experienced a different crisis in deluges of summer rain in 2023, the worst in recent record. Pascal Forest, a green bean grower located northeast of Montreal, experienced the grey summer first-hand.
“The increasing variability in processing vegetable production due to climate change stands as one of the key challenges awaiting us in Québec’s near future,” says Forest, who also serves as president, Québec Processing Vegetable Growers.
The vegetable processing sector in Ontario and Québec offers a glimpse of the headwinds ahead. Both governments have goals to increase food grown and prepared in their respective provinces. That ambition is currently being stymied by factors outside their control.
The Grower is “Digging Deeper with Ontario squash grower Tracy Gubbels and Québec bean grower Pascal Forest. Together they outline the challenges of climate change in the processing vegetable sector. This podcast is sponsored by Cohort Wholesale.
A front-end loader dumps squash into a waiting truck to be transported 60 kilometres to the Nortera processing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.
Pascal Forest, president of Producteurs de legumes de transformation du Québec (Québec Processing Vegetable Growers) walks in a newly planted field of beans, near Saint Jacques, Québec in late July 2024. His green beans will be processed at a Nortera plant in Bedford. Photo by Michael Abril.
CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Novem Pharmaceuticals purchases bankrupt BC Tree Fruits Cooperative property in Kelowna
Novem Pharmaceuticals has agreed to terms to purchase BC Tree Fruits’ largest controlled atmosphere and cold chain storage facility in Kelowna, B.C.
The Kelowna, BC-based
ALBERTA
company specializes in combining processing and packaging, with cold chain warehouse and distribution services for the agrifood, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.
Prior to closing the transaction, Novem will lease the facility on an emergency basis to allow the tree fruit industry to avoid the loss of as many as 25 million pounds of apples.
The 2024 harvest, and the livelihoods of hundreds of growers and thousands of workers, was put at significant risk when BC Tree Fruits Cooperative announced that it would cease operations in late July and enter bankruptcy proceedings.
“Saving this year’s harvest is our immediate goal,” said Colin Davison, CEO of Novem, based in Kelowna. “But we believe Novem can also play a role in helping farmers create a modernized version of the Canadian fruit tree industry here in British Columbia. However, we can’t do it alone.
Strengthening Canada’s food security should be of national interest and a priority for all levels of government over the long term. Private industry is doing its part, but it will take government support to cultivate an industry that is more sustainable and stable.”
Finalizing and funding this transaction is expected to require the support of provincial and federal governments.
Government officials at both levels have expressed support for the project leading up to the signed conditional purchase agreement for the facility. The emergency lease on the facility will run through the entire fruit season, or upon closing of this financial transaction.
Novem has already secured committed contracts from most of the major packing houses in
Seeking growers for on-farm potato storage research
Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Advanced Postharvest Technology Centre (APHTC) in collaboration with a potato processor and Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA) aims to conduct a three-year, on-farm potato storage study to minimize shrink and improve crop storability.
Shrink estimate and thorough storage studies were not
conducted in the recent past in Alberta. However, significant moisture(shrink) loss occurs during the storage of crop causing substantial economic loss to the producers and the industry.
The proposed study will focus on minimizing shrink, improved potato storage and handling resulting in energy efficient ventilation, better disease
management (postharvest), and improved quality.
In the first year (2024), the project focus will be creating a base-line data from different storage bins which will be used to develop potato storage management guidelines in the following two seasons.
Scope: This year’s work scope at the participating farms
B.C.’s interior and the space is expected to be 100 per cent committed prior to September 15— just one week after possession. Novem, which has facilities in Kelowna and Edmonton, plans to continue storage operations at the Sexsmith Road site as well as expand the facility to accommodate future growth plans across a broader range of the overarching agrifood industry. Those plans also include upgrades to existing operations and an increase in the overall controlled ambient storage and cold chain capacity to support the biopharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical industries.
Source: Novem Pharmaceuticals September 6, 2024 news release
includes:
1. Evaluation of storage bins (structure, storage capacity, ventilation system control, ventilation fan size and configuration (e.g., variable speed), optional air heating and/or cooling units, type of humidification system, plenum, duct dimensions and geometry, perforation size and % of perforated area, various types of sensors and their specific locations for measuring (T, RH, CO2), etc.
2. Validation T/RH sensor accuracy using calibrated T/RH probe,
3. Gathering information about past management practices, quality, disease, and shrink issues (if any),
4. Conducting storage trial for shrink loss by placing tubers in bags in different depths and spatial distribution,
5. Monitoring shrink loss by measuring sample weights (top of surface only) on regular basis (weekly/bi-weekly) throughout the storage,
6. Measuring airflow and static pressure at different locations inside the storage bin,
7. Monitoring ventilation control, T/RH, local weather and observing management practices throughout the storage period, and
8. Collecting remaining potato bags (initially buried in the piles) at the end of storage for shrink loss estimate and quality evaluation.
Note: No data from the farm will be gathered or shared without the consent from the participating farms. All protocols will be followed for visiting the farms by our research team. Contact Person: Project Lead Dr. Chandra Singh. For more details, phone (587-899-8405) or email (chandra.singh@lethpolytech.ca
Source: Potato Express September 6, 2024 newsletter
CROSS COUNTRY DIGEST
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Using enhanced efficiency fertilizer is a win-win for farmers and the environment
Precision agriculture is helping farmers to be more exact with inputs, such as fertilizer, to help reduce excess nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions without sacrificing yields.
Steve Watts of Genesis Crop Systems recently wrapped up a precision agriculture research project with support from Prince Edward Island (PEI) farmers, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), and researchers from Dalhousie University and the PEI Department of Agriculture and Land. Watts and his team studied the use of an enhanced efficiency dual inhibitor fertilizer product, called SUPERU, in potato crops.
This modern fertilizer provides nitrogen to plants as they need it over a period of time and reduces nitrogen loss from plants and soil. The research is part of Living Lab — Atlantic, a collaboration between AAFC, farmers and environmental organizations on
NOVA SCOTIA
PEI. Together, they address several key areas impacting farmers, including soil health, water quality management and crop productivity.
“Enhanced efficiency fertilizers provide nutrients to crops little by little and that can provide more efficient levels of nutrition over an extended period of time rather than the crop getting everything at once,” says Watts. “It’s like giving crops three square meals a day instead of every meal at breakfast.”
From 2019 to 2021, Watts set up several treatments including the grower’s standard fertilizer type and others with varying mixtures of standard and enhanced efficiency fertilizers.
Soil sampling and field results such as greenhouse gas emissions were measured by Watts, Kyra Stiles and her team from the PEI Department of Agriculture and Land at six participating farmer’s fields on a weekly basis before
planting and throughout the season. Further analysis of greenhouse gas emissions was completed by Dr. David Burton and his team at the Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture and additional analysis by AAFC scientists at the Charlottetown Research and Development Centre.
What the team discovered will be a major boost to Canada’s and farmers’ important role in meeting and exceeding Canada’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and achieving net-zero by 2050. The project revealed that farmers adopting the use of enhanced efficiency fertilizer could maintain their current potato yields and profitability at the same input costs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent or more.
Living Lab — Atlantic participating farmer, Vernon Campbell, of Mull Na Beinne
Farms Ltd is now a firm believer after having several of his fields involved in the research trials. He had heard a little about enhanced efficiency fertilizers but was not aware of specific products and how they could benefit farmers. “Enhanced efficiency fertilizers are the way of the future and a win-win product for farmers and
New entrants spotlighted at NS summer orchard tour
EMILY LUTZ
The Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’ Association held its annual Summer Orchard Tour on August 7th 2024. It was a beautiful Nova Scotia summer day, and the attendance ranged from 100-150 people over the course of the tour with friends from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Ontario.
