2022 Ontario Election Candidates Forum – RealAgriculture

The provincial election in Ontario is scheduled for June 2. What is the position of the parties on agricultural issues and the challenges facing farmers and the agri-food sector?

Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) has partnered with RealAgriculture.com to help you understand the commitments the parties are making to farmers as Election Day approaches. On this YouTube special, RealAg Radio host Shaun Haney and GFO President Brendan Byrne discuss key election priorities for Ontario’s grains and oilseeds sector as the election nears.

They are joined by representatives from each of Ontario’s major parties to share their party’s perspective on these key issues and priorities. Participants include:

• Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario, MPP for Guelph
• Bob Gordanier, Liberal Party candidate in Dufferin-Caledon
• Andrea Horwath, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Ontario, MPP for Hamilton Center
• John Vanthof, Ontario New Democratic Party MPP for Timiskaming-Cochrane
• Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Progressive Conservative Member of Provincial Parliament Huron-Bruce

(Watch the GFO Ontario Election Special 2022 on YouTube.

The story continues after the video.)

During the forum, each of the representatives was asked to address the six main priorities of the GFO ahead of the provincial elections. These include:

1. Address fertilizer supply chain challenges for the province and work to find new sources of fertilizer in the future.
2. Increase funding for the risk management program by $100 million. This program keeps farmers competitive with the United States and helps Ontario farmers manage risk.
3. Invest in the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. Ridgetown’s agronomic research and discoveries contribute to food security and are part of the low-carbon economy.
4. Remove carbon pricing on grain drying. The granting of this relief allows farms to invest in climate-smart technologies.
5. Accelerate the amount of corn ethanol in gasoline and soy biodiesel in diesel required by the Cleaner Fuels Regulations to reduce the carbon content of fuel and support local economies.
6. Invest in Ontario’s grain and oilseed processing industry and develop new value-added opportunities.

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