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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Wednesday, May 31, 2023

May 31, 2023 | 11:54 AM

Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is offering support to hog sector customers in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces facing financial hardship because of the current crisis in the hog industry.

Hog industry partners have faced numerous challenges in recent years, including the pandemic, labour shortages, increased input costs and higher interest rates, and packing facility closures.

FCC vice-president of operations for Quebec and Atlantic Manon Duguay said these adverse conditions have impacted the financial performance of hog farms.

“Agriculture and food is the only industry we serve, so we have a deep understanding of the challenges that come with the business,” Duguay said in a news release. “Hog producers may face a cash shortfall in addition to personal hardship and stress.”

FCC will consider additional short-term credit options, deferral of principal payments and/or other loan payment schedule amendments to reduce financial pressures on hog producers.

Responsive measures

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Buy Now, Pay Later!

Spring 2026 Early Buy Program

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SARM Convention

Sask RMs gather to address come concerns

Mar 06, 2026

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The deadline to submit applications for the 2024 Nuffield Canada Agricultural Scholarships is June 30.

The scholarship is a rural leadership program available to Canadian citizens who are involved in any aspect of agriculture.

Its goal is to attract mid-career applicants with a passion for agriculture who are ready to challenge themselves in a program of self-directed international travel and study.

Each scholarship is worth $20,000 to support an individual’s project, including 10 weeks of travel study within 24 months to examine and research an issue of their choosing relevant to modern production or practices. The candidate writes a report on their research findings and makes a presentation at Nuffield’s Annual Meeting.

More about the application process is available here.

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Ontario has backed off a housing proposal that farmers say would have had a catastrophic impact on farmland and livestock operations.

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark proposed a series of regulations along with a bill that would allow for more housing to be built beyond urban boundaries and in rural areas.

But farmers expressed concerns about a proposed move to allow up to three new lots on parcels of farmland, saying it would hamper growth of livestock farming, fragment the agricultural land base, and risk inflating farmland prices, shutting out prospective new farmers.

More than a dozen groups including the National Farmers Union of Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Beef Farmers of Ontario, and the Dairy Farmers of Ontario issued a joint letter urging the government to abandon the proposal.

Clark has now told farmers in a letter that he has heard their concerns, and the government will not be moving forward on the lot severance proposal.

The government originally suggested the severances to support multigenerational farm families, but Clark said he is now extending the public comment period for the other regulations, to give him more time to consider alternative ways to do that.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW