Guelph, ON – The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) praised Premier Kathleen Wynne and Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal for the Provincial Government’s commitment to work with farmers on a visionary plan to bring significant swaths of Crown and private northern land into agricultural development.
The public release of the mandate letter, provided to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs by the Premier, made it clear that this is a priority of the Provincial Government.
“We at the Beef Farmers of Ontario wholeheartedly congratulate Premier Wynne for her continued dedication to this critical issue,” said Bob Gordanier, BFO President. “The Premier challenged the agricultural sector to create 120,000 well‐paying, made‐in‐Ontario jobs, and by working together to open new lands in the Great Clay Belt, Ontario’s beef farmers can make a major contribution.” The Great Clay Belt is a largely undeveloped agricultural resource and a major economic opportunity for Northern Ontario. By making new lands in the region available to farmers at a reasonable cost, Ontario’s beef farmers will be able to create a new source of stable jobs in Northern Ontario, protect existing jobs by providing a vital supply to meat processors in Ontario, and enable Ontarians to continue to buy local food and support local farmers.
“As a beef farmer in Northern Ontario, the Province’s commitment to the Great Clay Belt is truly exciting,” said Matt Bowman, BFO Vice President. “New and young farmers haven’t had this type of opportunity in a century, and it’s occurring at a time when Ontario beef products are in high demand across Canada and the world.”
The Beef Farmers of Ontario looks forward to working closely with the Province, municipal governments and the First Nations over the coming months and years to ensure that the significanteconomic benefits of the Great Clay Belt are achieved.
Source: BFO