Perennia’s tree fruit specialist Michelle Cortens acted a host for the day. The first stop was at Eisses Farm in Northville, where the tour began by paying tribute to John Eisses, the founder of Eisses Farm who passed away earlier this summer. Host Ryan Swanson (John’s son-in-law) led the conversation with Michelle which ranged from weed management to powdery mildew, before the group headed a short
NEW BRUNSWICK
distance away to Billtown to hear from a new entrant to the industry, Bragg Farms.
Bragg Farms has been a major player in the Nova Scotia agriculture industry for many years but has recently invested in apples through the purchase of a packing/storage facility and plans for planting orchards. Angus Ells and Harrison Van Meekeren spoke about the plans the company has for growth, cover crops and soil health, and the focus that Braggs Farms has on regenerative agriculture and how they plan to apply that to their orchards.
After lunch, the tour headed to Town Plot Orchards in Port Williams where Rob and Isaac Peill led an engaging discussion on thinning and their trial work using Accede plant growth regulator.
We then headed to a block of Noggins Corner Farm, where
owner Andrew Bishop and his son-in-law Dwayne Kinglocke spoke about their commitment to the 14x5 spacing system, and the influence that being a single grower/packer/processor/market operation has on the choices they make in designing their orchards and choosing which varieties to plant.
The final stop was to another new industry entrant -- a good sign for the Nova Scotia industry! Wittenberg Farms has been heavily involved with poultry and decided this spring to plant 40 acres with no background in apples. They shared their thinking behind the decision, the challenges and insights so far, and also spoke about how welcoming and helpful the industry has been to them since taking this plunge into apple farming.
The tour concluded with the revival of an old tradition: the chicken barbeque, which had
Potato growers to receive AgriRecovery funds
New Brunswick potato producers who endured extraordinary costs resulting from excessive moisture during the 2023 growing season will have access to financial assistance starting November 2024.
The 2023 Canada-New Brunswick Potato AgriRecovery Initiative will compensate eligible potato producers for the extraordinary costs incurred to
grow, harvest, store or dispose of last year’s potato crop.
AgriRecovery is a disaster relief framework to help agricultural producers with the extraordinary costs associated with recovering from disasters. Its initiatives are cost-shared – 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially – as outlined under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural
Partnership.
The program will offer up to $25 million in funding provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries through the AgriRecovery Framework.
Source: New Brunswick Government September 13, 2024 news release
the environment,” says Campbell. “The first win is that it’s better for crop production getting nitrogen to plants when they need it throughout the season and the second win is in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
formerly been a staple of the tour but hadn’t been held since 2011.
Hosted by Noggins Corner Farm, there was an equipment show, playground, and corn maze for all to enjoy, with a visit from the Nova Scotia minister of agriculture Greg Morrow. Overall it was a marvelous tour
where the fellowship and tight-knit nature of the Nova Scotia industry was apparent.
Association.
Emily Lutz is executive director, Nova Scotia Fruit Growers’
Steve Watts, Genesis Crop Systems
L-R: Angus Ells, Harrison Van Meekeren, Michelle Cortens
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Experience HREZ
bees. Thus, researchers decided to check if
Plant Protection and Certification (CREA)
Tuta absoluta that have grown on infected
plants can carry the virus on their surface and transmit it to healthy plants if they have contact with any wounds in the latter. This finding suggests that Tuta absoluta could play a crucial role in the ToBRFV’s spread between crops and throughout crop cycles, especially in protected cropping systems common in the Mediterranean basin. It also raises questions about the role of the pest’s natural enemies in virus transmission and the need to adapt integrated pest management strategies to control Tuta absoluta and ToBRFV simultaneously.
quality.”
The company says as the first greenhouse to introduce organic greenhouse-grown strawberries to the market, it’s leveraging cutting-edge technology to protect its berries while reducing its environmental footprint.
GREENHOUSE GROWER
Greenhouse Vegetable Working Group offers policy recommendations
Under the auspices of the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, the Greenhouse Vegetable Working Group has provided recommendations and detailed background to federal policymakers in advance of the 2025 budget.
Summary of recommendations
1: Carbon Relief & Regulatory Support for Greenhouse Growers
Carbon pricing relief inclusive of all fuel types, farming activities, and machinery used in modern Canadian agriculture. [Bill C-234 amendments to the GGPPA; CRA implementation]
2: Invest Carbon Pricing Proceeds in Greenhouse Agriculture
2.1 Invest in the critical infrastructure
necessary for greenhouse agriculture [Finance, ECCC, AAFC, ISED, NRCan]
2.2 Develop a new national greenhouse agriculture-focused program modelled after the ISED Net Zero Accelerator initiative, which would support transformative research, innovation and technology, emission reduction pathways, and decarbonization projects in the greenhouse sector with on-farm adoption strategies, extension and advisory services available to transition and remain competitive.[Finance, ECCC, AAFC, ISED, NRCan]
3: Develop a national risk mitigation program for Canadian Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Develop plant pest and disease preparedness programming that
complements existing AAFC Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to manage targeted and unforeseen risks, incentivize early pest reporting with predictable compensation, and ensures effective emergency response activities including crop destruct and disposal. [AAFC, CFIA]
4: Increase resources dedicated to expand trade opportunities Strengthen trade policy and regulatory alignment to maintain market access and support the growth and competitiveness of Canadian greenhouse exports. [AAFC, CFIA]
For more detail, link here: https://fvgc.ca/wp-content/uploads/ 2024/08/FVGC-Greenhouse-VegetableWorking-Group-Pre-Budget-SubmissionAugust-2025-FINAL.pdf
Mastronardi Produce acquires full ownership of Mastronardi BerryWorld North America
Industry leader in greenhouse fruits and vegetables, Mastronardi Produce, has recently acquired full and exclusive North American rights in Mastronardi BerryWorld America from its partner BerryWorld Group.
The joint venture between Mastronardi and BerryWorld Group was originally formed in 2018 to create Mastronardi BerryWorld America. This partnership provided access to BerryWorld’s high-flavour proprietary berry varieties and was aimed at leveraging Mastronardi's expertise in greenhouse growing and BerryWorld’s extensive berry breeding and marketing capabilities to enhance the production and distribution of premium berries in North
America. Both parties are excited to continue the relationship which will provide Mastronardi Produce continued access to the BerryWorld breeding program to further develop the North American berry category.
“Our partnership with the BerryWorld Group over the past five years has allowed us to deliver exceptional berries to the North American market,” says Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO of Mastronardi Produce.
“Access to these premium varieties through this association with BerryWorld has played a crucial role in establishing Mastronardi Produce as an emerging player in the North American berry market.”
In connection with the buyout, Mastronardi Produce will
continue to hold exclusive rights to market all premium berry proprietary varieties in North America that were previously licensed to Mastronardi BerryWorld America in addition to all future high-flavour propriety berries developed under such licenses. This extends over all four berry categories including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
“This acquisition allows the BerryWorld Group to dedicate its resources to researching and developing premium, highflavour varieties market while enabling Mastronardi to concentrate on their advanced grower network and leading marketing capabilities,” notes David Gray, president, BerryWorld Group.
Produce and BerryWorld Group look forward to continuing to build a long term sustainable collaborative relationship. As a fourthgeneration owned company, this strategic move aligns with
Produce’s commitment to becoming the most beloved brand in fresh.
Source: Mastronardi Produce September 16, 2024 news release
Mastronardi
Mastronardi
COMMITTEE CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE
A closer look at changes to Canada’s TFW programs
There has been what seems like a steady stream of government announcements about changes to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) programs in recent months.
Much of this appears to be driven by critical media coverage and negative public sentiment over the dramatic increase in the use of low wage TFWs in some sectors of the Canadian economy.
