Industry has growing options: Variety is indeed the spice of life for Ontario veg producers

摘要

Variety is not only the spice of life, it's the benchmark of the Ontario greenhouse vegetable industry. Years ago, the focus was primarily on beefsteak tomatoes and English cucumbers, with some pepper production. Now, it's a veritable cornucopia of varieties in the major crops, with growing production levels of cluster, cocktail, cherry, roma and grape tomatoes, mini-cucumbers and peppers in all colours and sizes. According to Shalin Khosla, greenhouse vegetable specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the province is home to 1,800 acres of greenhouse vegetable facilities. Much of it is located in the Leamington region, North America's largest concentration of greenhouse vegetable production. The breakdown is 47 per cent in tomatoes, 29 per cent in peppers, and 24 per cent in cucumbers.