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OFVGA applauds Ontario budget announcement

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OFVGA applauds Ontario budget announcement
Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers are applauding the announcement of
a new self-directed risk management program for the edible horticulture sector
in the recent provincial budget.

April 1 2011, Guelph,
Ont. – Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers are applauding the announcement of
a new self-directed risk management program for the edible horticulture sector
in the recent provincial budget.

Farmers have been
lobbying for bankable, predictable and stable risk management programming for
the last several years as the fruit and vegetable sector has been suffering
through a prolonged economic downturn.

“We are extremely
pleased that the Ontario government has come through for our growers and
recognized the need in horticulture for stable a bankable and predictable risk
management program,” says Mark Wales, chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Growers’ Association (OFVGA) safety nets committee. “Growers continue to
struggle with low prices and rapidly escalating costs and this program will be
a game changer for us.”

OFVGA worked collaboratively
with fellow members of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC)
on securing a long term, permanent risk management solution for farmers. The
OFVGA safety nets committee had developed a self-directed risk management-style
program proposal for edible horticulture, which is based on financial
contributions by both growers and government. To date, the federal government
has not committed to supporting the newly announced risk management
initiatives.

“We appreciate the
willingness of Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell to work with our OASC
partners and with OFVGA to develop solutions that will work for each sector,”
says Wales. “Now it’s time for the federal government to also come to the table
to support these programs so they’ll provide optimum results for farmers.”