Statistics Canada data shows, for example, that the food service sector has seen a more than 4,000 per cent increase in the number of approved positions for TFWs in the last five years.
With one announcement in the spring and two in August, this flurry of government activity in the middle of the growing season has been concerning for growers who rely on TFW programs, including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) for their farm businesses.
At the same time, we continue to see media and critics use outdated and misleading language when referring to TFW programs, which is troubling to those of us who employ workers through these channels.
The most recent high-profile example is the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, who used inflammatory, and in our opinion, offensive language to describe Canada’s TFW programs and the employers and workers who are part of them. The federal announcements include measures such as limiting Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) validity, implementing workplace-specific TFW caps, strengthening job advertising requirements, and clamping down on improper and excessive use of TFW programs by certain sectors.
It’s worth noting that agriculture was one sector granted a specific exemption from these announced measures, including TFW hiring caps, and that farm employers can expect to continue using the programs without being affected by these changes.
As well, we are pleased that the most recent government communications clearly acknowledge our sector’s unique labour challenges, and that Canada would not be able to maintain its ability to produce food here at home without the essential contributions of TFWs.
Labour has long been one of the OFVGA’s busiest and most important files and with each announcement, our team and our national association partners such as the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) and the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) work hard to understand the scope and possible implications for our sector. This includes analysis of all
information made available, follow-up with government officials to clarify our understanding of what was announced and communicating any clarifications and additional details we can to growers.
It’s important to note that the development of a new TFW program for all agriculture and seafood processing announced in 2022 is going ahead.
Consultations with industry on a proposal started this summer, with the goal of having a new program in place by 2027 that would replace all the streams growers currently use to hire TFWs.
There’s no doubt that this is an ambitious undertaking. SAWP has a more than 50-year history of collaborative, annual review between the Canadian government, source country governments and growers to ensure the program remains current and reflects Canada’s and the workers’ home countries’ values and interests.
We know how important and complex this process is and how valuable the outcomes are, and OFVGA is working with our national partners, including CFA and FVGC, to ensure that the principles at the foundation of our current programs’ design are not lost in the new program’s design.
As well, it is critical that the new program does not create labour disruptions or place unrealistic expectations and burdens on farm employers. We realize growers need timely and clear information about the outcomes and impacts from these various government actions to make timely and informed plans about their workforce for the coming years; this is a priority for us, as well as making sure that government policy is informed by grower perspectives.
The many activities on the labour file in the last few months have underlined once more how critically important it is for our industry to be proactive in talking
about who we are and what we do. This includes continually being vocal about the labour challenges we face and how vital TFWs are to not just the sustainability of our farming businesses but also the very foundation of our ability to grow our own food right here at home.
The More than a Migrant Worker initiative has been a key tool in helping us do that since we first launched it in 2021. We have been empowering seasonal and temporary farm workers in Ontario with a platform to document their stories in their own words – and drawing attention to the critical role they play in the Canadian food system and efforts by farmers and government in recent years to invest in worker safety, protection and well-being.
Bill George is the labour committee chair, Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association.
At this time of year, fall fairs are as abundant as sweet corn. Here, Sylvanus Louis celebrates his winning entries of tomatoes and squash at the Harrow Fair, held August 29-September 1. Thanks to the encouragement of employer Leslie Huffman and Doug Balsillie, the St. Lucian-born seasonal agricultural worker entered the contest along with some of his co-workers. It was a memorable experience of his third year at the farm. He’s pictured at The Fruit Wagon, surrounded with the season’s harvest. Photo by Jennifer Lagrassa/CBC Windsor.
BILL GEORGE
Swiss agritourism: A cow massage and a roll in the hay
This year, global tourism is on track to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Restless travelers are fed up waiting for COVID to disappear (it won’t); they’re spreading their wings and seeking adventures.
That’s great news to world leaders such as Francisco Betti, head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. At a forum meeting in May, he gushed about this encouraging milestone and its potential impact.
“This year is a turning point,” he says. “We know the travel and tourism sector has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation.”
Agritourism is riding this wave.
Statistics Canada expects the Canadian agritourism market to grow at a compound annual rate of 12.7 per cent between now and 2030, reaching revenues of about $900 million. People are looking for what can be broadly called a farm experience.
So how do growers get a piece of the action?
And equally important, how do you prevent agritourism from overwhelming your services?
Rural infrastructure is not growing at the same rate as agritourism. Globally, and even locally, rural residents have pushed back at what they call overcrowding in a normally tranquil, placid place.
For answers, consider the experience of Switzerland. Swiss people are agritourism pioneers, having the foresight to manage and market their country’s beauty long before the term agritourism was first uttered. It’s no coincidence that dairy farmers are paid buckets of government cash to graze mere handfuls of Swiss Brown cows on steep alpine hills and mountainsides. This is what tourists come to see.
Agritourism was a theme at this year’s International Federation of Agricultural
Journalists congress, held in Interlaken, Switzerland, with 200plus participants from 40 countries (including Canada). I was fortunate to be there with eight of my students, and after an excellent “innovation meets tradition” tour of eastern Switzerland, we came away with these agritourism nuggets.
Find a niche, control crowds. The Bächlihof adventure farm and excursion, open year round, hosts 500 events a year and up to12,000 visitors on a weekend during harvest. It offers 24 apple varieties and 22 pear varieties, but colourful seasonal pumpkin figures, like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dracula, are its niche. This year the farm started charging admission to control crowds. It also reduced its pumpkin exhibition season from eight weeks to four weeks and started bussing customers from a common parking area to the exhibition site to ease traffic congestion.
A blessed roll in the hay. Weary pilgrims trekking to the alleged tomb of the Apostle St. James pass by the Tschümperlin dairy farm, which offers them a relaxing night in a modified hay
loft, promoted as “sleeping on straw” with a Swiss army blanket. Patriarch Franz Tschümperlin fluffs the bedding and maintains the facility, which hosts about 150 travelers a year. His son Urs joins guests at breakfast for marmalade, cheese and bread. Food and lodging: 28 Swiss francs (CDN$45) each.
Massage for a cause. For an hour each morning and evening, Sepp Dähler immerses a medium-stiff handheld brush into a mixture of brewers’ yeast and water and scrubs the hides of his 20-ish cattle herd. They appear to love this “massage,” as he calls it. So does his animal-welfare conscious urban clientele that pays almost $100 per kilo for his beef, and a local tannery, that claims the hides are well conditioned for custom leather handbags and shoes.
A whopping 13,000 of Switzerland’s 48,000 farms are direct marketers. Fruit and vegetables are the most popular commodities, followed by eggs, wine and beef. And while the retail prices sound attractive to marketers, tour guide and family farmer Melanie Graf points out, this kind of agritourism requires grit.
“It’s very work intensive,” she says. “You have to focus your business entirely on it and work in a highly professional manner.”
But the way agritourism is growing, it looks like no one’s being deterred by the work.
Owen Roberts is a past-president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and a communications instructor at the University of Illinois
OWEN ROBERTS
Farm manager, David Prevost for the Bachhhot adventure, Switzerland.
CPMA approves an updated Sustainability Strategy
The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) concluded its Semi-Annual Board and Committee Meetings in late August in Kelowna, British Columbia, with its team reviewing and expanding the sustainability mandate and position as the industry’s solutions space.
