January seems a suitable time to recap on the events from the 2018 season.
I have been on the road and covered a lot of ground across the province over the last couple months, and it’s evident it’s been a challenging year.
A lot of work needs to be done in all sectors including, infrastructure, energy, risk management, sustainability, and climate change to keep Ontario competitive in agriculture.
Trade remains a hot topic and rightfully so, as it is vital for many sectors in our industry.
The USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) and the US/China tariff war has put tremendous pressure on all producers and commodity groups. Foreign investment, interest rates and inflation threaten the value of the land we live off. Furthermore, the public trust and knowledge in food and agriculture continues to be a challenge.
But it’s hard to be negative. We are in fact Canadian agriculture; we offer the best products in the world, we are safe, we are sustainable, we are agricultural now more than ever.
New trade agreements like the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) and USMCA offer a great trade diversity.
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