Ontario and Canada mark Agriculture Day with landmark agreement
Jeff Leal, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Lloyd Longfield, MP for Guelph, on behalf of Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence MacAulay, were in Guelph today to make the announcement.
Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal (left) signs a certificate to support the April 2018 launch of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Lawrence MacAulay looks on. The photo was taken in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on July 21, 2017, during the Annual Meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture.
The new Canadian Agricultural Partnership will set a solid foundation for the future of Ontario's agri-food sector by supporting specialized research and projects that foster innovation and growth while preparing the sector for the second half of the 21st century. The agreement also includes funding to help farmers manage risks that threaten the viability of their farm, such as unpredictable weather or market volatility.
These investments help achieve the federal government's goal to create good middle class jobs by helping food processors develop products that reflect changing market tastes and seize new market opportunities.
Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal (left) signs a certificate to support the April 2018 launch of the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Minister Lawrence MacAulay looks on. The photo was taken in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, on July 21, 2017, during the Annual Meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture.
Supporting Ontario's agri-food sector is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. This plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
“I am pleased this partnership will continue to ensure that Ontario’s agri-food sector has the support it needs to grow, innovate and step up to the challenge of helping feed a growing population. This partnership will equip our sector with the tools and resources it needs to adapt to changes in the marketplace while seizing new opportunities and responding quickly to any challenges. I look forward to continuing to work with industry and our federal counterparts and look forward to a seamless transition in programming”, Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, commented.
“The Canadian Agricultural Partnership will help put Canada and Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector on track to continue to innovate, grow and prosper. It will support our farmers and food processors in meeting the world’s growing demand for their high-quality products, while creating well-paying middle class jobs and delivering prosperity here in Ontario and to communities across the Canada”, said Lawrence MacAulay, Canadian Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day than announcing this five-year landmark agreement that will bring over $1 billion to support the growth and innovation of Ontario’s agri-food sector. Guelph has been and will remain a global hub for agri-food innovation and research and I look forward to seeing the results of these investments in our community and across our province”, said Liz Sandals, Member of Provincial Parliament, Guelph.
“With our investments today under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, we have the tools we need to capture new opportunities and support innovation and prosperity across Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sector. We are glad to be partnering with Ontario to share this investment over the next five years and I look forward to the many new projects here in Guelph and across the country with researchers, farmers, processors and distributors”, Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament, Guelph, concluded.