A key outcome was the approval of CPMA’s updated Sustainability Strategy which builds on efforts over the past four years to increase the adoption of sustainable packaging across the produce industry. The comprehensive strategy, set to be launched in November 2024, will focus on four key priorities:
•Increase adoption of sustainable fresh produce
packaging
•Minimize fresh produce food loss and waste
•Minimize the carbon footprint of fresh produce supply chains
•Promote the harmonization of fresh produce sustainability practices
The Sustainability Strategy also identifies the need to support and collaborate with key produce stakeholders to help advance essential sustainability outcomes, including:
•Water stewardship
•Soil health
•Biodiversity and agrobiodiversi-
ty
•Supply chain adaptation to climate change
•Financial vibrancy and resiliency
•Sustainable finance
“CPMA continues to serve as a true solution space for our members in Canada and the global produce community,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA president. “While CPMA has always played this role, the Board has confirmed its commitment to move forward and reinforce this value for the industry. This focus will be integrated into all our activities and initiatives for members.”
“CPMA has been the voice for the Canadian produce industry for 100 years,” added George Pitsikoulis, CPMA chair. “Since its founding, the organization has been proactive and at the forefront of the industry’s emerging needs which has
contributed to making the Canadian produce industry one of the most dynamic marketplaces across the world.”
In addition to the Board meetings, CPMA’s committees including education, marketing and promotions, member services, CPMA’s Government Issues Management, and CPMA’s Industry Technology Advisory Committee (CITAC) met to frame strategies for 2025.
Reusable Plastic Containers (RPC) were also on the agenda at CITAC’s meeting given the anticipated expansion of their use by some of Canada’s largest retailers. The Association committed to creating an RPC Task Force to bring the industry together and ensure successful
expansion of RPC use across the entire supply chain.
The CPMA Board also recognized the emerging influence of generative AI on our sector and reviewed the topic with subject matter experts from KPMG. CPMA will further review how best it will support members on AI governance and privacy.
To learn more about CPMA’s Sustainability Strategy and upcoming initiatives, please contact Daniel Duguay, CPMA sustainability specialist at dduguay@cpma.ca.
Source: Canadian Produce Marketing Association August 29, 2024 news release
COMING EVENTS 2024
Oct 1-5 International Plowing Match & Rural Expo, Lindsay, ON
Oct 2-3 Canadian Agri-Food in a Sustainable World Conference, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON
Oct 7-13 Ontario Agriculture Week
Oct 8-10 Fruit Attraction, Madrid, Spain
Oct 9-10 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Niagara Falls Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, ON
Oct 17-19 Global Produce & Floral Show, Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 22-24 Forum of Agricultural Robotics, Woodland, Sacramento, CA
Nov 1-10 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Toronto, ON
Nov 17-19 Advancing Women Conference, Sheraton Fallsview, Niagara Falls, ON
Nov 18-20 Fall Harvest Advocacy Event, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON
Nov 19-21 Alberta Potato Conference and Trade Show, Grey Eagle Resort & Casino, Calgary, AB
Nov 20 PEI Potato Board Annual General Meeting, Charlottetown, PE
Nov 22 PEI Potato Board Annual Banquet, Delta Prince Edward, Charlottetown, PE
Nov 26-27 Ontario Federation of Agriculture Annual General Meeting, Delta Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre, Toronto, ON
Nov 27-Dec 1 Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer National Event, Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge, Lethbridge, AB
Nov 28 Ontario Harvest Gala, Delta Hotel, Guelph, ON
Dec 4 CanAgPlus Annual General Meeting VIRTUAL
Dec 10-12 Great Lakes Expo, Grand Rapids, MI
2025
Jan 14-15 Potato Expo, Las Vegas, NV
Feb 2 North American Strawberry Growers’ Association Annual General Meeting, Hawaii
George Pitsikoulis (L) chair, Canadian Produce Marketing Association and board member Jerry Dzikowski visited a local retailer in Kelowna, BC.
RETAIL NAVIGATOR
Understanding the nuances of retailer culture
The most educational part of visiting different cities is touring different retailers. In some stores, I get the feeling that every single item has been curated with love. In others, I feel the retailer is displaying the top three varieties in each category and saying “This is what we have today at the best price point. Like it or not.”
The point is that every retailer has a distinct culture. Some category managers are working several weeks ahead of their competition. Suppliers need to be in sync with each of these cultures to service them at a high standard.
Speak their language
Each retailer has their own
terminology for the same things. I was always used to the Loblaw term of ‘in stores’ for in-store specials. The definition: a temporarily reduced price to drive volume and perhaps warrant some over and above merchandising. If you are talking to Sobeys this is a ‘save cycle’ and if you are talking to Walmart, it is a ‘roll back’. Essentially, all the same thing -- a supplier-funded temporary discount.
If you are talking to Costco, they do not have customers, only members. They also do not have stores, they have warehouses.
Another unique feature for each retailer is their fiscal year. They have different year ends which means they operate with an internal calendar that does not follow the traditional January 1stDecember 31st. Week 1 at Loblaw is different than week 1 at Walmart.
It is important to understand the cultural language and to keep track of the differences. You do not want to plan a promotion for week 40 on the calendar when it is really week 27 for Walmart.
Understand what works with each one
Produce suppliers are experts at growing their product but not
necessarily at selling it. If you don’t have personal time to improve your sales pitch, then consider hiring the expertise. Identify promotional or merchandising opportunities. Remember to make sure the idea fits within the retailers’ go-tomarket strategy.
When you do have a win, share the results with your customer. If they know you exceeded the sales projection, they will be more likely to offer an opportunity again. Watch the category. Watch other categories with similar consumers. Learn from what you see in other stores and build a unique plan for each customer,
based on their way of selling produce.
Identify resources
Retailers continue to push more work onto suppliers. It is a reality, no different than booking an airline ticket or dealing with a bank. Suppliers need to have the resources within their business to do this work. It is not easy and is time-consuming. It can be challenging because the production side of the business can point to a pallet of product as mission accomplished. In the sales department, a spreadsheet submitted to a retailer does not generate the same feeling of
satisfaction. But just the same, the paperwork needs to be done correctly.
Accept that each retailer has distinct ways of doing business and put the resources in place to get the work done. The most important thing is to understand them and treat each one like they are the only one.
Peter Chapman is a retail consultant, professional speaker and the author of A la Cart-a suppliers’ guide to retailer’s priorities. Peter is based in Halifax, N.S. where he is the principal at SKUFood. Peter works with producers and processors to help them get their products on the shelf and into the shopping cart.
PETER CHAPMAN
FOCUS: START-UPS AND SMART TECHNOLOGY
A.I. shows promise in weed scouting in lima beans
KAREN DAVIDSON
In every crop, there’s a challenge. For growers of lima beans, it’s three weeds: pigweed, nightshade and horsenettle.
Lima beans aren’t a big crop in Ontario. Between 3,500 to 4,500 acres are contracted every year by vegetable processor Nortera. Depending on the weed, it’s either mature seed pods or leaves and stems that contaminate the processing line.
And so, the agronomy team of Nortera is working with Haggerty AgRobotics and University of Guelph computer scientists on an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system
that can scout these troublesome weeds.
“Our agronomist team scouts weeds in the field, but only four to five per cent of the planted acreage can be reasonably covered,” explains Dan Oliver, agronomy, seed and compliance manager with Nortera. “Scouting in a timely fashion is an issue.”
Nortera is now in its second year of collecting real-world images of weeds at various stages of maturity in the field. A 24-foot aluminum boom, mounted on a John Deere gator, has been outfitted with five cameras to take the photos.
“Our focus is to develop technology that gives us a heat map showing what we found and the density of weeds,” says
Oliver. “This then becomes a prescription for spraying.”
Nortera is leading the project, bolstered by funding from the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers. The company has also accessed funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture ProgramBiosecurity Enhancement Initiative, administered by OMAFA – and the Supply Chain Stability and Adaptability Program, administered by Agricultural Adaptation Council. Funding will continue for a third year of testing in 2025.
Lima beans are the “dirtiest” of the processing crops. But if the A.I. learning can be perfected, then the model can be taught to identify weeds in other crops.
