The Grower Newspaper

OCTOBER 2012

CELEBRATING 132 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

VOLUME 62 NUMBER 10

VALUE-ADDED PROCESSING

Carrots or cars: choose your economic driver KAREN DAVIDSON How to grow the perfect carrot doesn’t excite Paul Smith. He’s got 900 acres of root vegetables in the Holland Marsh that need to be washed and polished for clients along the U.S. eastern seaboard and grocers in the Greater Toronto Area. His mission? Just-in-time pieces.

Unlike car manufacturing, agricultural processing is about disassembly. It’s about growing millions of imperfect parts and taking them apart for multiple end uses. In the case of Smith’s Pier 27 plant near Keswick, Ontario, it’s the key source of two-inch carrot plugs that are shredded by major salad companies in the U.S. What would be a culled carrot for some, is a value-added piece for Pier 27.

“In any given crate of carrots, there are imperfect carrots because some are short, some are thin, some are broken,” explains Smith. “But there’s no nutritional deficiency in any of them.”

Here’s where a processing line adds value, sizing and matching the entire run to the perfect application. Carrots are presoaked, polished and then hydrocooled to one or two degrees Celsius. Carried along on a conveyor system, the carrots go through a length sizer as well as a diameter sizer. Depending on the size, the graded carrots are shunted to specific crates of like-sizes where they are packaged to meet

INSIDE Growing Forward 2 disappoints

Page 10

How to be a regional supplier

Page 11

Focus: Stewardship

Page 12

www.thegrower.org P.M. 40012319

Pier 27, a value-added carrot facility at Keswick, Ontario, is a hive of activity at this time of year. Co-partner Paul Smith opened the doors to show the efficiencies of the processing line. In high season, he sends 60 trailers of finished product to the U.S. and domestic destinations every week. It’s just one of dozens of plants in southern Ontario that contribute to the third largest food cluster in North America.

Photo by Glenn Lowson. client specifications. Fifty-pound jumbo bags go to institutions while three-, five- and 10-pound cello packs are sorted for grocery chains.

An overview of the facility floor reveals what a labourintensive process it is. And like the auto companies, Smith is seeking a competitive edge with technology. Thanks to an Italianmade optical colour sorter and reconfigured line, processing is more efficient this fall requiring less manual labour. By installing another hydro-cooler, Smith has cut one step of handling the carrots and saved energy costs too.

“Our optical sorter is the shining star,” explains Smith, who says that 80 per cent of the greenish tips are graded out by this process rather than by hand labour.

It’s these kinds of upgrades that are keeping Pier 27 competitive on a North American basis.

It’s not easy due to a number of issues, not the least of which is

the current above-par value of the Canadian dollar. About 65 per cent of what’s grown in the Holland Marsh is exported, so currency values are followed daily.

Access to skilled labour is another issue that restricts agricultural processing. “It’s a challenge to keep qualified people,” says Smith, who cites the example of an offshore

worker who was adept at managing the onion line. “When he couldn’t get back into Canada, it cost us nothing but money.”

Smith’s concerns about competitiveness are timely as the Alliance of Ontario Food Processors just released a report mid-September that highlighted the food and beverage industry as a key economic driver. The report shows almost 127,000 processing

jobs in agriculture compared to motor vehicle manufacturing at 31,500 jobs.

“We need to switch our thinking that the Ontario economy runs on four wheels, and remind everyone that the food and beverage industry drives it,” says Steve Peters, executive director, Alliance of Ontario Food Processors. This sector generates $38 billion in revenues with $1.3 billion in tax revenue for the federal government, $858 million for provincial treasuries and $78 million for municipal coffers.

“The food and beverage manufacturing sector is the farmer’s number one customer,” Peters points out. “The sector buys 65 per cent of its ingredients here in Ontario.”

“In the past, we’ve looked at the value chain from the farmer up but we now need to look at consumers first and their needs, then communicate back,” says Peters.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

PAGE 2 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME… Cranberry plant opens in Quebec Canneberges Québec Inc., a member of the Quebec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA), has opened a new facility for fresh organic and conventional cranberries at Saint-Louis de Blandford. The 7800 square-foot plant boasts the latest in fruit processing technology including an optical sorter and parallel production lines for clamshells and bags. With capacity to process 10,000 pounds of cranberries per hour, the plant is well positioned to supply Quebec and Ontario retailers.

Steve Smith entertains at launch of Niagara Wine Festival

The audience at the 29th Celebrity Luncheon, hosted by the Grape Growers of Ontario, enjoys guest speaker Steve Smith, a.k.a. Red Green. The event kicks off the Niagara Wine Festival.

Photo by Denis Cahill.

PEI land review provokes mixed response From left to right: Patrick Bédard co-owner Golden Berries/Baies d'Or, Gilles Marchand, Saint-Louis-deBlandford's maire, Mélisa Morissette, Saint-Louis-deBlandford's general manager Normand Champagne, SaintLouis-de-Blandford's inspector In Quebec, the cranberries will be sold under the Canneberges Quebec Inc banner while outside the province, the Golden Berries/Baies D’Or brand will appear on packaging.

Co-owner Patrick Bedard is proud to present a CanadaGAP certified product in time for the 2012 fall season.

NEWSMAKERS

An independent commissioner (appointed by community affairs minister Wes Sheridan) will be studying land ownership limits on Prince Edward Island. Current rules, enacted 30 years ago, state that individuals can’t own more than 400 hectares and corporations can’t exceed 1,200 hectares.

“Certainly the land limits are restrictive,” says Bertha Campbell, president of the island’s federation of agriculture.

“When you look at 1982, we had more than 800 potato farmers, and today we have about 300.”

In the interim, many farm families have incorporated their farms and are farming larger tracts of land to stay competitive.

Recognizing those trends, the

federation is proposing that the P.E.I. government raise the allowance by 50 per cent. In contrast, the National Farmers Union opposes that position raising the spectre of industrial corporations and off-Island companies owning greater swaths of Island farmland.

Sheridan says he’ll advertise for the position of an independent land commissioner, but he says it's going to be a difficult task and it may be hard to find someone qualified that's willing to take it on.

BASF to purchase Becker Underwood BASF plans to acquire Becker Underwood for a price of $1.02 billion (€785 million). The company, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, is one of the leading global

Curtis Fielding, 34, has been named 2012 Grape King and an ambassador for Ontario’s viticulture industry. Situated on the Beamsville Bench, the family-owned Fielding Estate Winery recently won prestigious kudos at the annual Cuvée Awards for its 2010 Estate Bottled Pinot Gris, 2010 Viognier and 2010 Cabernet Franc. A 40-acre farm near Beamsville provides all the grapes for the winery.

Jamie Reaume, executive director, Holland Marsh Growers’ Association, has been appointed by the Ontario government to the chairmanship of the Ontario Food Terminal Board. Other board members include Victor DeBono, Waterford; Rosemary Del Monte, Toronto; Mark Pearlman, Thornhill; William B. Cudmore, Oakville; Paul David Tiverton, Mississauga.

More recipients have been announced for the Ontario Premier’s Awards for Agri-food Innovation Excellence. Congratulations are extended to: Carrick Wines & Ciders, Mildmay, for their Prickly Pear hard cider Nicholyn Farms, Phelpston for preparing 600 healthy lunches for area schools Great Northern Hydroponics, Kingsville for its high-density light fixtures in 14 acres Stratus Hyrdoponics International, Windsor for its Grow Gutter, controlling plant root zone temperatures

providers of technologies for biological seed treatment, seed treatment colours and polymers, as well as products in the areas of biological crop protection, turf and horticulture, animal nutrition and landscape colourants and coatings. Becker Underwood has 10 production sites worldwide and 479 employees.

Market Gardeners Association (AJMQ). The new food guide, available in French, is the seventh publication created in connection with the “I love 5 to 10 servings a day” campaign promoting the quality and benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Quebec.

Broccoli and cauliflower star in Quebec food guide The Quebec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) has released Coup de coeur pour broccolis et choux-fleurs du Québec!, a food guide dedicated to Quebec-grown broccoli and cauliflower. It’s been published in partnership with the Quebec

NOTICE of MEETING is hereby given that the 154th Annual Members and Directors’ Meeting of the Reward yourself on a job well done with the 2012/13 Hot Potatoes® Rewards Program.

Every eligible purchase you make earns you Hot Potatoes reward points that can be redeemed for cash or a group trip to Hawaii! Redeem your interim point balance by November 30, 2012 to receive a cash rebate this year, or save them for an even better reward in 2013.

Visit Hot-Potatoes.ca to sign up or call 1 877-661-6665.

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association will be held in

Niagara Falls, Ontario at The Crowne Plaza Hotel January 14, 15 and 16, 2013

Always read and follow label directions.

Hot Potatoes® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

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Election of Directors of the Association will take place as well as dealing with resolutions and any other business that may arise.

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 3 THE GROWER

Carrots or cars: choose your economic driver historically been the manufacturing and financial hub. At a Canadian policy level, there needs to be a shift says David Sparling, Richard Ivey School of Business, London, Ontario. “If we shift some of the funding from business risk management to innovation, food becomes an industry opportunity and a jobs play.”

At Pier 27, Smith agrees that government has been more of a barrier than a boon. “On the one hand, we have an open-forbusiness task force and on the other, we have a ministry of environment enforcing ill-thought out regulations,” he says. “The ministry of environment treats agriculture as if we were producing widgets. We’re feeding people.”

As Smith views the current business climate, reinvesting in food processing plants so that they’re up to the standards of the U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act would put many growers and processors in a more competitive position. If you look at other jurisdictions such as New Zealand and The Netherlands, their horticulture success stories have much to do with their governments facilitating policy so that the sector can flourish as an

economic driver.

