FEBRUARY 2023 THE RIDER /45 OFA Viewpoint OFA calls for government investments in food, farming and rural communities


tario Strategy where she chal- lenged our sec- tor to increase the production, consumpt ion and manufactur- ing of Ontario food as well as boost our an- nual agri-food exports.


T h e


By Peggy Brekveld, Presi- dent, Ontario Federation of Agriculture It’s that time of year


again when many of us turn our attention to numbers and columns. For the On- tario government, it means turning its focus to the next provincial budget. As part of that process, they hold con- sultations to find out what Ontarians feel is important and to get input into where and how different groups and sectors of the economy think budget funding should be allocated. As President of the


Ontario Federation of Agri- culture (OFA), I had the chance to give a presenta- tion to the finance and eco- nomic affairs committee earlier this month on behalf of the 38,000 farm busi- nesses our organization rep- resents across this province. There’s no denying


that our sector is an eco- nomic powerhouse. We pro- duce more than 200 different farm, food and flo- ral products, generate nearly 750,000 jobs, and contribute more than $47 billion annu- ally to the provincial econ- omy. The vast majority of this activity happens in rural areas of the province, which gives us some unique per- spectives, opportunities and challenges. In fact, this past fall,


Ontario’s Minister of Agri- culture, Food and Rural Af- fairs, Lisa Thompson, announced the Grow On-


agri-food indus- try is a major asset to Ontario and it’s one that


can be maximized with strategic investment – in other words, we’re up to the challenge, but support from the provincial government is needed in some very key areas to help us get there. One of those key


areas is physical and social infrastructure, a perennial budget topic. In rural Ontario, the


greatest needs are invest- ments to maintain rural roads, bridges and drainage systems, expanding reliable and affordable broadband internet, upgrading and im- proving the rural energy grid to enable access to af- fordable energy, and ex- panding social infrastructure like local schools and health care. All of these are essen- tial to attracting and keeping people and businesses in rural communities. We appreciate the


provincial government’s commitment to 100% inter- net coverage in Ontario by 2025, and the ongoing in- vestments that are being made to reach this goal. We also encourage the govern- ment to continue its expan- sion of natural gas lines in rural, northern and remote community across Ontario to ensure all residents have access to affordable and re- liable energy. One of the greatest in-


vestments made this past year by government is the Farmer Wellness Initiative, a mental health support pro-


gram designed specifically for farmers and their fami- lies that is making a positive difference for those in need. This is an investment we would like to see continue, and we believe that it would benefit all to expand it to farm employees as well. Beyond that, we rec-


ommend a continued robust strategy to tackle human re- source issues in health care. This means leveraging tech- nology and health innova- tions, supporting the next generation of health care professionals and continu- ing to address immediate workforce shortages, in-


cluding through innovative scope of practice and patient care approaches. One of the greatest


problems facing agriculture right now is the critical shortage of veterinarians – particularly those who spe- cialize in large animals – in rural and northern Ontario. The provincial government has already made some pos- itive investments to address the issue and we encourage continued support for the Collaborative Doctor of Vet- erinary Medicine in Rural and Northern Community Practice Program, the Live- stock Veterinary Innovation


Initiative, and the Veterinary Assistance Program. Finan- cial incentives for veterinary students and practitioners to practice in rural and remote areas and financial support for clinics would also be of value and help make a dif- ference. As well, the agri-food


sector currently faces un- precedented levels of risk and uncertainty, from infla- tion and trade and supply chain disruptions to pan- demic-related challenges and extreme weather events. The Risk Management Pro- gram is a shared premium insurance program between


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government and industry and increasing the annual investment from $150 mil- lion to $250 million would help manage that risk, strengthen food security and support growth in the sector. And finally, not every


way to support the sector in- volves new spending by government. It’s great to see the government’s recogni- tion of the economic bene- fits


of increasing


made-in-Ontario food con- sumption, and we see a lot of untapped potential in this area. A 10% Ontario grown food procurement policy for government and the broader


public sector wouldn’t in- crease the budget, but would add positive economic im- pact across the food chain. Investments such as these will grow Ontario, while moving us towards Farms and Food Forever. Read OFA’s full pre-


budget submission outlining priorities and recommenda- tions for Ontario’s agricul- ture


industry here -


https://ofa.on.ca/resources/o fa-submission-regarding- ontarios-2023-pre-budget- consultations/


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