It’s hard to believe that an Ontario provincial election could get pushed to the back burner on the political stove, but that is the case as voters focus on the heat generated by daily Trump tariff tirades and who might be Canada’s next prime minister, replacing Justin Trudeau.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for the February 27 election to win a new mandate he says he needs to fight for Ontarians and defend the province against the potential devastating impacts of tariffs. It’s certainly a big concern for farmers and agri-business across the province, says Ontario Federation of Agriculture vice president Sara Wood. She stresses that tariffs, and the the uncertainty they create, will impact everything from primary production to grocery store prices.
“Farmers are holding off on purchasing equipment, or they’re rushing to purchase equipment because they don’t know when the tariffs are coming,” says Wood. “The other challenge we’re seeing is that 60 per cent of our beef and pork is processed in the States, so our farmers are going to feel the hit as it gets sent across the border for processing, and our consumers are going to feel the hit when we import it back because of that value added.”
Another challenge comes for the greenhouse vegetable sector, which ships more than 90 per cent of its production to the U.S., notes Wood. “Some of those contracts are starting to be canceled or put on pause because the processors in the States don’t know what’s going to happen, and the farmers here in Ontario don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Wood says farmers and politicians are rightly focused on the immediate trade challenges, but during the election campaign, she’s hoping the provincial parties and candidates find time for a host of other agriculture and rural issues that need to be addressed.
In this interview, Wood says the OFA wants candidates to show leadership in three priority areas to support food, farming, and rural development in Ontario. Those priorities include: protecting farmland through responsible land use planning; supporting the agricultural sector to secure Ontario’s food supply; and investing in rural infrastructure.
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