“If we don’t raise our food safety standards to be U.S. compliant as a province, or even

communally, we won’t be competitive,” warns Smith. “And if we don’t value-add, we won’t have a market. The potential for

LEGAL

SHIPPING

BREEDING

HEALTH

TRADE

Stemilt protects cherry rights

Sea freight costs rise from Asia

The tomato genome is mapped

Organic vs conventional

India set to export grapes

Based in Washington state, Stemilt Growers is taking legal action against an unlicensed grower in a Pacific Northwest orchard to protect its rights to the Staccato cherry variety. Stemilt has a variety license agreement with the Okanagan Plant Improvement Corporation (PICO) which owns the plant patent. That agreement gives the company exclusive rights to the licensing, propagation, production and distribution of the variety in the U.S. and nonexclusive rights to sell the fruit of the variety in the U.S., Japan and Australia.

Under its license agreement, Stemilt is required to launch legal action to enforce the patent against any third-party infringement and recover PICO’s royalty and licensing fees according to the agreement.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

International sea carrier Maersk intends to raise its freight rates by 10 per cent on November 1 for trips from Asia to Europe. It’s betting further recovery in an industry that’s been battered by global upheaval.

Since 2008, the global shipping industry has experienced weak demand and oversupply of vessels. A.P. Moller-Maersk, which owns 550 vessels, raised guidance for its 2012 earnings on prospects of a further recovery in container rates after its Maersk Line swung back to profit in the second quarter. Losses in Maersk Line have been offset by better performance in its other core businesses: Maersk Oil and Gas, Maersk Drilling and APM Terminals.

The Tomato Genome Consortium, a collaboration between more than 300 researchers from 14 different countries, has sequenced the genome of tomato and its wild ancestor Solanum pimpinellifolium.

Solanaceae, the world’s largest genome family both in economic terms and overall food production, includes the potato, pepper, red pepper and eggplant.

This breakthrough could lead to new strains of tomatoes with more desired traits, such as higher yields, increased disease resistance, more climate tolerance, new colourings and more alluring aromas. Tomatoes could be engineered to get tastier and survive droughts, extreme storage and pests. Researchers will also extend their new-found breeding knowledge to strawberries, melons and bananas.

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Organic produce has no nutritional or health benefits over conventional produce according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Led by Stanford University researchers, the conclusion cites evidence from 200 published nutrient analysis studies.

There is no difference in nutritional value or risk for bacterial contamination between organic and conventionally grown produce. The team said that organic produce reduced exposure to any detectable pesticide residues by about 30 per cent, but any residues were within allowable limits for safety.

India has targeted Canada and New Zealand as potential new markets for grapes for the 2013 season, with plans to increase volumes by 18,000 tonnes.

Jagannath Khapare, president, Grape Exporters’ Association of India said, “Talks with New Zealand and Canada are in the final stages. The officials from these two countries have already made a visit here to conduct necessary inspections and the two markets are expected to be open for import in the next grape season in 2013. New Zealand has the potential to import around 500 containers (nearly 6,000 tonnes), while Canada may likely import 1,000 containers (12,000 tonnes) from India.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 To an extent, that’s happening at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (VRIC) with consumer panels.

In early September, VRIC hosted leaders from New Zealand and The Netherlands to share how their horticultural industries have prospered. Interestingly, New Zealand’s $6.4 billion industry doesn’t think of itself as domestic. All the research and development is geared towards global markets, not domestic demand. That focus drives high-value, niche markets instead of commodities.

In The Netherlands, government considers agriculture one of its nine economic pillars and has supported growth of the $7.7 billion vegetable greenhouse industry. Viewing greenhouses as problem solvers– not necessarily guzzling energy but rather producing energy – government has been able to persuade the Dutch public of the sustainability of sprawling greenhouses.

Securing government recognition for the economic contributions of fruit and vegetables has been tough in Ontario, a province that’s

success is slim to none with commodities.”

INTERNATIONAL

Source: FreshPlaza.com

Source: Foodnavigator.com Source: FreshPlaza.com

PAGE 4 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

The importance of being there KAREN DAVIDSON Murray Porteous, chair of the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), gives a mid-year report on what’s at stake for the industry. This is what he had to say to The Grower.

Q. The big story in Canadian agriculture this year is the prosperity of the grains and oilseeds industry How does horticulture tell its story to government decision-makers against this backdrop?

A. It’s been a challenging year.

Not everyone in government has an agricultural background. They look at grains and oilseeds and say, “just plant another crop.” It

doesn’t work that way in horticulture with perennial crops. We have specialized equipment and an investment in people, often with 20 years’ experience or more. Our investment in people is the biggest differentiator in agriculture. We also have spinoff industries in packaging, handling and marketing. Horticulture has a $5 billion farmgate value but the spin-offs are much larger.

Q. If you’re not inside the room of decision-makers, what can be accomplished in the corridors, at receptions?

A. At the federal-provincial-territorial meeting of agriculture ministers in Whitehorse, we were not able to participate in the Canadian Federation of Agriculture round-

table due to time constraints and financial considerations. It’s important that horticulture is at the table at such events to remind everyone that the agricultural economy is more than grains and oilseeds. When you’re not there, it’s easy for horticulture to be ignored. We will be hosting a Fall Harvest Celebration event in Ottawa in November and hopefully this will provide the opportunity for similar dialogue with more MPs. Q. What sense do you have of progress of making horticulture’s needs known to government?

A. This year is a huge challenge for us. The Harper and Obama agreement to cut bureaucratic tape is the biggest opportunity in

50 years. And yet the Canadian Horticultural Council can’t operate on a shoestring budget anymore to take advantage of that opportunity. The main issues are risk mitigation, safety nets, research, harmonization of pesticides, plant health issues and labour. Communication is a large part of our lobbying effort. And the next six months are critical in funneling information to the decision-makers. It’s important to remember that the government’s fiscal year-end is March 31.

At the moment, there’s nothing in the U.S. election that is worrying us, but if Obama is not reelected, some people wonder if there will be an effect on the Harper-Obama agreement .

Q. What areas still need work?

Know your RMP

A. We’re working on reversing the repeal of the Standard Containers Act. If that goes forward, it would jeopardize packaging and processing in Canada and would have an effect on valueadded industries. It would be nice if we could tie that to a national food policy. If you think about it, a national food policy would be supported by a Standard Containers Act that recognizes the importance of the Canadian produce industry in our country.

Q. What is the status of fundraising for CHC lobbying activities?

How important is it to have a travel budget to “be there?”

A. In a country as large as Canada, it takes a healthy travel budget to be where it counts. And it costs money to be at meetings in Washington. If you think about an increase in membership fees of 30 to 100 per cent, it probably amounts to 50 cents an acre.

That’s what would put us in a better lobbying position. To date, fundraising has commitments totaling $335,000.

Q. Give an example of where “being there” made a difference.

SDRM plan available for 2012

Deadlines

The self-directed risk management plan for edible horticulture can help offset losses caused by risks your farm may face.

October 31, 2012 – to make a withdrawal in 2012, submit your deposit request, withdrawal request and deposit cheque by this date

SDRM: Edible Horticulture participant packages for the 2012 program year were mailed this month to eligible producers with allowable net sales of $5,000 or more. To participate, complete your deposit request and submit it with your SDRM deposit cheque to Agricorp. A valid premises ID must be included.

February 1, 2013 – last day to submit your deposit request and deposit cheque to participate in the 2012 program year

Contact Agricorp at 1-888-247-4999 or visit agricorp.com.

A. Recently, I ran into Thomas Mulcair, the federal opposition leader, in an airport. I pointed out that many of his newly elected NDP members in Quebec are located along the St. Lawrence River, many in horticultural ridings. I offered an opportunity where we would hold meetings with those members to apprise them of the importance of horticulture to their local economies.

This is not partisan, not political at all. It’s about seeding the ground for the future. Our CHC plans are for the next 10 years – we’ll likely have two or three federal elections in that period and we need to be ready for whoever comes to power.

The importance of being there is making sure that our story is told so that we’re not communicating in a crisis situation. It’s about having government understand your story in the first place.

When the Federal government signalled changing how the Employment Insurance program is administered, our sector became very nervous about what that meant for the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.

When Ken Forth and I met with Dianne Finley, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada, she assured us that we had her assurances regarding the program. That might not have happened if we had not spent the time to make sure those making decisions knew about the importance of the program. We were also fortunate this Minister comes from a strong horticultural riding and have the support of Agriculture Minister Ritz.

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 5 THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL

Crop Protection Committee update The Crop Protection Advisory Committee (CPAC) has held a number of conference calls in the past month, primarily to develop a response to the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) invitation to submit written comments on the proposed re-evaluation decision for Linuron. Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2012-02 is a consultation document that summarizes the science evaluation for Linuron and presents the reasons for the proposed decision. The PMRA will consider all the comments received before mak-

ing a final decision on Linuron.

If the Linuron decision stands it will negatively affect a significant portion of vegetable production in Canada and place Canadian producers at a competitive disadvantage. The CPAC is gathering data from producers who use Linuron in their operations to gain a better data set which demonstrates proper use patterns to be submitted to PMRA as part of the consultation process. We will also be seeking an opportunity to make a formal presentation of the findings at a later date. This consultation

was open from July 25 - September 25, 2012. The "Consultation Summary" link below offers access to access the document: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cpsspc/pest/part/consultations/_prvd201202/prvd2012-02-eng.php Health Canada will make the results of this consultation available on their website.

Once the decision on Linuron is finalized, the PMRA will post a Re-evaluation Decision on the Pesticides and Pest Management Reports and Publications portion of Health Canada's website.

The committee is also working at resolving an unnecessary complication regarding (US) State issued applicator licenses for GROU program registered pesticides. The CPAC is urging Health Canada to create a dialogue to have the Environmental Protection Agency recognize the certificates or licences issues to farmers through provincial grower pesticide safety courses. This would allow for Canadian growers to more easily access GROU program registered pesticides in the United States.

CHC/PMC Invasive Alien Species Coordination Group The CHC/PMC Invasive Alien Species Coordination Group has held a series of conference calls through August and September and has now adopted the Terms of Reference for the group. The group has developed an action plan and is establishing technical working groups (TWGs) for Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB). Invitations to participate

in the TWGs are being extended and the Coordination Group is working at establishing a framework for cooperation with existing resources at the federal, provincial and industry levels to ensure that the groups contribute in a meaningful way to an initiative which will provide results for the Canadian horticultural industry.

