Working together for a thriving pork industry and a thriving Ontario

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Better Pork asked the agriculture minister (and Ontario's new Premier) for her views on the challenges we face and her vision for the future of our industry

by KATHLEEN WYNNE

There is a Stetson sitting on a desk in my office, not far from a group of framed pictures of my granddaughters.

Its presence there is not simply symbolic, and neither is my dual role as Premier of Ontario and Minister of Agriculture and Food. I took on the latter challenge as part of my plan to bring a rural and agricultural perspective to the centre of our new government's focus. Agriculture and food are critical to the health and economic prosperity of the province, and I want to make sure they get the attention and respect they deserve. I'll wear two hats in everything that I do.

Part of my work will be making sure we recognize the important economic contributions made by our agriculture and food sector, including those made by our pork producers. Our farmers and food producers poured $34 billion into Ontario's GDP in 2011 and supported more than 700,000 jobs across the province. Last year, our pork producers of Ontario marketed 4.9 million hogs – 1.5 per cent more than in 2011 and eight per cent more than in 2010. The total value of hog sales in 2012 was $810 million. That's growth we should all be proud of.

I understand that the pork industry is cautiously optimistic about the profit outlook for 2013. As drought conditions dissipate in the United States, substantially higher crop yields and lower feed costs are anticipated.   

But there is value in our pork industry beyond just dollars and cents. As I continue to hold important conversations with my partners inside and outside of government, I am inspired by the strong collaboration I've seen between Ontario pork producers and processors. You are working together to market locally grown pork to Ontario families. And you've joined forces to make a strong commitment to biosecurity, animal health and ensuring that your products are safe and traceable.

There's been great collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Ontario Pork and the Ontario Pork Industry Council to deliver programs, tools and resources to producers so the industry can expand and evolve. This work helps us all manage risk and protect our consumers, and it shows how effective our industries can be when we share knowledge and best practices.

You are already doing so much, and I look forward to working with you in the future. We can work together to strengthen your sector by exploring exports to emerging markets. And we can get better at telling our own story and increasing our efforts to market Ontario pork here at home and across Canada.

Our demographics are changing and that will open up many new opportunities. Ontario families need to hear about all you have done to provide safe, nutritional and locally-grown pork. And they need to be connected to the rural communities and Ontario farmers that are producing this important part of their family meals.

Making these connections is a key part of my new government's plan.

As Minister of Agriculture and Food, I want to visit your businesses and learn more about your industry. I'm committed to helping you stay competitive and sustainable, so you can help our province create jobs and contribute to our growing economy.

Just as you work with one another, I plan to bring the spirit of collaboration to all my efforts as Premier. I will invite industry, government, labour and education sectors to work together in support of the agri-food industry.

Our new government will be working to make your lives easier, too. We're ready to make your interactions with our new government simpler, so that we can be as productive as you are. We're also looking to finalize programs available under the new Growing Forward 2 framework and we have already reintroduced a strengthened Local Food Bill.

We will continue to support small- and medium-sized rural abattoirs and meat plants, as our government has been providing $1.5 million to help them invest in growing their businesses and accessing new markets.

I know that a thriving pork industry will contribute to a thriving Ontario. That's why I'm so happy to be working on your behalf, as Minister and Premier. BP

Kathleen Wynne is Premier of Ontario and Minister of Agriculture and Food.