Beef Farmers Host First Reception at the Ontario Legislature Since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sep 21, 2022

Guelph, Ont. – The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) returned to Queen’s Park this week to host their 15th Annual Beef Barbecue on the lawn of the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Wednesday, September 7th for MPPs and their legislative staff. The BFO Board of Directors and staff proudly served an all-Ontario meal featuring Ontario Corn Fed Beef to 500 attendees over the lunch hour.

In addition to this highly anticipated annual event, BFO Directors and staff personally met with numerous MPPs throughout the day to advocate for increased investment in the Ontario Risk Management Program (RMP), a critical program to help protect the provinces food security, and ensure stability for the entire beef sector and for rural and urban communities.

“Farmers, like many sectors, now face unprecedented levels of risk and uncertainty. These risks cannot be mitigated by good management alone due to the increase in cost of production, trade and supply chain disruptions, and a level of market volatility we have never experienced,” says Jack Chaffe, BFO President.“Increasing the investment in RMP is the single most important action the province can take to support Ontario beef farmers with a proven return for the Ontario economy.”

Directors and staff also encouraged government to support a review of farm inspection and enforcement practices employed under the Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS) Act with the farm sector.

Preservation of farm and grazing land was another topic of discussion, with directors and staff asking for a commitment to preserve farmland through sound provincial land use policy that sees agriculture lands, including marginal lands used for livestock grazing and carbon sequestration, protected as the best use of our province’s arable land.

“The beef industry is an important economic driver of Ontario’s agri-food sector, contributing $2.69 billion to Ontario’s GDP,” explains Chaffe. “The priorities we shared with government representatives this week focus on growing beef production and promoting financial and environmental sustainability to ensure we can continue to provide a healthy supply of local food to Ontarians and those around the globe.”

BFO wishes to thank Premier Doug Ford for taking the time to meet with our executive team, and to Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, MPP Rob Flack and MPP Trevor Jones, Parliamentary Assistants to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, for generously taking time to serve beef to the barbecue attendees. BFO also appreciated the participation of MPP Sol Mamakwa, NDP Deputy Leader, and MPP John Vanthof, NDP Agriculture Critic, who helped to serve beef.

Source : Ontario Beef

Video: Independent Seed, National Impact | On The Brink: Episode 9

A survey of 200 independent seed businesses reveals what Canada's seed sector actually contributes — and what it stands to lose.

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On the Brink is a cross-country video series exploring the future of plant breeding in Canada. Each episode features voices from across the industry in an open, ongoing conversation about innovation and long-term investment in Canadian agriculture.