Spotted Wing Drosophila

PMRA accepting new product proposals to the Growers Own Use Import Program In October, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) will be accepting up to 15 new products for addition to the Growers Own Use Import Program (GROU).

Potential GROU products must be available in the same formulation in both Canada and the United States and their 1015 year exclusive use period must be over, i.e. new products are generally not eligible.

The current list of GROU products is available at GROU Website (English): www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pest/agri-commerce/import/_grou-piapda/index-eng.php If there are any products that your orga-

nization would like to see added to the GROU program please contact cropprotection@hortcouncil.ca by October 12, 2012.

PAGE 6 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

UPDATE: REGULATORY COOPERATION COUNCIL

More light shed on Harper - Obama agreement

Stephen Harper (L) and Barack Obama in bilateral talks.

As a result of increased interest in the Harper/ Obama Regulatory Cooperation Council’s (RCC) initiative on financial risk mitigation, the Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) answers a few commonly asked questions. The goal is to help its members understand the positive implications for both

Americans and Canadians in the supply chain.

Question: In your recent Q&A notice it was mentioned that the U.S. treats Canadian shippers better than Canada treats Canadian shippers. Could you elaborate on that?

Answer: While the DRC provides very comparable tools as Perishable Agricultural

experts Top -notch seeds

A team of

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Tel. : 418.660.1498 Fax : 418.666.8947 ---------------------Ontario Warren Peacock Tel. : 519.426.1131 Fax : 519.426.6156

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Trucks at the Ontario Food Terminal represent the huge cross border trade with the U.S. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

Commodities Act (PACA) in the U.S. for resolving payment and other issues between solvent trading partners, the situation is very different when the buyer becomes insolvent, or simply walks away from his obligations. Let’s say that today, a Canadian shipper sends out two loads, one to the next province, and the other to a buyer in the U.S. And to make the point, let’s also say both of the buyers file for bankruptcy before paying the Canadian shipper. In the U.S., the unpaid Canadian shipper will be given the same priority access to the produce related assets as a U.S. shipper in the bankruptcy proceedings. In the case of the Canadian buyer’s bankruptcy, the Canadian shipper has no priority and stands with other unsecured creditors.

Question: One of the items in the July update indicated industry was seeking a “single licensing . . . system for Canada.�

Frankly, we were unaware there was a difference between a DRC membership and a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) license in Canada. We do business with both DRC members and CFIA licensees, and wonder why there needs to be a single system?

Answer: If you are doing business with both DRC members and CFIA licensees you are in fact trading under two different sets of rules. DRC members are trading under rules very similar to those in the U.S., while CFIA licensees are not subject to prompt payment or other default contract terms.

The CFIA licensing and arbitration process focuses on breaches of a standard (i.e. grade) and cannot arbitrate/mediate contract issues between parties (i.e. buyer specification, good arrival, etc.).

Also similar to USDA-PACA, DRC membership may require significant financial security for firms, and related parties who have experienced financial difficulty in the past. Those requirements under CFIA are usually less stringent and do not have any employment restrictions.

Question: What is the current status of the RCC initiative?

Answer: During these past months there have been three government to government meetings including stakeholders, with a fourth such meeting scheduled for this fall. There have also been four working groups meeting independently on the Canadian side reviewing and evaluating a number of potential solutions and models put forth. Those groups have now finished their work and will be presenting their recommendations to the bilateral government teams for evaluation, review and implementation. It is anticipated the government teams will have their plan ready for release in March of 2013.

For more information contact Fred C Webber, Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation. Call 613-234-0982 or email fwebber@fvdrc.com.

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 7 THE GROWER

OFVGA

Board briefs Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) August 2012 Following are highlights from the OFVGA board meeting held August 23, 2012. The purpose of this brief is to keep you up-todate on the issues that the OFVGA is working on, as well as projects and initiatives the organization is involved in.

Labour Section chair Ken Forth reported that due to the spring frost damage to fruit crops this year, the sector would be requiring fewer workers this season.

There have been many media inquiries on this issue. Final numbers will be available in late fall.

Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Service (FARMS), the organization that administers the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), has been active in telling agriculture’s side of the seasonal worker issue. To date there have been approximately 75 media hits in both print and television and feedback has been positive.

Crop protection Section chair Charles Stevens reported that linuron, a herbicide for potatoes and carrots has gone through re-evaluation with Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), who are looking to deregister the product. There is no viable replacement available; it remains approved for use in Europe and the United States.

Elevate, a fungicide for tender fruit and berries, has been added to the list of approved products for the Grower Requested Own Use (GROU) program.

Government cutbacks have resulted in a loss of 54 positions in PMRA’s registration division.

Pest Management Centre (PMC) appears unaffected.

Safety nets Section chair Mark Wales reported that the Ontario Commodity Working Group, which includes Ontario Cattlemen’s Association, Ontario Pork, Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency, Ontario Veal Association and Grain Farmers of Ontario, has submitted a proposal for revisions to the Risk Management Program (RMP) to Agriculture Minister Ted McMeekin. The proposal calls for all above-mentioned commodities, as well as edible horticulture, having an agreed upon formula to share the $100 million annual program budge, as well as other specifics regarding RMP programming for the grains and livestock sectors.

The federal and provincial governments are working towards finalizing the framework for Growing Forward 2, with a goal of signing an agreement at the upcoming Federal-ProvincialTerritorial ministers’ meeting in

Whitehorse in September.

Options to reduce AgriStability funding are on the table, as well as possible reductions of government contributions to AgriInvest.

Property Section chair Brian Gilroy reported that the Wildlife Damage to Horticultural Crops study is now underway by Susan Fitzgerald. A survey will be circulated in the horticulture sector to try to assess nature and extent of wildlife damage, which has been hard to quantify but is seen as significant to the sector.

OFVGA has sent letters to retail and trade organizations with regards to concerns over the use of Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs). A committee led by the Canadian Horticultural Council

(CHC) and Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is looking at the issue; food safety and transportation are major concerns.

A sub-committee of the Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition (OFEC) has been formed to address the regulation of nutrients in horticulture. The sector has formally requested that Ontario regulate all nutrients in horticulture through the Nutrient Management Act. Don Taylor has been appointed chair of the committee. The OFVGA Board agreed to match financial contributions of its member organizations up to $10,000 to help offset special costs of this committee, including the retention of a government relations consultant.

Canadian Horticultural Council OFVGA’s CHC rep Adrian Huisman reported on CHC’s Legacy Project initiative. The project will focus on five key themes, including leveling the playing field through harmonization, creation of a PACA-like trust to ensure timely payment to farmers, common food safety protocols to reduce trade disruptions, improved research and development through national research and promotion agencies and the creation and implementation of national food security, sustainability and health promotion policies. CHC is currently fundraising for dollars to implement the Legacy Project; a total of $119,000 has been raised to date.

AgriRecovery for apple growers Brian Gilroy reported that Ontario Apple Growers have met with OMAFRA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada regarding AgriRecovery funding for growers affected by the spring frosts that have destroyed up to 85 per cent of this year’s apple crop.

The next OFVGA will take place Thursday, October 18th, 2012 at the OFVGA office starting at 10:00 a.m.

PAGE 8 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

Creating a legacy

ADRIAN HUISMAN ONTARIO TENDER FRUIT PRODUCERS The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), the national organization for edible horticultural

producers, has surveyed its membership and has identified five major themes which, if successfully resolved, would strengthen our industry and help to position it for future sustainability.

Interestingly enough, the solutions would come at little or no cost to governments.

The Five Major Themes are as follows: 1. Leveling the playing field through harmonization of crop protection registrations through the immediate adoption of existing U.S and Canadian registrations and joint registrations in the future.

2. Timely payments to farmers – PACA-Like Trust – Currently Canadian shippers are given the

same protection as U.S. shippers for their U.S. sales as it relates to prompt payment and bankruptcy protection. U.S. shippers receive no similar protection for their Canadian sales. Canada is at risk of losing that protection unless Canada reciprocates.

3. Reduced trade disruptions – Without common food safety and food security systems for North America this risk of trade disruption is high and a dual system is more costly to producers and shippers alike.

4. Improved R & D through National Research & Promotion Agencies – Through cooperation between Canadian producers, shippers and receivers, National Research & Promotion Agencies

could be established whereby a check-off system against all domestic and imported produce would provide funding for more effective research and promotion initiatives which would benefit everyone in the supply chain.

5. Food for Health – Creation and implementation of National Food Security, Sustainability & Health Promotion Policies. The horticultural sector is a leader in advocacy for sustainable environmental practices and partnerships.

A national “Buy Local” policy would not only support the domestic industry but promote better eating to all Canadians.

Again, look closely and you will see that these initiatives would not come at a cost to

Canadian taxpayers. In fact, there is ample opportunity for significant savings for both governments and all along the supply chain.

The CHC has adopted these themes as their priorities, but it will take the support of the membership and allied industry to resolve them. Governments need to be influenced to make changes.

This involves enhanced lobbying efforts and that comes at a cost.

To address these extra costs, CHC has created a “Legacy Fund” and is looking to its membership as well as allied industries for financial support. I believe the timing is right and the “Legacy Project” deserves your support.

WEATHER VANE

This photo of a cranberry bog near Saint-Louis de Blandford, Quebec tells the story of fall harvest in full progress. Photo courtesy of Canneberges Quebec Inc.

Grape picking started two weeks early at Coyote’s Run Estate Winery, Niagara-on-theLake, Ontario. Here, Pinot Gris grapes are brought to the crush pad. Photo by Denis Cahill.

Onion harvest has proceeded well at Herman Gasko’s farm in Ontario’s Holland Marsh.

Photo by Jamie Reaume.

These empty crates symbolize the worst apple crop in Ontario history. “The crop is shorter than originally thought,” says Jim Dolmer, general manager, Bay Growers Inc. In the Georgian Bay area, what fruit is being harvested is not pretty and is of variable maturities. Fortunately, apple harvest is proceeding well in British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Photo by Glenn Lowson.

STAFF Publisher: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association Editor: Karen Davidson, 416-252-7337, kdavidson@ecomente.ca Production: Carlie Robertson, ext. 221, production@thegrower.org Advertising: Herb Sherwood, 519-380-0118, hsherwood@cogeco.ca

OFFICE 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 105 Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 CANADA Tel. 519-763-8728 • Fax 519-763-6604

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All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either whole or in part without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to all members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year for the paper through their commodity group or container fees.

Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Chair Vice-Chair Fruit Director Veg Director Director

Mac James, Leamington Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Jason Ryder, Delhi Jason Verkaik, Bradford

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Apples Fresh Vegetable - Other Tender Fruit ON Asparagus Grws’. Mkg. Brd. GGO/Fresh Grape Growers Fresh Vegetable - Muck ON. Potato Board Small Fruit/Berries ON. Ginseng Growers’ Greenhouse Greenhouse

Brian Gilroy, Meaford Mary Shabatura, Windham Centre Fred Meyers, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Ryder, Delhi Ray Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake Jason Verkaik, Bradford Mac James, Leamington Norm Charbonneau, Port Elgin Ken Van Torre, Burford Jan Vander Hout, Waterdown Don Taylor, Durham

OFVGA SECTION CHAIRS Crop Protection Research Property Labour Safety Nets CHC

Charles Stevens, Newcastle Harold Schooley, Simcoe Brian Gilroy, Meaford Ken Forth, Lynden Mark Wales, Alymer Murray Porteous, Simcoe

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 9 THE GROWER

PERSPECTIVE Maritime farmer comes to apple research program’s rescue

OWEN ROBERTS UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH Fruit producers know it only took one hard, ill-timed frost to devastate much of eastern Canada’s apple crop. That same single frost threatened a promising apple research and breeding program based at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre.

But as it turns out, that frost was no match for one sympathetic

Maritime farmer. He’s helped keep the research and breeding program alive, in a heartening tale of cooperation among the various players in the apple sector.

Here’s what happened. The unusually mild winter and early spring was wonderful for commuters and everyone who hates cold weather, but it left fruit farmers in a bad way. Fragile apple blossoms appeared exceptionally early, popping out everywhere in Ontario and Quebec by as soon as late April.

That wouldn’t have been so bad if the weather had stayed warm. But a killing frost at the very end of April destroyed the vulnerable blossoms and made it impossible for the trees to set fruit.

Indeed, this frost devastated the apple industry and other tender fruit, causing an estimated $100 million in damage and decimating the appearance of Ontario apples in grocery stores

“

It’s a great example of how the sector works together.” ~ Daryl Somers this fall.

There’s more. The ripple effect of the frost affected research, too

– specifically, it threatened the viability of the apple research and breeding effort which was just

It’s Time To Get Moving!

Deadlines for the Business Development for Farm Businesses’ Growing Your Farm Profits program are approaching fast.

Claims for all cost-sharing projects must be submitted by January 15, 2013.

If you have attended a Growing Your Farm Profits workshop, you need to complete your Action Plan and have it reviewed to be eligible for these cost-shared advisory opportunities.

Advanced Business Planning (ABP)

Start by September to meet January 15 claims deadline.

Business Plan Implementation (BPI)

Start by September to meet January 15 claims deadline.

Farm Financial Assessment (FFA)

Start by November to meet January 15 claims deadline.

Agricultural Skills Development (ASD)

Start anytime to meet January 15 claims deadline.

Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your farm business and enhance the long-term viability of your farm. Go to www.ontariosoilcrop.org/costshare or contact your local OSCIA rep for more information.

getting off the ground at the Vineland centre.

The three-year program, supported by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), the Ontario Apple Growers and the University of Guelph is designed to cross-breed cultivars that are popular with consumers (Honey Crisp, Nova Spy, Gala, Ambrosia and Liberty, among them) and farmers, and strengthen traits such as yield and disease resistance.

For the first few days after the frost, program organizers at Vineland scoured Ontario, Quebec and Canada’s near-east for private orchards where they could continue the breeding program, but found none. They looked from Harrow to Waterdown. Every orchard they came across had been hit.

This was a particular problem for the fledgling Vineland program. Because it was so young it hadn’t yet built up a critical mass of stock in its breeding program pipeline. It couldn’t swap in stock from previous years; that simply wasn’t available. The only choice was to scramble and look elsewhere, or the program was in jeopardy.

Finally, thanks to connections through AAFC Kentville in Nova Scotia, researchers came across a sympathetic Prince Edward Island producer who said they could use some of his trees to help keep their program going. The growing season there was about three weeks behind Ontario, and blossoming hadn’t occurred yet.

Frost damage was not a factor.

But they had to act fast, or miss blooming. So on the Victoria Day holiday, while the rest of us were firing up the grill, David Hunter of AAFC Vineland flew to Prince Edward Island and hand-pollinated more than 1,600 blossoms with Vineland breeding-program pollen.

The resulting apples will be picked through to mid October.

At that point, the seeds from those apples will be returned to Vineland, germinated over the winter and developed as seedlings.

Program coordinator Daryl Somers, research director of applied genomics at Vineland, says that thanks to this cooperative initiative, an estimated 4,000 seedlings will be planted at the research facility next spring. It all means the program won’t miss a beat.

“The program was threatened, but now it will be able to continue because many people cooperated,” says Somers. “It’s a great example of how the sector works together.”

PAGE 10 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

GROWING FORWARD 2

Rejigged program reduces support for business risk management KAREN DAVIDSON Horticultural leaders are disappointed in the program details of Growing Forward 2, released at the mid-September meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture. The $3 billion framework covers a range

of initiatives for all Canadian farmers starting April 1, 2013.

“It’s the best of a bad deal,” says Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation and Agriculture as well as chair, OFVGA’s safety nets committee.

The governments are reducing by half the dollars paid into

COMING EVENTS 2012

PAYMENT CALCULATION WITH & WITHOUT LIMITED REFERENCE MARGINS Current Method With Limited Reference No limit on Reference Margins Margins $150,000 $150,000

Reference Margin Allowable Expenses

$100,000

$100,000

$0

$0

Reference Margin for Payment Calculation

$150,000

$100,000

Payment Trigger Level (30% margin decline)

$105,000

$70,000

$73,500

$49,000

Program Year Margin

AgriStability Payment October 1, 2 Grocery Innovations Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, ON Oct 2 – 8

Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show, Simcoe, ON

October 3, 4 Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Conference Centre, Niagara Falls, ON October 13 Holland Marsh Soupfest, Ansnorveldt Park, Dufferin Street, Holland Marsh, ON Oct 13 - 14 Toronto Garlic Festival, Evergreen Brickworks, Toronto, ON November 1 Ontario Harvest Gala, Ballroom, Delta Hotel, Guelph, ON Nov 2 – 11 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON Nov 4 – 8

Ontario Farm Fresh Marketing Association Annual Bus Tour, Chicago area.

For details: www.ontariofarmfresh.com

November 8 10th Annual Ontario Pest Management Conference, Victoria East Golf Club, Guelph, ON November 9 Ontario Produce Marketing Association Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, Liberty Grand, Toronto, ON Nov 21

Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario Annual General Meeting, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, Rittenhouse Hall, Vineland Station, ON

Nov 20, 21 Essex County Associated Growers 62nd Annual Bounty of the County Trade Show, Kinsmen Recreation Complex, Leamington, ON Dec 4-6

Great Lakes Expo, Devos Place Convention Center, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan

December 5 Ontario Potato Board Annual General Meeting, Holiday Inn, Hall C, 10 am, Cambridge, ON

NOTICE OF MEETING Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the FRESH VEGETABLE GROWERS OF ONTARIO will be held in the Town of Vineland Station at the Vineland Research & Innovation Centre Rittenhouse Hall Wednesday November 21, 2012 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m Election of directors of the Association will take place plus discussion of financial reports and any other business that may arise.

Pre-registration is required, registration forms and additional meeting details can be located on FVGO website www.freshvegetablesontario.com/

AgriStability, the program that assists in cases of large margin declines caused by circumstances such as low prices and rising input costs. The government is also reducing by one-third the dollars paid into AgriInvest, a program which helps producers cover small margin declines.

“Essentially, growers will have to put more money into business risk management (BRM) programs,” says Wales.

Starting in 2013, growers participating in AgriStability will not benefit from the program until their production margins fall below 70 per cent of historical reference margins. This trigger is down from 85 per cent.

Governments will pay only 70 per cent of the loss, down from 85 per cent of the loss. (See the chart for an example.)

Historically, grain and horticulture farmers triggered payments at the tier two level, so they will be affected most by these changes. Wales says that federal and provincial governments have reduced their risk

exposure by at least $430 million dollars per year while leaving farmers to fend more for themselves in the face of drought, flood and weather losses.

Although the government news release says it encourages private sector insurance programs, Wales says few of these exist.

Under Agri-Invest, producers can deposit up to one per cent, instead of 1.5 per cent under the old agreement, of Allowable Net Sales each year and receive a matching government contribution. The limit on matching government contributions will be $15,000 per year, down from the current $22,500.

The government has redirected some savings – about $80 million -- to non-BRM programs to be matched by the provinces. Costshared government investments will increase by 50 per cent to innovation, competitiveness and market development. Under the innovation file, look for expanded Agri-Science Clusters and more commercialization support under the Agricultural Innovation

Program. Under the competitiveness file, look for a continued Minor Use Pesticide program with more emphasis on harmonization. Under the market development file, look for continued support of food safety, biosecurity and traceability standards and systems.

Wales says that over the next few months, discussions will be held at the provincial level on how best to earmark the money.

Water protection? Food safety?

Environmental farm plans? They are all issues to be prioritized by provincial needs.

“Overall, the announcement doesn’t bode well for the next five years,” says Wales.

“Government leaders can talk about innovation, but as growers, we need to survive to the next cropping season.”

Editor’s note: For the Federal-Provincial-Territorial communiqué and backgrounders, go to www.thegrower.org.

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 11 THE GROWER

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Regional suppliers - opportunity or close to extinction?

PETER CHAPMAN One of the first considerations is to determine the retailer’s definition of the region. Your business might be set up to service certain cities or provinces. That is irrelevant to your retail customer. You need to understand their structure throughout the business to ensure you have the region defined properly. The distribution network (warehouses and trucking), store support

groups, and merchants will determine the region. Make sure you understand this thoroughly and that you have the ability to service the region as they define it.

