Reading Time: < 1 minute Moscow | Reuters — Russia will ban imports of some seeds from several locations in Europe and Canada from Aug. 15, its agriculture safety watchdog said on Thursday, citing non-compliance by suppliers with phytosanitary requirements as the reason. Imports of tomato and carrot seeds will be banned from a nursery of Satimex Quedlinburg, in Germany, […] Read more

Russia to ban some imports of seeds from Canada, Europe
Canada's Prograin soybean seed on list

McCormick brings French’s ketchup processing in-house
Club House spice maker expands London, Ont. plant
Reading Time: 2 minutes The firm behind the French’s ketchup brand is bringing its bottling of the product to its own plant in southwestern Ontario. McCormick Canada, the Canadian arm of Baltimore-area condiment and spice maker McCormick and Co., on Monday announced it had completed a “multi-million dollar expansion” at its London, Ont. plant to blend, bottle and package […] Read more

Kraft Heinz backed for ketchup production in Montreal
Company to add ketchup line at Mont Royal site
Reading Time: 2 minutes A $23.3 million expansion of Kraft Heinz’s food manufacturing complex in Montreal will see the company resume making Heinz ketchup for Canada, in Canada. The U.S.-based food processing giant and the Quebec government on Nov. 17 announced the expansion plan for the company’s Mont Royal plant, which today makes products such as KD Mac + […] Read more

EU set to halt imports of Canadian cherries, other fruits
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — The European Union will halt imports of Canadian cherries and other fresh fruits starting Sept. 1 as it enforces new import requirements related to pests, according to a Canadian government document sent to industry on Thursday. In the notice, which was seen by Reuters, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the […] Read more

Mexico and U.S. reach deal to end tomato tariff spat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Mexico City | Reuters — Mexican tomato producers have reached a deal with the U.S. government to avoid an anti-dumping investigation, Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Wednesday, ending a testy tariff dispute that had rumbled on for months. Under the deal, the vast majority of Mexican tomato exports will be subject to border […] Read more

U.S. to levy tariff on imported Mexican tomatoes in trade spat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday it will begin imposing a 17.5 per cent tariff on imported Mexican tomatoes, but said it is optimistic that a deal can be reached to extend a 2013 agreement that suspended a U.S. anti-dumping investigation. “The Department of Commerce remains committed to ensuring that […] Read more

BASF in talks to buy Bayer vegetable seeds arm
Reading Time: < 1 minute Bayer has entered “exclusive talks” toward a deal to sell its global Nunhems vegetable seeds business to German chemical firm BASF, to help clear the aisle for a Bayer/Monsanto marriage. Nunhems, which has a portfolio of about 1,200 seed varieties in over two dozen different vegetable crops worldwide, sells seeds in North America for tomatoes, […] Read more

Ontario names trustee to break tomato impasse
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Ontario government has appointed a trustee to assume the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers’ power to negotiate 2017 contracts with processors for the growing of processing tomatoes in the province. The board of directors of the marketing board has been dismissed until new elections are held, as expected by the end of 2017. “I have […] Read more

Feds fund tomato and apple research
Reading Time: < 1 minute An Ontario research station is getting nearly a million dollars from the Federal government to develop new disease-resistant apple and greenhouse tomato varieties. The Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, located in Lincoln, Ont., will build on work done earlier by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists, who will continue to be heavily involved in the research. […] Read more

Tomato producer Mastronardi said seeking buyer
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — Mastronardi Produce, an Ontario grower and distributor of hothouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, is exploring a sale it hopes could value it at as much as $900 million, including debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Privately-held Mastronardi has hired Bank of Montreal (BMO) to run an auction process, the people said […] Read more