Grain Farmers of Ontario Congratulates Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture

Mar 19, 2025

Guelph, ON – 2025 – Grain Farmers of Ontario, the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers, congratulates the Honourable Trevor Jones, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, on his recent appointment as Ontario minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and the Honourable Lisa Thompson on her reappointment as minister of Rural Affairs.

“The grain and oilseed industry needs strong leadership from the provincial government as we face uncertainty in trade due to tariff threats from the U.S. and China,” says Jeff Harrison, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario “We have previously worked with Trevor Jones when he served as parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture, and we look forward to working with him on Grain Farmers of Ontario priorities that benefit farmer-members.”

“We also thank the previous minister, the Honourable Rob Flack, for his support and hard work on behalf of Ontario’s grain farmers,” Harrison continues. “In particular, Minister Flack supported Grain Farmers of Ontario in securing $100 million of additional Risk Management Program funding, setting up farmer-members for success when commodity prices dip below the price of production. This was a file Grain Farmers of Ontario has worked on for a long time, and his support was integral in getting it over the finish line.”

Grain Farmers of Ontario has a number of priorities for the recently re-elected Ford government, including:

Ongoing support for Ontario’s Risk Management Program.
Keeping Ontario grain farmers competitive by protecting markets & imports of farm inputs.
Accelerating the use of grain-based renewable fuels.
Providing relief on carbon tax for grain drying.
Reducing red tape and investing in grain and oilseed processing.
Reducing red tape and costs of trucking farm products.
Reviewing the reach of conservation authorities.
Prohibiting municipalities from charging stormwater fees on agricultural properties.
Increasing investment in research and innovation.

Source : GFO

Video: The $1.7 Billion Network Behind Canada's Seed Retail Future

Canadian agriculture has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and so has the business of bringing new crop varieties to farmers. But as public plant breeding faces new pressures, private investment grows and farmers demand more from their genetics, what will the next 50 years look like?

In this special Seed World Canada Retail Strategy Webinar, we celebrate SeCan's 50th anniversary by looking beyond its history to explore the future of Canadian seed retail, plant breeding and variety commercialization.

Join Seed World Canada Senior Editor Marc Zienkiewicz and five industry experts as they discuss how independent seed businesses are adapting to a changing marketplace, the importance of partnerships between breeders and retailers, and what it will take to keep innovative crop genetics flowing into Canadian farmers' fields.