If you are not able to do this, you will be even more work for them.

The reality is that regional suppliers are more work for the retailer. It is easier to list one item, price it in every region, plan-o-gram it in every region, and move on. Ad planning is simpler and cheaper, there are fewer chances for mistakes, and it is much easier for the distribution network to handle the same item everywhere.

Regional items can be a plus if they deliver incremental sales, drive traffic to the store, and bring some innovation to the category. One more BBQ sauce that is really no different aside from where it is produced is not going to be listed. A BBQ sauce endorsed by local chefs, which uses unique regional ingredients or brings customers to the store

for unique promotions, will earn the spot on the shelf.

One hurdle you must overcome is the retailer’s perception that regional suppliers will not execute. The food business should be simple: produce a product, get it to the shelf, and sell it.

Easier said than done! Your role in my previous equation is very complicated and you must have a plan that will ensure that you deliver. Make sure you both have the same expectations and then meet them or exceed them.

Continuity of supply is critical to meeting the retailer’s expectations. You must have enough ingredients and packaging with the ability to produce. The fact that you are a regional supplier does not give you any more leniency on service level. Empty shelves are not good for anyone and, no matter what the true cause, you will get blamed.

To be a successful regional supplier you must operate within the confines of the retailer’s sys-

tems and processes. Exceptions are more work and in many cases will not get listed. They just do not have the resources to handle items that do not fit with their definition of selling food. In some cases this can lead to more volume so it is not always a negative. The key is to understand the systems and processes, so that you can figure out how it can work with your business. Your efforts will pay many more dividends than trying to get them to conform to what you need.

It is critical for you to have a point of differentiation relative to the other items in the category.

Figure out what it is, deliver it every day every week, and focus on it. This is key to your survival. The category managers see hundreds of items and suppliers.

You must always reinforce your point of differentiation with them and the customer. It will get very repetitive for you before they even take notice!

Remember that it is your job to

sell the item, not the retailer's!

The listing is only part of the battle; you need to have a plan that will sell the item 52 weeks of the year. They have thousands of SKUs and will not put the energy into making any item successful, especially if it only represents a portion of their sales.

Bring value where your competitors cannot. You are in the region; tell them who is doing what and what is happening in the market. This information will be very important to them and they will depend on you for it. If you can build your relationship in this area you are more than just a supplier of products, you are a supplier of products and intelligence.

Regional items do not have to become extinct! There are opportunities and to capitalize on them you must have a great point of differentiation, follow the process, and exceed the retailer’s expectations. You will earn your spot on the shelf and watch your sales grow!

Bundling could be your route to the front page I have been watching the flyers carefully and the front pages are changing. There is more and more presence of items being bundled together. An example would be one anchor item that delivers strong sales and price image in the same block as two to three lower selling items. There are a number of reasons for it and you could benefit from it.

The ad is designed to draw traffic to the store and it also has a significant impact on the

retailer’s weekly sales. With our recent recession, ad sales have crept up to represent more than 35 per cent of weekly sales.

Every ad that is written should be compared to the same week last year to ensure that the ad sales will deliver the desired volume.

Year over year sales increases are critical to the retailers.

One of the reasons for bundling items is that the retailers cannot afford to have the large concentration of volume in items

What do retailers think about farm markets?

There is no doubt the $90 billion Canadian food business is dominated by the big chains, however farm markets do sell a lot of product this time of year.

We see so many items for sale in the fall and consumers perceive the items to be fresher because they are in a field bin or sitting out in the hot sun.

The truth is that the farm markets are on the radar screen for the retailers, however there is not really much they can do about them. There is no good news in going after the little guy and that is how it would be perceived.

Last year Galen Weston was chastised for comments about food safety in farm markets.

No one really knows how much product is sold in farm markets but every dollar that is spent there is not spent at a retailer. Consumers are more interested in buying locally produced items and farm markets are an opportunity for that.

The retailers notice the prices

in the farm markets. That is one of the biggest frustrations.

Suppliers are usually trying to get higher prices and then the same items are sold in farm markets at very low prices. I can recall a produce item from one of my suppliers on a billboard outside farm markets selling for lower than my cost; that was on my radar screen!

There's not much retailers would ever do about farm markets but keep in mind, if you sell to them, your retail customers will be checking it out!

Peter Chapman, a retail food consultant and professional speaker, is principal of GPS Business Solutions, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Peter works with producers and processors to help them navigate through the retail environment with the ultimate goal of getting more items into the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

that are at cost or even below.

The bundles allow them to offer one impressionable item at cost that delivers $500,000 in sales and two less impressionable (more profitable) items that deliver $100,000 in sales. The economics are better than one $600,000 item at cost. It is also a chance to test some items and drive sales into lower selling categories.

Do you have items that could be part of a bundle?

Look at the price points of related items to find opportunities. This might be your route to the front page and you solve some economic challenges for your retail customers!

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PAGE 12 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

STEWARDSHIP

World Potato Congress: reducing carbon footprint and potato waste EUGENIA BANKS Editor’s note: Last May, the Scottish Potato Council hosted the 8th World Potato Congress.

About 800 delegates represented the world’s leading researchers including OMAFRA’s potato specialist, Eugenia Banks. The following is her summary of two presentations on reducing the carbon footprint and reducing potato waste.

DELIVERING THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA Prof. Anton J. Haverkort Wageningen University Plant Research International Anton Haverkort coordinates research projects on sustainable arable production in the Netherlands and in developing countries. His approach put emphasis on the efficient use of resources such as land, water, energy, mineral nutrients and biocides. He is also responsible for research on the influence of biotic and abiotic stresses on crop growth, and nitrogen flows in crops and soils.

In his presentation, Haverkort indicated that companies around the world are putting more emphasis on sustainability. This drive will continue with developed markets such as Europe paving the way.

With the global population set to peak at nine billion by 2050, the need for land, water and energy will rise steeply to feed so many people and to meet the demand for more animal protein in the diet. This, together with adverse effects of climate change in some areas may mean the footprints of land, water and energy may become too large to sustain food production in the long run.”

To help growers meet changing

carbon targets, Unilever initiated a project at Aberdeen University in Scotland to produce the Cool Farm Tool (CFT). The CFT is a spreadsheet program that allows growers to calculate easily how much carbon dioxide (CO2) it costs to produce a crop. PepsiCo and McCain funded the potatospecific part, which Haverkort completed.

Potato production uses energy in many ways: in the seed potatoes, the chemical fertilizers the crop protection chemicals and the tractor operations such as tillage, planting, spraying, spreading and harvesting. In addition, electricity is used for irrigation, grading storage. All these factors release the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide in factories producing the chemicals, farm implements, transport and power plants. Nitrous oxides are released from the soil, particularly where there is excess not used by plants, and especially under wet conditions.

The Cool Farm Tool - Potato (CFT-Potato) is a decision support for growers to calculate the current CO2 footprint and to explore management options that would reduce GHG emissions.

In the Netherlands, four potato production systems were evaluated using the CFT-Potato: Table, Seed, Organic and Starch.

Emissions in CO2 equivalents to produce 1 ton of potato in each of the four systems ranged from 77 kg /ton for table potatoes to 116 kg /ton. for seed potatoes.

Fertilizer costs vary greatly from 0 Kg/ton for organic production to almost 40 kg/ ton for conventional seed production. A substantial part of all CO2 costs for all systems is caused by the release of nitrous oxides from fertilizers, green manure and animal manure. Biocides, field operations and irrigation contribute lit-

greenhouse gas balance of farming, including emissions from fields, inputs, land use and land use change and primary processing. It uses 'Tier 2-type' methods, offering users simple menu choices for parameters that farmers can influence to reduce their carbon footprint.

“WAR ON WASTE” IN THE POTATO SUPPLY CHAIN Dr. Simon Bowen Produce World Group, UK Reducing costs of storage is a challenge for potato growers. tle to GHG costs. Storage costs are negligible in starch production but substantial in organic production where growers cool potatoes at low temperatures with forced refrigeration to suppress sprouting as they do not apply chemical sprout suppressants.

The aim of the CFT-Potato tool is to allow growers to gain insight in the main sources of CO2 attributions when they produce one ton of potatoes and means of mitigating it. Growers

may explore this by using the tool and altering fertilizer sources and quantities and operations such as tillage and storage.

The Cool Farm Tool- Potato is easy to use and gives instant results that invite users to try out alternatives and ask 'what if' questions. The tool is ideal for farmers, supply chain managers and companies interested in quantifying their agricultural carbon footprint and finding practical ways of reducing it. It calculates the

Simon Bowen discussed the War on Waste project being carried out the UK. This five-year project started in 2008 with 30 growers in a bid to reduce waste, and to allow growers, packers and retailers to benefit from improved efficiencies.

Growers commit large sums of money to seed, inputs and their best land to grow potatoes, so downgraded tubers are regarded as waste, both physically and in terms of income.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 13 THE GROWER

STEWARDSHIP

New blog shows how farmers care for the land Growers encouraged to participate by sharing their stories Many Canadians have lost touch with the farm as Canada’s rural populations continue to decline, which is resulting in many misconceptions about food and farming in Canada. There is a growing interest amongst consumers in knowing where their food comes from and how it is produced, and farmers have long been widely viewed as among the most credible spokespeople on that issue.

The blog features opinion pieces and articles by a variety of bloggers that address the key onfarm environmental topics of the day through providing agriculture’s perspective. For example, today's farmers are using fewer resources, less land and newer and better technologies to produce more food and in a more environmentally friendly manner than in days past.

