Terry Boland, Editor-in-Chief
Farmers of Ontario
Ontario Finance Minister Ernie Eves is not the only one preparing for the 1999 Ontario Budget. The Farmers of Ontario,
a coalition of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Agricultural Commodity Council and Supply Management
representing 41 farm organizations, have been working over the past six months preparing their submission to the
Premier.
“Ontario Agriculture – Opportunities for Investment in a Healthy Future,” is a report on what agriculture requires
to continue its leadership and innovation and build on its foundation for the 21st century. The submission to the
Government of Ontario looks beyond the current state of the industry and develops a vision for the next five years.
The document was put together after months of broad-based consultation, through five working groups and over 70
industry leaders, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
The business proposal concentrates on five areas of common interest with OMAFRA, including food safety, the environment,
research and technology transfer, risk management and market development. The strategy focuses on new innovative
approaches to meeting consumer demands, such as quality, food safety and nutrition and environmental integrity,
while building and strengthening many programs which now make up the foundation for the Ontario industry.
From consumer demand for nutritional foods to green fuels, the blueprint focuses on new untapped markets, strengthening
consumer confidence through new science-based food inspection technologies, building on agriculture’s leading environmental
strategy and tackling innovation through research and biotechnology. To take the lead in the global market, farmers
are reassured by strengthening risk management and marketing structures in the high-risk area of food production.
The cost is $352 million over five years. It’s a small price to pay for the benefits to consumers, the environment,
the economy, job creation, trade, a healthy agri-food sector and rural community. If Ontario does not move off
the status quo, its second largest industry will stagnate and fall behind its competitors, a gamble we cannot afford
to take. Our congratulations to the Farmers of Ontario, and their public sector partner, OMAFRA, for taking the
lead on developing this vision, and we ask our MPPs to examine the proposals very seriously and express their support
to Premier Harris and Minister Eves. For information on the Farmers of Ontario blueprint visit the website at www.farmersofontario.org
.
Advance Payments
As of early March, OCPA had issued $45.6 million in corn advance payments to 1,623 farmers. This is up from $35.9
million and 1,303 farmers in 1997/98, and $43.1 million and 1,385 farmers in 1996/97, even though the loan rate
was only $61/tonne this year, versus $73/tonne and $87.50/tonne in the two previous years, respectively.
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