Provincial Legislation 

Ontario Pork is one of twenty marketing boards set up under the Ontario Farm Products Marketing Act. The Act delegates to the Farm Products Marketing Commission (FPMC) the power to set up and supervise marketing boards. The FPMC, in turn, delegates powers to individual marketing boards. The powers delegated to Ontario Pork are outlined in Ontario Regulation 439/10 and 403/10, and appropriate amendments.

Regulation 403/10 governs how the Board is set-up and outlines how Delegates and Board Members are to be elected. Regulation439/10 outlines the authority given to the Board for such things as registering hog marketers and licensing assemblers, transporters and producers. The Board can establish license fees for the purpose of paying its expenses and service fees for the purpose of paying expenses related to marketing of hogs by or through it.

Ontario Pork must follow these regulations. If a marketing board does not comply, the Farm Products Marketing Commission has the right to limit the powers of the marketing board, to revoke their orders or, in extreme cases, put them in trusteeship or close them down completely.

Farm Products Appeal Tribunal

Included in the provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Food Act, is provision for the Farm Products Appeal Tribunal. Under the legislation, anyone who feels aggrieved by policies of a marketing board, whether producer, processor or consumer, can appeal to the Tribunal.

Federal Legislation

The Farm Products Marketing Act covers activities within Ontario. The federal government passed the Agriculture Products Act in 1979 to extend the Board's powers beyond Ontario. This Act grants authority to Ontario Pork in respect to inter-provincial and trade export of live hogs.

Role of Ontario Pork

Ontario Pork has the power to collect and share aggregate data and to collect license fees on all classes of hogs. The collected fees are used for services that benefit the entire Ontario swine industry including research, environment, consumer education, and policy and government regulation.

Ontario Pork has established a Marketing Division that markets hogs for producers. Producers using the division are charged a service fee for utilization of the service.

More Information:  Farm Products Marketing Act