LILIAN SCHAER A new blog launched by Farm & Food Care focuses on what farmers are doing to sustain and safeguard the environment. “Caring for the Land� shares stories and facts about environmental stewardship – and Ontario growers are encouraged to take part by sharing their own experiences. “Most Canadians today aren’t aware of how farming and food production have changed for the better over the last few decades, so we’re hoping to fill some of those gaps with this new blog,� says Kelly Daynard, communications manager with Farm & Food Care. “And there’s no better way to do that than to share the stories of Ontario farmers and their commitment to caring for the land.�

The overall goal is to share information and engage Canadians in dialogue through the blog’s comment section. The blog is also linked to Farm & Food Care’s Twitter and Facebook profiles to help share the information with as wide an audience as pos-

sible. “Farmers are the original environmentalists and we really want to showcase some of the innovative things happening on Canadian farms that protect the environment to the 98 per cent of Canadians who aren’t involved in

food production,� says Daynard. “We welcome stories, pictures and ideas from anyone in agriculture to help us achieve that goal.�

Any fruit and vegetable growers with blog post ideas or who would like to share positive environmental stories from their own farms are encouraged to contact Farm & Food Care at 519-8371326 or info@farmfoodcare.org.

The “Caring for the Land� blog can be found at www.caringfortheland.com. Farm & Food Care was formed in January 2012 through the amalgamation of the Ontario Farm Animal Council and Agricultural Groups Concerned About Resources and the Environment with the goal of fostering public trust in the Canadian food supply. More information is available at www.farmfoodcare.org.

World Potato Congress: reducing carbon footprint and potato waste producing a 15 per cent improvement in packing out-turn.

The project advised growers to consider extending or following a different crop rotation e.g. introducing brassicas or green manure crops. Better crop rotations will help to reduce waste, as will raising organic matter levels and exploring bio-control options for nematodes.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 The project found that about six per cent of the losses were detected at field level before or soon after harvest began, due to size, quality or bruising problems.

During initial grading, the removal of damaged, misshapen, scabby and green tubers resulted in a further 12 per cent loss.

Storage waste accounted for five per cent. During packing, size grading took out two per cent, while post-washing defect losses were close to 22 per cent.

The project set an overall waste reduction target of 12 per cent, and several key factors were established to deliver it, including improved crop programming, better packing plant scheduling and improved retail planning.

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A key additional area was an agronomic plan to tackle wastage, focusing on three key areas: soil, seed and water. •Soil Factors Bowen mentioned that many defects are due to soils. Soils may be low in organic matter, harbour soil borne pathogens or have poor moisture retention. The best soils typically saved 10-40 per cent on cultivation and input bills while

• Seed Factors Healthy seed is the backbone of a healthy crop. Seed free of diseases is extremely important but in addition, growers should put more attention to optimise tuber size distribution through physiological and chronological age of seed. Physiological old seed tends to produce more stems and smaller tubers than young seed. • Water Factors Irrigation scheduling is very important, as it will result in better use of water. Changing variety profile and increasing water reserves should also be considered.

Other factors that can reduce waste include ridge rolling to reduce greening and the use of bruise detection devices to reduce bruising Bowen finalized his presentation indicating that so far potato waste among the grower group has fallen by six per cent, half the target figure of 12 per cent. It seems unlikely the War on Waste project will hit the target in 2012.

However, the project’s focus will encourage potato producers to reduce waste, and Bowen believes the project participants can cut waste to 30 per cent in the next two years.

PAGE 14 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

FOCUS: STEWARDSHIP

Paper industry wants old boxes banned from landfills JERRY SCOTT MILLS Canada’s paper packaging industry wants the Ontario government to ban old corrugated containers (aka 'OCC') from being dumped in landfills. Quebec is already moving toward such a ban and the industry council wants Ontario to follow suit.

Interviewed for The Grower, John Mullinder, executive director of the Paper & Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC)* said, “Only the province has legal authority over both private and public landfills to give effect to a ban.”

PPEC estimates that banning old corrugated containers from Ontario and Quebec landfills would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 85,000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 15,000 vehicles off the road.

Projected benefits for municipalities A total ban on the dumping of OCC would significantly extend the operating life of existing Ontario landfills, thereby postponing the need for always-costly measures to establish new sites, as those currently in operation become filled and closed.

PPEC has estimated that Ontario and Quebec municipalities would achieve operational cost-savings of between $12 and $18 million annually from such a ban. “Instead of all those potentially recyclable boxes rotting in landfills, we'd get to use them again,” says Mullinder, offering the council’s rationale for the recommendation.” The paper packaging industry needs them.

They're too valuable as a fibre resource to simply be wasted.”

point, it makes good sense for Ontario to harmonize with what Quebec is planning.”

The bottom line, according to Mullinder is: “One way or another, we have to put an end to landfilling these perfectly recoverable materials —our feedstock for producing new boxes— and make their recycling more sustainable.

It’s a win-win opportunity with benefits for everyone. But mainly for the environment.”

John Mullinder with top quality micro-flute corrugated trays from Ontario growers

The Paper & Paperboard Packaging Environmental Council (PPEC) is the national trade association representing the Canadian paper packaging industry on environmental issues.

PPEC members include the mills that produce containerboard, boxboard and kraft paper packaging and the converters who turn the mill output into boxes, bags and cartons.

Mullinde. “Ideally we would like to see zero paper packaging waste going to landfills. If the province can help us get there, so much the

Jerry Scott Mills is a freelance photojournalist who has covered the paper packaging industry for more than a decade.

Making the case for corrugated As previously reported in The Grower, the paper packaging industry relies heavily on recycled materials —primarily old boxes— to make high-grade board suitable for converting into new containers. The national average of recycled content in containerboard is 82 per cent, most of which comes from used boxes collected at storage areas of supermarkets and factories.

Additionally, an increasing portion of recyclable OCC is coming from Ontario Blue Box programs which boast a recovery rate of 87 per cent for old corrugated boxes.

Impressive certainly, but that already-high recycling performance of Old Corrugated Containers is not enough, say

A

better. We can't do it by ourselves. We need the province to step up, step in, and demonstrate leadership. From a timing view-

program designed to help Ontario farmers with water taking permit needs

S G

urface Water Services round Water Services

G S

eorge Shearer urface Water Specialist

Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association 105-355 Elmira Road North Guelph, Ontario N1K 1S5 ph: 519-763-6160 ext. 219 cell: 519-222-3272 fax: 519-763-6604 email: water@ofvga.org

VINELAND STATION P: 905-562-4857 F: 905-562-4291 E: SALES@VORTEXPACKAGING.COM

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 15 THE GROWER

PAGE 16 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

Update on Stemphylium leaf blight of onions in Ontario Marion Paibomesai, Vegetable Crops Specialist, OMAFRA Michael Celetti, Vegetable Crops Specialist, OMAFRA Michael Tesfaendrias, University of Guelph - Muck Crops Research Station Adapted from HortMatters article, Vol No. 12, Issue No. 19; updated with preliminary results from the 2012 Stemphylium Leaf Blight Efficacy Trial conducted by the Muck Crops Research Station Background Stemphylium leaf blight is a foliar disease of onions and garlic caused by the fungus Stemphylium vesicarium.

Symptoms start as small yellow to tan, water-soaked lesions that develop into elongated spots that turn dark olive brown to black when spores develop. Leaves may be completely blighted as the lesions coalesce (Fig. 1 and 2).

The symptoms of stemphylium leaf blight are easily confused with purple blotch, which is caused by Alternaria porri. These foliar diseases of onions prematurely defoliate the crop, which can compromise bulb quality and make the crop more susceptible to secondary diseases that affect bulb quality (i.e. storage rots caused by bacterial pathogens).

The stemphylium fungus typically invades damaged, diseased or dying leaf tissue and under ideal environmental conditions causes serious leaf damage.

Development of this disease is favoured by warm (18 - 25°C) humid conditions and long periods of leaf wetness (16 hours or more).

Observations from the Last Few Years In 2010 and 2011, stemphylium leaf blight was observed in many fields in the vicinity of Holland/Bradford Marsh, Ontario.

This disease was first seen by scouts in 2008 in a few fields, more infected fields were

Quality Seed

identified in 2009, and over the last few years yield losses were associated with this disease. In New York State, this disease is a problem in mid-July and August.

In Michigan, the disease is an occasional problem, but can be more difficult to control than other foliar diseases of onions when present. This season stemphylium leaf blight was been reported as “widespread in several fields across” Michigan (according to Onion IPMPipe, current as of 24 August 2012).

and reduce the potential of infection.

Research from the U.S. has shown that fungicides registered for the control of purple blotch will also be effective on stemphylium leaf blight; however, further investigation is required to improve management of this disease. Currently there is only one product registered in Ontario; as such there is a need to register more products for resistance management purposes. Quadris Top, with two active ingredients -azoxystrobin + difenoconazole -is currently registered for suppression of stemphylium leaf blight with a maximum of one application when specifically targeting this disease. Please refer to label for directions for use.

With little to no options for controlling this disease, stemphylium is a top onion minor use priority for Ontario in 2011 and 2012.

Figure 1. Stemphylium leaf blight (Stemphylium vesicarium) symptoms on onion leaves.

Some Management Options Since the pathogen is likely to enter leaves that have been physically damaged or infected by other diseases it is important to maintain healthy plant stands and control other common foliar diseases of onions such as downy mildew and Botrytis leaf blight.

Use similar cultural control methods that are used to manage other major foliar diseases of onions. Bury leaf debris left from last year’s crop through deep cultivation, rotate crops with nonhost crops for three years and remove culls and volunteer plants from the field. If possible, increase plant spacing to facilitate air movement and quicker drying.

Irrigate crops during the late morning or early afternoon to allow leaf surface to dry quicker

Quality Service

Figure 2. Stemphylium leaf blight infected onions in a field.

On-going Research in Ontario With this disease as a top priority for onion growers, the Muck Crops Research Station of the University of Guelph ran efficacy trials evaluating fungicides for control of stemphylium leaf blight on dry bulb onions in 2011 and 2012. (note: not all fungicides tested are registered for use on onions!). The disease pressure was high during the 2011

Figure 3. Per cent total leaf with stemphylium leaf blight symptoms on dry bulb onions in A) 2011 and B) 2012. For each trial year, bars with the same letter are not significantly different from each other at P = 0.05, Fisher’s Protected LSD test. (note: not all fungicides tested are registered for use on onions!)

Figure 4. Stemphylium leaf blight efficacy trial, 2012 – Untreated Control in left plot, Quadris Top in right plot. season with stemphylium leaf blight symptoms starting to develop mid-to-late June. During 2012, the disease was not as severe as that seen in the previous year, according to observations made during the efficacy trials. For the trial, treatments were applied every week starting in mid-July in 2011 and late-July in 2012.

All treatments reduced the severity of stemphylium leaf blight when compared to the untreated control (Fig 3). In 2011, Fontelis, Luna Tranquility and Inspire were the most effective at reducing stemphylium leaf blight when compared to the untreated control (Fig 3A). In 2011, looking at yield and size distribution of the onions, there were no significant differences between the treatments; however, a higher percentage of small onions and lower marketable yield were correlated with per cent total leaf with stemphylium symptoms. In 2012, Quadris Top, Luna Tranquility and Inspire were the most effective; however, the yield data has not been collected yet (Fig 3B).

See a side-by-side comparison of the untreated control and Quadris Top treatments (Fig 4). Notice how much green tissue is present in the Quadris Top treatment

compared to the untreated control.

Also, during the 2012 season, the Muck Crops Research Station and OMAFRA performed a targeted survey of the onion growing regions of Ontario for foliar diseases. Both stemphylium leaf blight and purple blotch were found on onion samples from the major growing regions (i.e.

Dover/Paincourt, Holland/ Bradford/Keswick Marshes and Grand Bend) plus some isolated onion fields across southwestern Ontario. In some fields, only stemphylium leaf blight was found on samples; however, the sampling technique was not a true representation of the entire field, as we were just targeting ‘hot’ spots. Meaning that purple blotch could have been present in these fields, but we just didn’t capture it during our sampling. With so many onion growers dealing with this disease across the major growing regions, it is important to learn more about the extent and severity of this disease and how this is affecting yield and quality of onions.

Thank you to those that participated in the survey and to the Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario for funding to support the survey.

Quality Information ~ Quality Seed Since 1881 ~

Henry Zomer (ON/MB/SK) 905-308-4396

Jim Robinson (ON/MB) 905-715-8595

Rob Hovious (ON/PEI/NB) 519-580-3231

Paul Banks (ON/NS) 905-688-4300

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OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 17 THE GROWER

VEG FOCUS

Why so many weeds?

KRISTEN CALLOW, WEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM LEAD – HORTICULTURE Scientists guesstimate that there

are approximately 100 million weed seeds per hectare of agriculture land. Yes, it is true scientists around the world dug up soil and counted the number of weed

seeds. Glad that wasn’t my graduate project! The numbers varied from different countries, but 100 million is a good estimate. Of those 100 million weed seeds

Table 1. Seed Production and Length of Seed Survival in Soil Weed Species

Canada thistle Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Common lamb’s-quarters Chenopodium album L. Common purslane Portulaca oleracea L. Common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Curly dock Rumex crispus L. Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Weber Green foxtail Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.

Redroot pigweed Amaranthus retroflexus L. Shepherd’s-purse Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic Wild oats Avena fatua L. Yellow foxtail Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.

Average No. of Seed / Plant (Stevens 1954, 1957) 680/stem

Length of Seed Survival in Undisturbed Soil (years) (Toole and (Kivilaan and Brown, 1946) Bandurski, 1981) 21

72,450

39

52,300

30

40

3,380

39

40

29,500

39

80

15,000

6

34,000

39

117,400

10

40

38,500

16

35

250

1

6,420

30

approximately one million emerge every year. This is why it is very unlikely that anyone can deplete the weed seed bank (weed seed that is dormant in the soil) to zero.

Seed enter the soil from several sources, but most commonly from weeds that are allowed to mature on an already occupied site. In general, the amount of seed produced by agricultural weeds is astonishingly high (Table 1), but it can also vary markedly due to the high growth plasticity of most weed species.

Thus, the actual amount of seed produced per individual plant can vary from nothing to millions, depending on its growing conditions.

Weeds vary considerably with respect to the longevity of their seed (Table 1), depending upon species, depth of seed burial, soil type, and level of disturbance.

Many weed species are noted for the especially long-lived nature of their seed.

With this information it is easy to see why the battle against weeds is everlasting. The old saying of one year seeding means seven years weeding is very true.

Management of weeds on an on-going basis is an essential requirement of management.

Please, please, please do not let your weeds produce seed.

Otherwise, in most weed species cases you will be controlling their progeny for the rest of your life!!

This is even more important now with the development of glyphosate-tolerant giant ragweed and Canada fleabane. Glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane, the more common horticultural weed of the two has now been found in Chatham-Kent, Elgin, Essex, Lambton and Niagara counties in Ontario and its spread will continue. Glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane has been found in 14 different countries around the world to date and will be coming to a field near you in the future.

30

Glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane in glyphosate tolerant soybean field, Essex county. Photo courtesy of Kristen Callow, 2012.

•

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PAGE 18 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

Introducing a product that’s as exciting as dirt.

Yes, you read that right. Alion™, the new Group 29 pre-emergent herbicide is anything but exciting to watch. Why? Because you’ll never actually see it do anything – and that’s the point. Spray it in your orchard for season-long control of annual grassy and broadleaf weeds. Not to mention glyphosate, triazine and ALS-resistant weeds, too. It’s literally as exciting as dirt. Until you see the results.

Learn more at BayerCropScience.ca/Alion

BayerCropScience.ca/Alion or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.

Always read and follow label directions. Alion™ is a trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 19 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 NURSERY AND ROOTSTOCK

Alpine Nurseries

(Niagara) Limited

SPECIALIZING IN FRUIT TREES & GRAPE VINES & ELDERBERRIES. VARIETY AND PRICE LIST AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

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The best producing orchards start with exceptional trees.

Apples Apricots Cherries Nectarines Peaches Plums

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Quality Fruit Trees for 60 years.

Mori Nurseries 1695 Niagara Stone Rd., RR#2 Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S1J0 T: 905-468-3217 F: 905-468-7271 Email: fruittrees@morinurseries.com

7056 Egremont Rd. R.R. #8 Watford, Ontario N0M 2S0 warwickorchards@brktel.on.ca Tel: (519) 849-6730 Toll free: 877-550-7412 Fax: (519) 849-6731

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PAGE 20 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 IRRIGATION

CROP TUNNELS

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CLASSIFIEDS Greenhouses for Sale - 1 Double Poly Gutter Connect – approx. 30,000 sq. ft., 14 ft. gutter height with gutter venting and unit heaters - 1 Double Poly Gutter Connect - approx. 50,000 sq. ft., 14 ft. gutter height with gutter venting and boiler heating - Approx. 2.5 Acre Haygrove poly tunnels - All structures can be viewed still standing - For pictures, click on Marketplace at www.westlandgreenhousesupplies.com - If interested, call 1-877-384-1242

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866-898-8488 ext. 221

FOR SALE - Farm Equipment - Holland Marsh - Irrigation Pumps plus 3", 4", 5" Wade pipes and fittings - 2 x 165 Massey tractors - 8 x Horst 8 ton wagons w/ 16' platforms - 3 x Horst 10 ton wagons w/ 20' platforms - FMC sprayer w/60 gal per min pump, 500 gal. ss tank, Raven controlled, 62' boom - FMC sprayer w/60 gal per min pump, 500 gal. ss tank, electronic control, 72' boom - Allis Chalmer 500 forklift w/ 21' mast, excellent condition - various other equipment for vegetable farming Contact - JOHN - 905-955-5811

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 21 THE GROWER

MARKETPLACE

To advertise phone: 519-380-0118 • 866-898-8488 x 218 • Fax: 519-380-0011 CONTAINERS

EQUIPMENT

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Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Recent New Myers Centrifugal Pump . . . . . .$11,500 Turbo-Mist 500 gal, Myers Centrifugal Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7,500 Turbo-Mist 400 gal, 30” Fan, Standard Outlet or Tall Tower John Bean/FMC 252 Stainless, 500Gal Hydr-Valves, A-1 . . . . . . . . $7,500 Durand Wayland 500 gal, Stainless Steel, Centrifugal Pump . . . .$5,500 Used 5-bin Trailer, Flotation Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,900 Perfect 220 (7’ - 4”) HD Flail, Very Low Use. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,200 Bin Rotator for Tractor Loader or Forklift , Incl Forks & Hose . . . . . . .$1,100 ** Instant photos to you by e-mail - all advertised items ** TRADES, CONSIGNMENTS, LEASING, DELIVERY ANYWHERE

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62nd Annual Bounty of the County Convention and trade show Tuesday, November 20th, 2012 & Wednesday , November 21st, 2012 at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreational Complex located at 249 Sherk Street, Leamington, Ontario

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PAGE 22 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER

MINOR USE CRAIG’S COMMENTS

Pesticide importation- what is fair?

CRAIG HUNTER OFVGA The cost of inputs for growers has always been contentious, and none more so than for pesticides.

Even at a time when commodity prices are relatively high, growers have (or should have) concern that input prices will rise, but that when commodities fall, the inputs will not. It is in keeping with this that I offer some comments on the proposed new Grower Own Use pesticide import program (GROU).

In 1977 the federal government closed the border to pesticide imports, after being well lobbied by the industry. The claim made at the time was that imports, if continued, would lead to the demise of the Canadian pesticide industry. Research would be curtailed, and jobs would be lost. In fact, after the border was closed to grower imports, the pesticide industry downsized, consolidated, reduced research, cut jobs, and raised prices! Today, the prices of the suite of products that Ridgetown College has monitored across the border average over 50 per cent more to buy here!

In the early 1990s, the Ontario Corn Producers were successful

in having the Own Use Import (OUI) program put in place which would allow growers to buy “equivalent” products across the border and import them for their own use. (This followed huge price increases for an herbicide after its only direct competitor was ‘banned’ by the then agriculture minister). The OUI was designed as a ‘price discipline’ program, and it worked. Very little product was ever imported, just the threat seemed to work.

Fast forward a decade, when the price of glyphosate became an issue. The OUI program was used to import millions of litres, and the pesticide industry was up in arms again! A committee of national grower groups, Crop Life Canada, PMRA and AAFC was formed to deal with problems arising, such as container management, program enforcement, price monitoring, product quality, etc. The upshot of this was the development of a new programGROU. The old OUI program remained on the books as a fallback if cooperation from industry faltered, but the PMRA was reluctant to ‘pull the trigger.’ As a result, the GROU program of today does not accomplish its intentions of price discipline. The ‘all party’ agreements of five years ago have fallen on stony ground.

