OPVG Newsletter
March 2023 Edition
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Have you registered for OPVG’s 2023 Annual General Meeting?
Let’s us know you’ll be joining us with a quick email to opvg@opvg.org.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Four Points Sheraton, London – Bristol Room
8:00 am – 1:00 pm
(includes breakfast and lunch)
Agenda Highlights
- OPVG Chair Address
- Greetings from Hon. Lisa Thomspon (invited)
- Address from Cameron McWilliam, FPMC
- Financials
- Board Reports and Operations
- 2022 Bursary Awards
- Guest Speakers: Robert Both, Macro Strategist with TD Securities and Dr. Rebecca Lee, Executive Director with Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
- OPVG Resolutions
- Industry Advisory Committee
- Lunch
Thank you to all our sponsors. We appreciate your support.
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Here’s the latest on 2023 negotiations.
Green peas
- Up 10.5% on prices for all tenderometer categories
Hand harvest cucumbers
- Negotiations resulted in a 7.3% price increase for the Eastern region and a 9.9% increase for the Chatham area
- There is a new pay per use spray program for downy mildew, a new minimum wage clause and changes made to existing cap clauses
Machine harvest cucumbers
- Negotiated price is up 10.2%
- There is a new pay per use spray program for downy mildew, a new calculation for high yield pricing and changes made to existing cap clauses
Onions
- Negotiations for the 2023 onion crop for processing resulted in a 47.8% price increase with changes to the size tolerance
- The 2022 negotiations for onions were paused, due to factors outside the negotiator's control, resulting in the 2023 negotiated price representing a two year price difference
Sweet corn
- There was no agreement reached and final offers have been exchanged. A grower meeting is scheduled for March 2 to present final offers
Negotiations with Nortera are currently underway for green and wax beans, lima beans and squash.
If you have any questions, or did not receive an agreement, contact the OPVG office.
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PMRA new tank mixing guidance
Last December, PMRA published new tank mixing guidance, and the issue continues to evolve. OFVGA is taking the lead on this issue, and together with FVGC they have requested an urgent meeting with PMRA to request a two-year transition period that includes growers.
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Thank you to the more than 100 people who attended the March 1 Tomato Day, hosted by District 1. There were great presentations ranging from the California situation and forecast, MTO rules and regulations for farm equipment, an overview by OFVGA on new tank-mixing guidelines, and an engaging panel discussion.
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Membership matters for communications
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We’re proud to represent the diverse and dynamic processing vegetable industry in Ontario since 1946. Our sector of Canadian agriculture contributes more than $98 million in gross annual sales from nine crops. We’re highlighting the ways we serve our industry in this newsletter feature, focusing on communications and education in this issue.
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OPVG produces this electronic newsletter, as well as email updates and social media content to keep members informed, increase public awareness, drive traffic to resources on our website and promote our contributions and commitment to a safe food supply. We’re also committed to keeping members informed of ongoing events and educational opportunities.
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Updated food safety manuals now available
CanadaGAP has released updated versions of its food safety manuals that can be downloaded for free here. The new manuals take effect on April 1, 2023.
Additional resources are available at the CanadaGap website.
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- Dave Hope, Chair - dhope@rogers.com
- Ron VanDamme, Vice Chair, District 1 - ron.vandamme323@gmail.com
- Chris Stewart, Vice Chair, District 1 - jonern@xplornet.com
- Dan Froese, Director, District 3 - danfroese@amtelecom.net
- Tracy Gubbels, Director, District 2 - gubbelsfamily@hotmail.com
- Adrien Pinsonneault, Director, District 1 - adpinsonneault@gmail.com
- Ryan Leclair, Director, District 1 - borncountry_2@hotmail.com
- Carl Merrick, Director, District 2 - merrickcarl@gmail.com
- Neil Reimer, Director, District 3 - neil@chfarms.ca
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