Innovative packaging eliminates soaker pads
Much larger acreages are planted to green peas (12,777 acres in 2024) and sweet corn (10,293 acres in 2024). Both of these crops could benefit from targeted spraying programs.
“There are not a lot of weed control options,” says Oliver. “And the challenge is to identify weeds in time to make a difference on the processing line.”
Lastly, A.I. could help alleviate the ongoing issue of enough trained personnel to manage the crop in season.
Autonomous robots could be the answer.
Founded in 2020, Lucid Corp is a start-up that does things differently, offering vertically integrated turn-key extrusion, thermoforming, design and tooling solutions. In addition to providing a range of custom-designed clear PET food packaging solutions for food retailers, producers and processors, they’ve customdesigned a patent-pending solution with the aim to divert food packaging from landfills: Lucid InfinityTM.
The Lucid InfinityTM line of products utilizes the world’s most recycled plastic, PET, while eliminating unrecyclable soaker pads.
These soaker pads, also called ‘diapers,’ are glued into food trays before packing food products. Its role is to capture excess fluids from proteins, seafood and some berries such as raspberries and blackberries.
Every year, billions of plastic food trays end up in landfills due to the threat of contaminating the recycle stream caused by these unrecyclable soaker pads that line them.
With the Lucid InfinityTM trays, the soaker pad has been eliminated through the use of a reservoir at the bottom of the food tray, which effectively captures and separates excess
fluid from the product in the tray. After removing the product, consumers simply remove the insert by pulling a tab above the reservoir. Both the insert and food tray can be rinsed before placing them in the recycling bin.
PET has a mature recycling infrastructure system and promotes a circular economy by reducing packaging waste in landfill. PET has been safely used to package beverage, food, personal care and household for generations; they are easily identified by the #1 recycling code.
The Lucid InfinityTM line of packaging solutions are innovative and truly sustainable, offering 100 per cent recyclable PET packaging that is pad-less and leak resistant, and with direct uptake into the recycling stream.
Lucid Corp partners with growers and retailers who are looking for sustainable food packaging options for their products. Lucid Corp promises its partners speed to market solutions with 100% fill rates due to their robust supply chain pipeline, state-of-the-art production facilities and warehouse spaces, as well as in-house prototyping and design, hole punching, labeling and high-speed packaging.
FOCUS: START-UPS AND SMART TECHNOLOGY
Mobile trailer washer for potatoes features on-board recirculation system
HJV Equipment has manufactured a mobile trailer washer for potato growers that has a water recirculation system on board. The machine was on display at the annual field day of the Ontario Potato Board in mid-August.
Measuring 74 feet in length with a 30-foot washer barrel, the trailer can process 200,000 pounds of potatoes with a 9,000gallon water recirculation system. The key benefit is that the grower can extremely reduce the amount of fresh water needed and waste water discharged, says Dan Mann, vice-president of engineering, HJV Equipment, Alliston, Ontario.
The debut of the machine has been preceded by almost a year of testing, prompted by a Washington State fry producer.
Whether potato growers are operating in the U.S. or Canada, discharge regulations and water use are of prime concern.
The use of a flocculant promotes particle clumping and pulls soil particles out of suspension during recirculation. The liquid is dispersed based on a built-in turbidity sensor.
“The flocculant that we use is a naturally positive charged liquid,” explains Mann.
At the heart of the engineering success is an electrical control system with internet connectivity
through hardwire, hot spot or air card, allowing the operator to manipulate operations through an iPad from 200 feet or HJV to troubleshoot remotely.
The potatoes enter the system via a folding elevator at one end of the trailer, where a dirt table removes loose debris before it enters the destoning and washing tanks.
The destoner rotates approximately 1,000 gallons of water a minute. In the still water tank, heavy sediment settles where a sludge chain and conveyer removes the unwanted debris.
“It’s surprising what turns up as debris: stones, clods, volunteer corn, ungerminated seed potatoes, grass tops,” says Mann.
The equipment is designed such that the grower can pre-sort potatoes into customer-specific trucks. This reduces the risk of deductions for dirt and size discrepancies at the processing plant.
Benefits are convenience and flexibility. Mobile trailer washers can be brought directly to the location where the trailers are, eliminating the need to transport to a fixed washing facility. Time is saved by washing in the field.
Two Ontario operations have purchased the water recirculation system for the 2024 fall harvest. Another one is destined for Michigan.
Optimize farm management with Croptracker
Croptracker is the leading farm management software system for fruit and vegetables growers, packers, cooperatives and growing associations in Canada. Croptracker’s mission is to make food production safer, more efficient and more profitable. Since 2006, Croptracker’s awardwinning farming software helps growers and producers around the world maintain accurate farm records for all aspects of their operations.
Croptracker’s mobile application is compatible with both iOS and Android devices and works offline in remote locations. Advanced reporting and additional administrative functions are available through Croptracker’s web portal. Reports can be shared through the platform between users and exported in CSV, Excel or PDF formats.
Croptracker’s inventory management tools greatly enhance traceability processes. Users can meet increasingly demanding food safety requirements including new FSMA 204 and SFCR regulations for recall readiness. Inventory tags can be generated and printed right from the app and can be used to follow the inventory path through harvest, receiving, storage, processing, packing, sales and shipping.
Pesticide and fertilization record keeping are simplified with Croptracker. A comprehensive
Canadian registered chemical list including REI/PHI timing for supported crop types, registration numbers and labels ensure users have all the information they need in one place Audits are smooth with USDA and GAP compliant formats, quick printouts, and active PHI/REI zone maps for safety.
Given increasingly high labour costs, Croptracker’s employee tracking system is invaluable for managing costs, boosting efficiency, and expediting payroll. Users can organize employees and log work; generate employee badges, payroll and cost reports; and manage hourly and piece rate pay quickly, easily and securely.
Croptracker also leads in preharvest visualization tools, helping growers assess fruit growth, yield, and quality. Crop Load Vision allows users to scan plants for yield projections, harvest timing, and labour organization. Starch Quality Vision and Harvest Quality Vision support better post harvest fruit organization for storage and sales.
Croptracker supports growers in making informed decisions and saving time and money. With advanced reporting and analytics, users enhance productivity and profitability. Expert support staff can implement a custom workflow for your farm. Contact support@croptracker.com to get started.
Kubota acquires developer of specialty plants’ health Bloomfield Robotics Inc
Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Japan, through its North American subsidiary, Kubota North America Corporation, has acquired Bloomfield Robotics, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based company. Bloomfield provides a service that monitors the health and performance of specialty crops, one plant at a time, using advanced imaging and artificial
intelligence (AI) to growers across seven countries and three continents.
“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Bloomfield Robotics, a natural evolution of our successful partnership through Kubota’s support of open innovation,” stated M. Brett McMickell, chief technology officer for Kubota North
“
The Bloomfield vision from our founding was to provide continuous plant-level knowledge to every specialty crop farmer around the world. This acquisition brings that vision forward at a scale and speed we could not have imagined.
~ MARK DeSANTIS, BLOOMFIELD ROBOTICS
America. “Combining AI-driven technology with our legacy quality products will enable Kubota to solve real issues facing agriculture. This acquisition is a key milestone for Kubota’s strategic vision to provide comprehensive smart agriculture solutions.”
Bloomfield’s cameras are the foundation for a new Software as a Service (SaaS) that provides plant-level health and performance assessments for growers of grapes (e.g., wine, table, and juice), blueberries, and other specialty crops. Bloomfield’s purpose-built cameras are easily mounted on tractors and other vehicles common to farming and allow for the capture of detailed plant-level, geo-located images of
Tissue culture laboratory services
the entire farm. These images are then translated into crop data such as colour, maturity, and size of the fruit using Bloomfield’s AI. The result is unprecedented insights into harvest timing and yield, which enables meaningful operational efficiencies, better timed harvests, reduced labour costs, and increased asset utilization.
