A weekly press release prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. If you require further information, regarding this press release, please call the Fergus Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA Website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
FUTURE MARKET DIRECTION
FEATURED AT DAIRY SYMPOSIUM
February 21, 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium sponsored by 8 South Western Ontario Milk Committees and OMAFRA. To mark the occasion, organizers have developed a unique interactive event, where everyone becomes part of the program. OMAFRA’s Harold House, will open the day with practical advice on the hot topic of heat stress management, followed by a presentation on health recording by Bovine Practitioner of the Year, Dr. Wayne Shewfelt of Tavistock Veterinarians. Closing out the morning is Ted Bilyea, former president of International Marketing for Maple Leaf Foods. As an international trade expert Mr. Bilyea will talk about the phenomenal growth in the global dairy market, and how this affects Canada’s industry. He also recently served as federal mediator for the cheese compositional standards negotiations, so we have asked him to comment on how producers and processors can move forward together to strengthen the industry. After a lunch featuring new dairy products of interest, the afternoon will be devoted to exploring dairy market trends. A panel of Canadian dairy experts made up of Barron Blois, Chairman of the Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia, DFO’s General Manager, Peter Gould, Tom Kane, President of the Ontario Dairy Council, and Al Mussel of the George Morris Center will lead a discussion on future direction for the Canadian dairy industry. This discussion will feature a “first ever for an event of this size”, opportunity for farmers to participate directly in the debate. Using the latest in electronics every producer attending the day will be able to participate in computerized expressions of opinion throughout the day. If you are a dairy producer, attending this event will give you a chance to have your say on whether future policies should focus on price support, or market growth, as well as other strategic dairy industry issues. The program also features more than 80 commercial exhibits, and runs from 10:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Woodstock Fairgrounds. Admission is $20 per person at the door and there are no advance ticket sales. For more information, contact Flora Rodenburg at 519-467-5294.
Mr. Ted Bilyea, featured speaker at the South Western Ontario Dairy Symposium, will speak on “The Canadian Dairy Industry in a Changing Global Market” His presentation is sponsored by the Agriculture Adaptation Council and by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
Ted Bilyea retired in 2005 as Executive Vice-President, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., having spent a very successful 35 years with the same company. Mr. Bilyea is an Agri-food consultant specializing in innovation with clients in both private and public sector.
Prior to becoming Executive Vice President of the parent company, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Mr. Bilyea held the position of President of Maple Leaf Foods International, from 1995 to 2005. Under his leadership Maple Leaf Foods entered the specialized bakery business in Europe and became the largest exporter of food in Canada. .
Mr. Bilyea holds a B.A. (Hons.) and an M.A. in International Relations from York University. He chairs the Metals in the Human Environment Research Network (MITHE-RN), is Deputy Chair of the Science Advisory Board of AAFC, and a member of the board of the Prion Research Network, (PrioNet).
Ted is a member of the board of Paterson Global Foods Inc. and has recently joined the board of C.V. Technologies Inc. (Cold FX). He is active with the Food Processors of Canada, an association he chaired for several years and is a former member of the Board of Governors of the University of Guelph and served on the Rabo Bank Advisory Board for a number of years.
WINTER MANURE APPLICATION
by Rickard Brunke, Nutrient Management Engineer, London
Winter is here and if you are in a position that you must apply manure to your fields, it is important to understand the recommended methods to follow for winter manure application. Winter manure application is not considered a Best Management Practice. Under the NMA and Regulations, manure application is not recommended between December 1st of one year and March 31st of the following year, or any other time when the fields are snow-covered or frozen. But if you need to, you should follow all the requirements of winter application set out in the NMA and Regulations. Phased-in farms under the NMA with the requirements to follow a NMP, must follow all the requirements in the NMA. If not phased-in or only requiring a NMS, it is highly recommended to follow the winter application requirements.
During winter application or when fields are snow covered or frozen, manure must not be applied to fields in flood plains or to any fields or part of a field where water accumulates during a thaw or rainfall and can run off to surface water. Manure being applied should follow the procedure set out in the NMA. There are specific details on: Application methods and rates; Incorporation requirements; Amount of crop residue required; Setbacks from the top of the bank of surface water and; How field slope influences application rates and distances.
There are different rules for liquid and solid manure. Producers should make sure that all the details are understood before they winter spread. A good practice to follow before winter spreading manure is to prepare a field sketch that outlines the areas that meet the requirements. Clearly mark flood plains and any other area where runoff occurs from the fields and setbacks to sensitive areas. OMAFRA has an excellent factsheet “Applying Manure and Other Agricultural Source Materials in Winter” describing the specific details to be followed for both liquid and solid manure.
COMING EVENTS
Jan. 30 OSMA District 5 will be meeting at 8:00 p.m. in the OMAFRA boardroom at Wellington Place. All interested are invited to attend. Speaker to be announced. For more details call or e-mail Daina at 519-843-5441 or bhunter@uoguelph.ca.
Jan. 31 Wellington Farm and Home Safety AGM at the Alma Community Hall,7:00pm. For tickets call 519-843-1055.
