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New Diesel Mandate Creates Opportunities for Ontario Farmers

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The Ontario government announced the introduction of a new Greener Diesel Mandate on Thursday, which is receiving high praise from farm groups like Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO).

Soybean growers stand to benefit from the new mandate, which will require a two percent blend in biodiesel, and a four percent inclusion by 2017.

GFO, the province’s largest commodity organization representing Ontario’s 28,000 corn, soybean and wheat growers predicts that the mandate will create a potential market for about 68,000 tonnes of soybeans.  

The new rules went into effect April 1st.

“The creation of an Ontario Greener Diesel mandate will reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by the transportation sector and will help build a market for made-in-Ontario soy biodiesel,” Henry Van Ankum, Chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario said in a release.

According to a government release, by 2017, the province aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 600,000 tonnes a year, which is equivalent to taking approximately 140,000 cars off the road.

The mandate was also welcomed by the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, which called it “fantastic news” for renewable fuel producers and farmers alike.
 


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What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?


?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.