“The Bloomfield vision from our founding was to provide continuous plant-level knowledge to every specialty crop farmer around the world. This acquisition brings that vision forward at a scale and speed we could not have imagined. Fortunately, we’ve been working closely together for more than two years, so we have a running
start at achieving this vision. We’re truly excited for what’s to come,” said Mark DeSantis, president and CEO of Bloomfield Robotics.
The level of mechanization and automation in specialty crop farming, such as fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts, lags behind advancements incorporated in the cultivation of row crops. Innovative solutions to integrate data with automated systems, operational robotics, and other assets are needed. The specialty crop market overall has become a focal point of Kubota’s strategic attention and efforts to shape the future of agriculture.
Source: Kubota September 12, 2024 news release
At Upper Canada Growers Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, we specialize in providing comprehensive plant tissue culture services to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Our mission is to deliver high-quality, disease-free plants through advanced micropropagation techniques, ensuring efficient and cost-effective solutions for growers. With our state-of-the-art facilities and a team of experienced professionals, we are committed to supporting the agricultural industry by offering tailored contract manufacturing services that encompass every stage of the plant production process. Our services are designed to cater to a wide range of plant species, offering clients the flexibility and customization required to meet their specific production goals. From developing robust micropropagation protocols to large-scale in vitro production and acclimatization, we ensure that every plant meets the highest standards of quality and performance. This document outlines our core capabilities, the detailed process we follow for plant production, the timeline for each phase, and the cost structure of our services. Whether you are looking to optimize plant growth protocols or require large-scale production of specific plant
varieties, Upper Canada Growers
Plant Tissue Culture Lab is equipped to meet your needs with precision and reliability. Our- timelines:
The following are the steps for producing a plant
1. Initiation (2-4 months) Collect and prepare initial plant material, establishing in vitro cultures. Ensure the plant material is clean and contaminant-free.
2. Protocol Optimization (2-3 months) Refine micropropagation protocols to suit specific plant types. Adjust parameters for optimal plant growth and development.
3. Multiplication (2-4 months) Scale up plantlet production. Monitor and manage growth conditions for uniformity and quality.
4. Mass Scale Production Adjust processes to meet commercial needs, producing large quantities of high-quality, disease-free plants in vitro.
5. Rooting (3-4 weeks) Induce root formation in plantlets in vitro. Prepare plantlets for acclimatization with a strong, healthy root system.
6. Acclimatization (2-3 months) Transition plantlets from in vitro to ex vitro conditions. Manage the process to ensure successful adaptation to external environments for planting.
PACKAGING
Study resets the conversation on packaging goalposts
KAREN DAVIDSON
Here’s a stat that may surprise you: 48 per cent of all Canadian fresh produce is sold pre-packaged in plastic. This finding, in a government-conducted study, is critical to understanding what’s at stake when packaging regulations are contemplated for the fruit and vegetable supply chain.
Remember that announcement by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) that plastic packaging must be reduced by 75 per cent by 2026 and 95 per cent by 2028? With sober second thought – courtesy of an in-depth study of “Quantifying the Functionality Importance of Plastic Packaging in Fresh Produce from a Needs/Benefit Perspective “--– the Canadian government is now better informed about the industry’s concerns. And appreciating the fact that packaging provides critical functionality in terms of efficiency in retail operations, food safety, minimizing food loss and waste, and portion control that eliminates food waste.
“We’re now at second base,” says Dan Duguay, sustainability specialist for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). “Government is now in listening mode – and more appreciative about the ramifications of packaging regulations and targets on fresh produce supply chain sustainability. We are having a much more nuanced conversation with policy makers and regulators at ECCC which recognize the critical function produce packaging provides to ensure food safety, minimizing
food loss and waste, and produce availability year-round.”
Interestingly, the costs of slashing plastic packaging was not in the scope of the government study nor were the ramifications of affordability of food. These are complexities that only industry can dutifully assess. The government study also did not account for the fact that domestic and foreign supply chains aren’t equal – a key consideration given four out of five dollars spent on fresh produce in Canada is on imported produce. There’s a big difference between berries shipped from California and berries shipped from 50 kilometres away.
Nonetheless, the study is helping shift the conversation, says Duguay, due in part to the study’s categorization of eight groups of fruits and vegetables according to their functionality requirements. Potatoes and root vegetables, for example, have totally different packaging needs than cut salads.
“When you think of packaging guidance by functionality, that makes a lot of sense because then we’re not having dozens upon dozens of conversations with individual commodity groups,” says Duguay. “Rather, there’s opportunity for more effective and pragmatic conversations based on packaging functionality by commodities grouped by common packaging needs.”
A recently launched partnership between CPMA and California-based Western Growers Association, is bringing together more than a dozen fresh produce associations to develop sustainable fresh produce packaging guidelines based shared
The produce industry is already transitioning away from selling hardier produce, such as smaller apples and onions in plastic netting and bags, towards cardboard trays and perforated paper overlays.
packaging functionality requirements – an initiative which the Canadian Government is watching closely to help inform the development of policies and regulations.
The packaging conversation is evolving with Canadian consumers as well, partly due to the cost of food. Due to the study’s release, preliminary industry discussions indicate that public-facing information campaigns are being considered to better inform and educate consumers about the critical function fresh produce packaging
provides – as outlined in the study’s key findings.
For those growers contemplating their packaging needs for 2025 and indeed beyond to 2026, look to the full report here: agriculture.canada.ca/en/sector/ horticulture/reports/quantifyingfunctionality-importance-plastic-packagingfresh-produce-needsbenefit-perspective
Developing international standard for compostable produce stickers
Price Look Up (PLU) stickers will be center stage in a first-ever, worldwide meeting between the fresh produce industry and compost organizations in Niagara Falls, Canada.
The objective of the October 1 meeting is to establish a global compostable standard for PLUs.
PLUs, integral in helping accurately and effectively identify fresh produce for traceability, inventory control and pricing at retail, are predominantly noncompostable. Currently, a significant portion of discarded PLU stickers accompany fresh produce waste that is being sent for organics recycling, including consumer-sourced organic waste as well as waste from commercial and business sources. These stickers end up being difficult to remove, physically contaminating the organics recycling process and adversely impacting the finished compost quality and value.
Recognizing this impact, the fresh produce industry has identified the need to develop and adopt certified compostable PLUs. However, because of the nature of global sourcing of produce year-round and the potential regional variability of composting processing requirements, there is benefit for both the composting and fresh produce industry to develop and work towards the adoption of a
single global standard for compostability that is compatible with compost standards around the world.
Meeting attendance includes representatives from the fresh produce industry, including members of the International Federation of Produce Standards (IFPS), the International Compost Alliance (ICA) and the PLU label industry. The meeting is being jointly organized by the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) and the Compost Council of Canada, with the support of the Government of Canada.
“CPMA is pleased to see the Government of Canada committed to supporting the industry’s efforts to develop a global standard for compostable PLU stickers,” said CPMA president Ron Lemaire. “The PLU is an integral part of the fresh produce supply chain, helping ensure accurate product identification thereby ensuring accurate pricing for consumers. This must be a global effort. The adoption of compostable PLUs –a priority identified in the CPMA’s compostable PLU guidance published in 2023 – is an international priority given the risk of compostable PLU requirements varying from country to country. Individualized or unique national efforts will
only add burden to a complex supply chain and potentially disrupt food security efforts.”
