A federal court has ruled in support of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s authority to set phase-in periods for amended pesticide registrations. 

It’s important to know who’s backing your crop protection products. In continuing fall-out from company mergers, some products such as Reason are changing hands.   

Systemic fungicide Cevya will be available for the 2020 crop year.  

The Prowl herbicide label is now expanded for control of labelled weeds on garlic, shallots and transplanted leeks in Canada

The Delegate insecticide label is now expanded for control of spotted wing drosophila on grapes and other pests in fruiting vegetables in Canada. 

American food safety authorities declared that as of January 15, 2020, the E. coli outbreak connected to romaine lettuce from Salinas, California is now over. A total of 165 people were sickened. No deaths were reported. 

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

Asia’s premier fresh produce trade show will relocate to Singapore from its traditional home in Hong Kong in September 2020. 

Mexico is a produce powerhouse. Globally, it’s one of the largest exporters of strawberries, eclipsed only by Spain and the United States.    

Pure Flavor, a Canadian-owned greenhouse grower, hosted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue earlier this fall at its Fort Valley, Georgia location. The former two-time Governor of Georgia is originally from Perry, located just 10 miles from the greenhouse.

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

After serving as vice-chair since 2013, Cathy McKay becomes chair of the provincial organization that includes 200+ members.The Port Perry apple grower is confident there are lots of growth opportunities.

Ontario apple grower Cathy McKay has been reappointed chair of CanadaGAP’s stakeholder advisory committee for 2020. It consists of volunteers who serve a technical role to the CanAgPlus board of directors. 

The constant stream of traffic is a telling sign that Howe Family Farms got it right on its second farm market location near St. Thomas. Grower Kevin Howe is celebrating the 2019 Local Food Champion award given by the local MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London. 

Nature Fresh Farms has announced that it’s transferring the keys to 36 acres, comprising Phase 1 and 2 greenhouses, to a new group of dedicated growers. The new business entity, Chosen Fresh Farms, is owned by Neil Enns, Ben Friesen, Abram Fehr and Peter Klassen.