OFA has made comments to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance through their 2026 pre-budget consultation process.

OFA urges the federal government to recognize agriculture and agri-food as a core strategic sector in the 2026 federal budget. With the industry contributing $150 billion annually to Canada’s GDP and supporting 2.3 million jobs, OFA argues that targeted investments and policy reforms are essential to strengthen economic growth, food security, and global competitiveness.

This pre-budget submission highlights growing pressures on farmers, including rising input costs, higher interest rates, increased debt, and trade uncertainty. To address these challenges and unlock long-term growth, OFA recommends:

• Permanently increasing the interest-free portion of the Advance Payments Program to $350,000;
• Investing $2 billion annually over five years to accelerate agri-food research, innovation, development and commercialization to unlock economic growth and boost productivity;
• Implementing tax reforms to encourage farm investment and protect farm succession;
• Establishing a dedicated agriculture infrastructure funding stream; and
• Formally designating the Agri-Food sector as a priority investment area under the new Canada Strong Fund.

OFA concludes that strategic investment in agriculture will drive productivity, expand exports, strengthen supply chains, and help position Canada as the strongest economy in the G7.