The Ontario provincial election is set for June 2. Where do the parties stand on agriculture issues and the challenges facing farmers and the agribusiness sector?
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) has teamed up with RealAgriculture to help you understand the commitments the parties are making to farmers as voting day draws near. On this YouTube special broadcast, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney and GFO Chair Brendan Byrne discuss key election priorities for the Ontario grain and oilseed sector heading into the election.
They’re joined by representatives from each of the main Ontario parties to share their party’s perspective on these key issues and priorities. Participants include:
- Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, Member of Provincial Parliament for Guelph
- Bob Gordanier, Liberal Party Candidate for Dufferin-Caledon
- Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, Member of Provincial Parliament for Hamilton Centre
- John Vanthof, Ontario New Democratic Party Member of Provincial Parliament for Timiskaming-Cochrane
- Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament Huron-Bruce
(Watch the GFO Ontario Election Special 2022 on YouTube.
Story continues after the video.)
During the forum, each of the representatives was asked to address the GFO’s top six priorities going into the provincial election. These include:
- Address the supply chain challenges on fertilizer supply for the province and work towards finding new fertilizer sources in the future.
- Increase the Risk Management Program funding by $100 million. This program keeps farmers competitive with the US and allows Ontario farmers to manage risk.
- Invest in Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. Ridgetown research and agronomic discoveries contribute to food security and are part of the low carbon economy.
- Remove carbon pricing on grain drying. Providing this relief allows farms to invest in climate smart technologies.
- Accelerate the amount of corn ethanol in gasoline and soy biodiesel in diesel required by the Cleaner Fuels Regulation to lower carbon content in fuel and support local economies.
- Invest in Ontario’s grain and oilseed processing industry and grow new value-added opportunities.
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