GUELPH, ON [August 18, 2016] – Ontario’s processing vegetable growers received great news and encouraging support from Minister Leal this week when he put a stop to a proposed amendment to Regulation 440 that was set to derail their ability to negotiate prices for their products.
The amendments would have removed the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers’ (OPVG)responsibility to manage and regulate processing vegetable marketing. The Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission was pushing changes that were not actually within its authority and did not align with the legislative principles of the Farm Products Marketing Act.
“We applaud Minister Leal for stepping into this situation and bringing the best interests of Ontario’s producers to the forefront,” says OFA President Don McCabe. “We’re very encouraged to hear him reinforce that any changes to regulations should be consistent with the needs of producers and processors, and align with the government’s growth challenge for Ontario agriculture.”
OFA, together with several partner organizations, sent a formal submission to the Commission, providing input on the devastating impact the changes would have on vegetables growers in the province, and questioning the authority of the Commission to make these changes. The submission was signed by OFA, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, National Farmers’ Union (Ontario), Grape Growers of Ontario, Asparagus Farmers of Ontario and Ontario Sheep Marketing Agency.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is the largest general farm organization in Ontario, representing 36,000 farm families across the province. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, research, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.
For more information:
Don McCabe
President
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-331-6175
Neil Currie
General Manager
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
519-821-8883