December 14, 2007

“We want the money to get to farmers as early as possible.”

Providing financial assistance to livestock and horticulture producers
$150 million to meet immediate and ongoing needs

TORONTO —The McGuinty government is moving quickly to provide $150 million to strengthen competitiveness and help Ontario cattle, hog and horticulture farmers suffering from multiple financial pressures, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky said today.

The funding, announced in the 2007 Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, will help farmers manage the effects of lower returns due to higher input costs, the stronger Canadian dollar and lower market prices. This funding builds on the $135 million provided earlier this year to assist grain and oilseed farmers compete and succeed in the global economy.

“We are responding to the near-record low prices and tight market conditions in which these farmers find themselves,” said Dombrowsky.

A total of $130 million of the funding will go directly to approximately 13,000 farmers to help them deal with the immediate challenges presented by current economic conditions and the long-term impacts of BSE. Of this total, about $100 million will be provided to cattle and hog producers, while about $30 million will be delivered to horticulture producers. The remaining $20 million will go toward a variety of initiatives aimed at creating a more sustainable future for the sector. The Crown agency Agricorp will deliver payments to about 13,000 producers beginning in February, 2008.

“We know the need is great now. This announcement will allow farmers to consider this funding as part of their business decisions. We want the money to get to farmers as early as possible,” Dombrowsky said.