The outcome of this global
meeting will be published in October 2024, with further engagement with the fresh produce industry and organics
recycling industry planned for fall 2024 into early 2025.
is hereby given that the 166TH Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting of the
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association will be held in person at Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel & Suites on February 18th, 2024
Storage wars
Table 1. Storage Conditions for Vegetables Commonly Stored Long-Term
We reach the time of the season when growers are harvesting many crops going into longterm storage. Long-term storage of vegetables can be a calculated risk, one that banks on a good marketable crop coming out of storage that will be worth a premium. Many growers are hoping that premium price will be more than the input cost and hassle of maintaining a storage. Sometimes the need to store vegetables is just a cost of retaining customers or a contract. No matter which boat you’re in, storage is an important but under-discussed aspect of production.
There are lots of new technologies and storage systems that are out there in the market. Some claim better airflow, some better humidity or temperature management, some you can control with a smartphone. One thing that has remained relatively unchanged is the overall principles of storage. A quality stored crop still needs the right
temperature, the right humidity, and the right airflow.
Changing harvest conditions
Field heat is a term many growers are familiar with and is the enemy of a well stored crop. Field heat refers to the temperature difference of the crop coming into storage and the optimal storage temperature. Historically growers could count on cold nights in SeptemberNovember to bring down pulp temperatures and minimize that temperature difference. One challenge we are experiencing is stretches of higher temperatures longer into the harvest season. That is resulting in less natural cooling of the crop and a greater reliance on artificial cooling to remove that heat. The longer it takes to remove field heat, the poorer the crop will store. In carrots, for example, field heat should ideally be removed within a few days and no longer than a week. In the middle of harvest that can sometimes be quite demanding on your cooling equipment to keep up with. In
stretches of hot weather, it is better to shut down harvest until conditions are more favourable than to grade out crop a few months later or be forced to move it earlier than planned.
Quality considerations
Top-end storage life is always limited by the quality of the crop going in. Those quality factors include the genetics of the variety, insect/disease and stress (growing season, handling during harvest and storage conditions).
Minimizing wounding and bruising is important. I’ve heard a grower refer to their crop as “sleeping babies” and their aim is to get them out of the field and into storage without waking them up. Instances of stress -- drought, water, rough handling, temperature fluctuations -- will compound and reduce the storage life.
Storage diseases are difficult to control once they are in storage. There are limited products you can use and your main tool to fight them is manipulating the storage conditions. Some of the
most common storage plant pathogens are ones that are almost everywhere in our environment such as soft rot bacteria, Botrytis or Fusarium to name a few (see Figure 1). They need wounds, bruises, or weak skins and the right environment in order to infect.
The longer the crop is in the temperature danger zone the greater the chance of infection and spread. So remove field heat quickly and avoid temperature fluctuations. Relative humidity plays an important role in spread as well. If bacterial pathogens are causing soft rots then reducing humidity can help dry up infections. If left too long, low humidity can also cause weight loss and cracking skin. On the other hand, too high humidity can cause standing water which results in higher chance of infection. When it comes to humidity, the Goldilocks principle applies.
Storage conditions
Stored vegetables are alive and respire so they consume oxygen
and release CO2 while also generating some heat. This rate slows at lower temperatures but storages still require air flow to flush CO2 buildup from respiration, and maintain temperature/relative humidity throughout the entire pile or boxes. Airflow is an important consideration because every time the humidity or temperature fluctuates dramatically you lose the top-end storageability. Different commodities require different temperature and relative humidity regimes. You can see some recommended temperature and relative humidity conditions for some common vegetables stored long-term in Table 1. No matter which storage system you use, the important principles to consider remain the same. Storing vegetables longterm remains a juggling act with the overall goal to maintain the storage potential of the crop that enters.
Van Dyk is a vegetable crop specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.
Dennis
Figure 1. Stored carrots and potatoes exhibiting storage rots and diseases.
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Looking south for crop protection deals
Sometimes it pays to shop around for the best deal. Ever compare the retail price of a product in Canada with the identical product in the United States? Did you find differences way beyond just the exchange rate of the dollar? Product pricing can vary substantially between markets and crop protection products can be no different. The best deals can sometimes be found south of the border.
Seeing the price disparity between Canadian and U.S. marketed versions of some crop protection products, Canadian growers fought for a mechanism to be able to access their inputs at better prices. It is slightly more complicated than a cross-border shopping trip to buy groceries or fill up on gas however. Crop protection products must be registered under the federal Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) in order to be legally possessed or used in Canada. Simply ordering U.S. crop protection products online for example isn’t an option.
The primary objective of the PCPA is to protect human health and the environment from the potential risks of pest control products. If a U.S. version of a crop protection product is equivalent to one registered in Canada, there is no additional human health or environmental safety derived from prohibiting the use of the U.S. version for the same label uses as registered in Canada.
Recognizing this reality, provisions in the federal regulations allow for the importation of a foreign product, without Canadian registration requirements, provided it is for-
mally determined to be equivalent to a Canadian registered product and has an equivalent label. This led to the establishment in 1993 of the Own-Use Import Program, a price-discipline mechanism for the Canadian crop protection industry to provide Canadian users with access to lower-priced equivalent foreign products.
As with any initial program, there were some constraints and it found limited use during the first decade of implementation.
To address these concerns, a task force was formed in the mid 2000s and suggested several revisions to the program. When these were implemented in 2007, the Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) program was launched which remains in place today.
The GROU program is administered by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) and allows Canadian growers to import and use foreign versions of Canadian registered products. Use of the program has fluctuated over the years, depending on which products were included in the program, exchange rates, and product pricing. However, the mechanism remains in place to facilitate the use of imported non-registered products when conditions are favourable to do so.
To use the program, products must first be deemed eligible to include in the program. There are several criteria that must be met for a product to be included in the GROU program. Notably the product must not be under data protection in Canada – an exclusive use period of 10-15 years following an initial registration of an active ingredient. The manufacturer of the product in Canada must also have an equivalent version sold in the U.S.
New products can be nominated for review by PMRA via a national grower association such as the Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada. Upon receipt of a nomination, the PMRA will determine if the product is eligible for the GROU program and if acceptable it will issue a GROU Equivalency Certificate. This determines that the foreign product is equivalent
Table 1: The following crop protection products for edible horticulture have been approved under the GROU program to be purchased in the United States with a PMRA-authorized GROU Import Certificate.
to the Canadian registered version and a PMRA-approved label for the foreign product is created. This status is valid for up to two years and can be renewed if there is ongoing interest.
Once the product is determined as equivalent, a grower may apply to PMRA for a GROU Import Certificate for the foreign product. This includes information about the importer and how the product is to be used in Canada. Included with the application is a requirement for the grower to pay a small fee towards container recycling, otherwise there are no application fees in the GROU process.
Once PMRA approves a GROU Import Certificate, the U.S. product can then be legally imported into Canada. To purchase GROU-approved crop protection products, growers typically travel to the U.S. themselves. It is possible to have a designated agent or customs broker or carrier to import
products on behalf of the grower applicant. A group of growers who hold approved GROU Import Certificates may also work together and designate one person to act on their behalf at the border.
The PMRA-approved GROU label must be attached to the foreign containers upon importation or arrival at the farm. Once in Canada, imported GROU product can be used until the end of the growing season or November 30. Greenhouse products can be used for one year after the GROU import certificate is issued.
While only a limited number of products are available under the GROU program at any given time, some growers find value in the program every year. The current list of products can be found in the table. New products can be put forward for nomination to be reviewed for addition to the program every fall. Contact Chris Duyvelshoff at
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Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association or Christina Turi at Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada for more information.
Chris Duyvelshoff is crop protection advisor for Ontario Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association.