Last month the PMRA announced the ‘new’ GROU and proposed to put it into the Pesticide Regulations. (The former GROU had operated under an ‘agreement’ and had no teeth as we found out). Comments have been asked for, and many have been put forward by both grower groups and by the pesticide industry. At the end of the day, we

need a program that will meet grower needs for fair competition, and to afford them the same protection and privilege enjoyed by the pesticide industry.

The following are some ideas to improve the proposed regulation.

Each nominated and approved product under the program should be available for a five year period. Currently it is only for two years, effectively one year of value. They need to be re-nominated to continue- a total waste of resources at PMRA. (They have only agreed to ‘do’ 15 submissions a year, which effectively caps the program at somewhat less than 30 total products at a time. This proposal would up that to about 75 products which we feel has a better price discipline potential) It would also greatly improve the productivity of PMRA reviews.

Products should need only to be registered in Canada to invoke a request for import- it should not be necessary that it be sold here, as master products and some others may be kept on the books here and not sold. This allows different formulations to be ‘available’ here for company marketing plans, but which are actively sold in the U.S. Likewise, if the product equivalence is the same, the source of the product should extend beyond just the company here (related persons) if the original ownership has been changed in either/both countries. This is to prevent any attempt to put products beyond arms-length to exclude them from the program.

Likewise, master copy products are still ‘owned’ by the original master product owner who supplies the product to others for

sale. This is not beyond ‘armslength’ as far as I am concerned, and they should also invoke GROU possibility, regardless of the ‘ownership’ maze.

There have been several deliberate refusals by companies to participate in the program. This needs to be met with immediate invoking of the provisions of the OUI which then allows product from ANY source to be imported if shown to be equivalent. The same should hold when a company invokes any other excuse, including patent protection.

Product should be able to be imported if shown to be equivalent from anywhere else if a company refuses to have their ‘own’ company across the border supply it for import. (Where do you think that THEY buy their actives and adjuvants from anyway?) The provisions of OUI should NOT be taken off the books- they remain the only way to get what growers need when companies refuse to cooperate. They have broader powers than the new GROU proposes, and that is reason enough to me to keep them valid.

The nominations for products to be added to the list will be managed by national grower groups. I suggest that this be ‘not for profit’ grower groups, without ties to any pesticide company, vendor, or third party provider.

(Third parties are allowed to assemble grower ‘orders,’ and provide logistics and transport. It would be too incestuous for them to also be nominators) Further, since some commodity groups are regional in nature, the nominator groups should include these groups, if they are not already members of a national group.

(The current group has worked

well for the past five years, and could be expected to continue to do so.)

The container management would be paid for by the program users, and a fee paid to CropLife Canada which already runs a successful program. (That makes sense since ANY foul-up with containers is a black eye to the public, who could care less where the containers came from) The GROU program will only be seen to be successful if the actual importation need not happen. Most growers suggest that they much prefer to buy local, all things being equal. They recognize that some price variation is normal across the country, between countries, and between retailers. However, they are diligent with their monitoring of price, and do not like the current differences being so great. It will take some shaking-up at some corporate offices, but since this program only affects those products that have passed their 10-15 year protected initial market entry, we are talking about ‘old’ chemistries that have had full opportunity to pay for product development! The new ones are still well protected, and this GROU program should not be a reason to threaten growers that new products will not flow here, as I have heard alluded to in the past.

Fair is fair. Maybe the companies should consider what the loss of some of the privilege they enjoy could do to their bottom line. (Just as what growers face) Think of the possibility of just opening the border back to the way it was prior to 1977.

Wouldn’t that be a concept!?

Investigation continues into honey bee deaths The Ontario Beekeepers’ Association reported a number of honey bee deaths in southern Ontario last spring.

Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is investigating these incidents but given the large number of potential factors involved, the agency has not yet drawn conclusions.

Honey bee losses and poor health can be due to a number of factors, especially parasites such as the Varroa mite, viral diseases

and nutritional deficiencies.

CropLife Canada and other stakeholders are actively improving honey bee health through product testing, warning statements on product labels, and an industrywide program of product stewardship.

CropLife Canada is currently developing a set of best management practices designed to help growers minimize inadvertent exposure of pollinators during planting.

Those best practices include:

• planting treated seeds in a way that protects non-target organisms such as bees • being careful to limit dust when pouring seed into the planter and then properly disposing of empty seeds bags • following planter recommendations • planting during proper weather conditions • taking precautions when planting near flowering crops and controlling flowering weeds in fields prior to planting

OCTOBER 2012 –– PAGE 23 THE GROWER

MINOR USE

First label expansion granted for brown marmorated stink bug J. CHAPUT, OMAFRA, MINOR USE COORDINATOR, GUELPH The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of the first ever Canadian minor use label expansion for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) for Lannate Toss-NGo insecticide (methomyl) for control of BMSB on apples and suppression of BMSB on tomatoes, peas, snap beans, sweet corn, wheat, oats and barley in Canada. Lannate was already labeled for management of a variety of insect pests on several crops in Canada.

This minor use submission for BMSB was sponsored in 2011 by

Second label for BSMB granted

more information about BMSB visit: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ crops/insects/bmsb-resources.html Lannate insecticide should be used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation with other management strategies. Follow all other precautions and directions for use on the Lannate insecticide label.

Crop(s)

Rate (g/ha)

Apples

For copies of the new supplemental label contact Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA, Vineland (905) 562-1674, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 826-3539 or visit the DuPont Canada website at www2.dupont.com/ Prod_Agriculture /en-ca/content/crop-protection.html

No. apps / year

PHI (days)

2100

1

8

Peas

510

1

1

Wheat, oats, barley

540

2

20

Snap beans

550

1

7

Sweet corn

625

3

3

Tomatoes

540

2

1

Award of Merit 2013 Nomination Form The OFVGA Award of Merit is our way of recognizing the outstanding contribution made by an individual or organization to our fruit and vegetable industry. This recognition may include the strategic leadership, technical input, and/ or the dedication shown by this person or organization to our fruit and vegetable sector.

The winner will be announced at the OFVGA’s 154th Annual General Meeting and Convention that will take place in Niagara Falls, Ontario on January 14, 15 and 16, 2013.

Nominee Information: For the 2013 Award of Merit, I nominate: (please print) Name:

The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the approval of the second Canadian minor use label expansion for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) for Clutch 50 WDG insecticide (clothianidin) for suppression of BMSB on pome fruit, stone fruit and grapes in Canada. Clutch was already labeled for management of a variety of insect pests on several crops in Canada.

Although the use of insecticides such as Clutch can help to reduce BMSB populations and damage in some crops, the longer term approach will require a robust combination of pest management strategies. For more information about BMSB visit: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/ crops/insects/bmsbresources.html The following is provided as an abbreviated, general outline only. Users should consult the complete label before using Clutch insecticide for BMSB. Crop(s) Rate (g/ha)

No. PHI apps (days) /year 210 - 420 2 7

Pome fruit Stone 210 - 420 2 fruit Grapes 210 2

the minor use office of OMAFRA in response to the urgent threat posed to agriculture by this new invasive pest and minor use priorities identified by producers and extension personnel in Canada.

BMSB has a very wide host range (over 300 known plant species) including many important agricultural crops such as tree fruit, berries, vegetables, corn, cereal grains, ornamentals and many others.

Damage from BMSB has been extensive in many areas of the U.S. in recent years and crop losses have been severe.

Management of BMSB is very difficult and a significant research effort is underway to determine the best combination of integrated management strategies.

Although the use of insecticides such as Lannate can help to reduce BMSB populations and damage in some crops, the longer term approach will require a robust combination of pest management strategies. For

7 1

For copies of the new supplemental label contact Hannah Fraser, OMAFRA, Vineland (905) 562-1674, Jim Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519) 8263539 or visit the Valent Canada website at www.valent.ca .

Address: Phone:

Email:

My reasons for making this nomination are:

Nominator Information Name: Address: Phone:

Email: Please return completed form to Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association 105-355 Elmira Road N., Guelph, ON N1K 1S5. Fax: 519-763-6604 or email dhutton@ofvga.org

Objective The objective of the OFVGA’s Award of Merit is: • to recognize and encourage innovators at the grassroots level in the fruit and vegetable industry, whether it be in production, technology, or improved farm gate value • to recognize a long-time advocate of the fruit and vegetable industry, who has continually reflected the values and integrity of the OFVGA • to recognize the exemplary performance of an individual in the fruit and vegetable industry, who went above and beyond the call of duty • to recognize an individual’s demonstrated unwavering commitment to the fruit and vegetable industry, who is not directly involved within the industry.

Innovation Categories Examples of innovation include, but are not limited to the following: • improved farm practices (eg. technology, business practices, processes, etc.)

• response to consumer demands (eg. value-added, marketing, strategic alliances, etc.)

• environmental stewardship • health and safety on the farm • energy innovations • education and marketing of agriculture to society.

Selection Process • Nominations will be received at the OFVGA • Nominations will be acknowledged • Nominations will be reviewed for eligibility and prepared for review by the board

of directors.

Eligibility Criteria • must be a member farmer/producer, group of farmers, combination of agri-food businesses, or an agri-food related organization within the fruit and vegetable industry • must be a resident of Ontario • must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.

Special Consideration will be given to: •an individual involved in government or government department.

Nomination Process • Nominations must be completed and submitted either electronically or in hard copy by 5 p.m. on November 30, 2012 • Nominations must be submitted by e-mail or hard copy to: Email: dhutton@ofvga.org Fax: 519-763-6604 OR Mail: Deanna Hutton OFVGA 105-355 Elmira Rd., N Guelph, ON N1K 1S5 Winner Announcement • The Award of Merit nominator will be notified by December 20, 2012 • The Award of Merit winner will be presented at the banquet on January 14, 2013 •The Award of Merit winner will also be announced in the February 2013 edition of The Grower and will be included in a feature article.

PAGE 24 –– OCTOBER 2012 THE GROWER