Premier Doug Ford meets with farmers on challenges
WOODSTOCK – Premier Doug Ford said Ontario needs a strong partnership with the United States on trade, in a discussion with agriculture leaders at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, which began Tuesday in Woodstock.
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WOODSTOCK – Premier Doug Ford said Ontario needs a strong partnership with the United States on trade, in a discussion with agriculture leaders at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, which began Tuesday in Woodstock.
Ford was joined by Ernie Hardeman, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and MPP for Oxford County in the discussion to hear feedback from industry on the current state of agriculture, labour shortages and ongoing trade disruptions affecting farmers.
“The focus of this meeting is to discuss your current situation in light of the trade disruption and to help understand what is needed to help you,” said Hardeman.
About two dozen industry leaders from the dairy, pork, beef, grain and aquaculture sectors, among many others, attended the meeting.
The roundtable discussion about the challenges facing the agriculture industry was not open to media.
In his remarks, Ford made a point to contrast the farmers present with people in the downtown Toronto “bubble.”
“I wish I could bring every single person from the City of Toronto to this show here and show them what high tech equipment the farming industry is using now,” Ford said. “Honestly, the majority of people don’t have a clue … I love getting out of the bubble and meeting the real folks.”
“I don’t think some of these folks understand how important farming is. I think people take it for granted. They go to the store, see the shelves stocked and think it all of a sudden appears there,” Ford said.
One in eight jobs in Ontario is in agriculture, Ford said, speaking specifically to the importance of Canadian farming in trade with the United States and ongoing trade disruptions.
“If Canada and the U.S., and Mexico to a degree, if we all work together, everyone benefits,” Ford said. “As soon as we start putting up barriers on both sides of the border, it doesn’t work … I think it is critical we move forward with a strong partnership with the U.S.”
Hardeman also introduced a new program that aims to help Ontario farmers reach new markets. Supported through the five-year Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Market Access Initiative will help farmers diversify where their products go, through marketing and business planning, for example.
“It will open doors and … drive further innovation in the sector,” Hardeman said.
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