CHRIS DUYVELSHOFF
Exirel insecticide label expanded to help manage aphids, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, flea Beetles, and weevils on hops
JOSH MOSIONDZ
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has approved a minor use label expansion registration for Exirel insecticide for control of aphids, leafhoppers, Japanese beetles, flea beetles, and weevils on hops in
Canada. Exirel insecticide was already labeled for management of insects on a wide range of crops in Canada. This minor use proposal was submitted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Pest Management Centre (AAFC-PMC) as a joint project with the United States IR4 program as a result of minor
Crop(s)
Hops Flea Beetles (Control) 500 – 1000
Begin applications when treatment thresholds have been reached. Thorough coverage is required to obtain optimum control.
750 – 1500
Aphids and Potato Leafhopper
Japanese Beetle, Black Vine Weevil, and Strawberry Root Weevil
use priorities established by growers and extension personnel.
The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Users should be making insect management decisions within a robust integrated insect management program and should consult the complete label before using for Exirel insecticide.
100 - 1500
Select a spray volume appropriate for the size of plants and density of foliage. Use the higher listed rate and higher spray volumes for large plants or dense foliage. Repeat applications if monitoring indicates it is necessary.
Follow all other precautions, restrictions, and directions for use on the Exirel insecticide label carefully.
For a copy of the new minor use label contact your local crop specialist, your local regional supply outlet, or visit the PMRA label site www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ cps-spc/pest/registrant-
LeafHope project aims to reduce insecticide use in berries
Thanks to NSERC funding, LeafHope is a four-year project that promises to reduce insecticide use and greenhouse gases in the Canadian blueberry, canola and strawberry sectors.
The title “LeafHope” derives its name from the impact of leafhopper pests that transmit diseases to these crops. In response, a multidisciplinary team of 18 academics has proposed the Leafhopper project, aiming to devise sustainable agricultural methods to significantly reduce synthetic insecticide use while ensuring high yields.
The lead researcher for strawberries and blueberries is Dr. Edel Pérez Lopez, of Laval University. For its part, Ontario Berries has identified five strawberry and five blueberry growers who will participate in on-farm research.
“This will allow us to capture leafhoppers and monitor the abundance and diversity of these
insects throughout the duration of the project,” says Victoria Buma, research coordinator, Berry Growers of Ontario. “This collaboration represents in-kind contributions of $60,000, which also includes participation in the LeafHope annual meetings and identification of test groups for co-construction exercises and knowledge transfer initiatives.” Strawberry and blueberry sites across Ontario will be monitored by Erica Pate (OMAFA) and Victoria Eastman Buma (BGO/East Ag Consulting). Associations + individual growers involved are:
1. Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola): 2. Alberta Canola Producers Commission (Alberta Canola): 3. Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA): 4. Ferme Van Tessel: 5. The British Columbia
Blueberry Council (BCBC) & BC Strawberry Grower’s Association (BCSGA)
6. Syndicat des producteurs de bleuets du Québec (SPBQ):
Source: Berry Growers of Ontario September 15, 2024 newsletter
Copyright The Grower
10. Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia (Wild Blueberries) The initiative plans to fill existing knowledge gaps concerning the effects of climate change on insect migratory patterns, population dynamics, and insecticide resistance. The project’s novel and comprehensive approach leverages cutting-edge technologies for pest management, making it distinct from previous endeavors.
Japanese beetle
INTERNATIONAL
World Potato Congress appoints new international advisor
The World Potato Congress Inc. has appointed Tomasz Bieńkowski in a key role as an international advisor.
Tomasz Bieńkowski, PhD, is a specialist in the field of plant production, in particular breeding and seed production of cereals and potatoes. Since 2000, he has served as the president and owner of CN Nidzica - one of the largest seed and breeding enterprises in Poland. At the same time, he is a farmer, running a specialized commercial seed farm.
In the years 2007-2013, Tomasz has led the way on many initiatives. He is co-founder and president of the Polish Potato Federation and has served as an expert under the 7th EU framework program - AGREE. He is an active member of Europatat including the seed
committee and European committee on Rules & Practices of the Inter-European Trade in Potatoes (RUCIP), founder of the first RUCIP representative office in Poland.
For several years, Tomasz has co-organized and served as commissioner of the international POTATO POLAND fair - one of the most important events in the international potato industry and co-organizer of the Polish Potato Congress.
As one of the co-creators of Polish potato program 2020-2025, he has also initiated the establishment of the Polish Parliamentary Team for the Development of the Potato Industry. He serves to promote Polish and European agri-food products, not only on the domestic but also on the international markets.
In welcoming Tomasz, president of the World Potato Congress, Peter VanderZaag, speaks to the valued input Tomasz will bring to the WPC.
“WPC is ramping up the planning for the World Potato Congress in Gdańsk, Poland, set for June 2026 and Tomasz has played a key role in this region of Europe to help bring the Congress to Poland. His knowledge and expertise in both the potato sector in this region, as well as his many affiliations within the European potato landscape will ensure the voices from this region are heard at the WPC discussion table.”
Source: World Potato Congress September 22, 2024 news release
Bayer will mentor Genvor at its LifeHub space in California
Bayer has announced that Genvor Inc., a U.S.-based crop protection business, is the recipient of its first Golden Ticket award. Genvor will receive year-long access to lab space and equipment at Bayer’s LifeHub California @AgStart, one of the premier U.S. AgriFoodTech innovation ecosystems. This will allow Genvor to connect with Bayer mentors and experts in Bayer's global innovator network.
In addition to their work with biological sprays, Genvor is working with antimicrobial peptide (AMP) technology to make small changes within a genome that could amplify disease resistance and enhance nutrition, from seed to sprout. These seed traits are another way that Genvor is working to provide increased disease resistance and nutrition for crops.
“We’re excited that Genvor has been selected as the winner of our Golden Ticket program, and that we will be working with them to scale and grow their innovations,” said Phil Taylor, director of open innovation and outreach for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. “Genvor’s
CROP PROTECTION
proprietary use of antimicrobial peptide technology takes advantage of pathways built in to crops and has the potential to deliver broad-spectrum biological sprays for effective controls of many plant diseases.”
The Golden Ticket program is one of the many ways that Bayer is working with start-ups from around the world to accelerate the delivery of agricultural innovation to farmers. In its first year, it focuses on areas of regenerative agriculture, novel crop protection and efficiency approaches, advanced breeding technologies, and applications of synthetic biology. From a broad field of applicants representing 34 cutting-edge technologies and approaches, Genvor was selected to receive the award for their groundbreaking approach to crop protection.
“Receiving Bayer’s Golden Ticket is a pivotal moment for us, propelling our pioneering peptide design innovations in crop protection,” said Chad Pawlak, CEO of Genvor. “This support will accelerate our journey towards commercialization, enhancing agricultural sustainability and
delivering tangible benefits for farmers and the environment globally.”
Bayer’s global network of LifeHubs is located in hotspots of innovation including Monheim, Lyon, Barcelona, California, and Bangalore.
EcoSwing botanical fungicide registered in Canada
Gowan Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the registration of EcoSwing botanical fungicide, the first commercially available biological product for Gowan in the Canadian horticulture market. On July 5, 2024, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency approved the registration of EcoSwing as a new biological fungicide. The product can be used on apples, highbush blueberries, field and greenhouse cucurbits and stone fruit.
EcoSwing is a liquid formulation, that offers activity on diseases such as Mummy berry (Monilinia vaccini-corymbos), apple scab (Venturia inaequalis) and powdery mildew (Golovinomyces orontii). EcoSwing also offers a convenient four-hour re-entry interval (REI) and a 0-day pre-harvest interval (PHI), making it a great option as a part of an integrated pest management (IPM) program.
EcoSwing will be available for Canadian growers throughout the 2025 growing season. For more information about EcoSwing, contact your local Gowan Canada sales representative. Always read and follow label directions.
Source: Bayer CropSciences September 9, 2024 news release
