Officially did so on Wednesday, April 1st, 2015
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
Ontario’s veal producers now have new marketing board to call their own – Veal Farmers of Ontario (VFO).
The organization, that officially came into effect on Wednesday, April 1st, 2015, will have the power to regulate and collect its own licensing fee, currently set at $4.00 per head. The price is consistent with what Beef Farmers of Ontario previously collected.
Veal farmers will now also be exempt from the beef check-off system so they will not have to pay double the licensing fees.
The inaugural board of directors will consist of eight producers who the Farm Products Marketing Commission appointed. Their tenures on the board of directors will last at least for the first year of operations.
“I am pleased to represent Ontario’s veal farmers as we begin the work of the Veal Farmers of Ontario. The Ontario Veal Association built a solid foundation during the past twenty-five years of service to the veal industry,” said Brian Keunen, VFO Chair who along with his family operates a grain-fed operation near Palmerston, Ontario. “I look forward to strengthening the connections we have in the calf industry, starting with the dairy farm all the way through the production system to processors, retailers and consumers.”
Chris Vervoot has been appointed the Vice Chair, while Pascal Bouilly, Judy Dirksen, Randy Drenth, Joyce Feenstra, Tom Kroesbergen, Alisa Craig and Tom Oudshoorn make up the rest of the board of directors.
At this time last year, the province had 2,622 heads of veal.
Join the discussion and give us your thoughts on the newly formed Veal Farmers of Ontario and the impact you think it will have on veal production and value.