“There has been considerable investment in farming practices,” states Norman Ragetlie, chair for the board of directors at the Ontario Farmland Trust. “For example, apple growers are using intensive cropping techniques such as growing dwarf varieties on trellises and getting significantly more yield. There is also a lot of land, particularly in the southwest region, under glass [greenhouses] and there continues to be significant investment in this area.”
Shipping and Transportation’s ‘New Normal’
With increases in both imports and exports in Ontario, the shipping and transportation sectors have been active. However, they too, like growers and wholesalers, were hit by the short supplies this year. Fewer crops in the first half of the year meant fewer loads. And since reduced demand factors into freight pricing as well, transporters are hoping for a busier second half of the season. “Fuel price is down, but commodity prices are up,” says Joe Rubini, president of Rally Logistics, Inc. “That means less tonnage, which has resulted in less demand for trucks.”
