Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) leaders met in Guelph today with Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath McDonald, for a wide-ranging discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing Ontario agriculture. President Drew Spoelstra, Vice President Sara Wood and Director Greg Dietrich represented OFA at the meeting.

Drought has been a major concern for agriculture this year, with Ontario farmers seeing everything from best-ever yields to extremely poor crops. Minister McDonald noted that these stories mirror what he is hearing across the country, with weather variability increasingly shaping farm outcomes coast to coast.

OFA highlighted the priorities raised in its joint letter with commodity organizations to the Minister earlier this year: encouraging Canadians to buy local and buy Canadian, investing in productive capacity and food processing, and diversifying markets. Under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, 96% of Canadian agricultural exports currently move tariff-free into the U.S.

While trade disruptions bring uncertainty, a “silver lining” has been the stronger collaboration among governments and farm organizations. These are national opportunities, and the industry appreciates ongoing federal and provincial efforts to improve interprovincial trade.

Discussion also focused on the federal government’s renewed focus on business and the economy, including agriculture’s incredible opportunity to grow, diversify and expand. OFA reinforced that innovation, technology, and private investment will be essential to keeping Ontario farming competitive and resilient, helping farmers deliver safe, affordable food while driving economic growth.

Labour remains a pressing issue, from field work to processing plants. Drawing on his own experiences in Prince Edward Island farm fields and fish plants, Minister McDonald underscored his appreciation for Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker programs, noting that the labour they provide cannot be replaced by local workers alone.

Finally, OFA reiterated the importance of predictability in all Business Risk Management programs, especially the Advance Payments Program (APP), as farmers face rising input costs and need reliable access to cash flow.

With an annual economic contribution of $51.4 billion and $28 billion in agri-food exports, Ontario’s agri-food sector supports more than 867,000 jobs or about 10 per cent of the labour force in the province, making a cornerstone of Ontario’s economy and rural communities.

For OFA, continued collaboration between farmers and government is essential to ensuring the long-term success of the agri-food sector.