Ontario greenhouse industry faces challenges amid growth potential

Greenhouse production in the province of Ontario is going strong, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Executive Director Richard Lee recently told The Packer.

Currently, 170 growers farm about 3,962 acres in the province, and while they experienced a steady 6% annual growth from 2011 to 2021, there has been a slight pause the past two years, Lee said. He estimated that Ontario greenhouse growers contributed about $6 billion to the province’s economy during those 10 years of growth. 

Ray Mastronardi, vice president of sales at Kingsville, Ontario-based Del Fresco Produce, said that volatility has hit in different ways over the past few years.