For immediate release:
June 06, 2007

It’s about time to promote Ontario farmers

Cedar Springs – Following four years of lip service, it’s about time that Ontario farm products and farmers are given the support and promotion they have earned as the backbone of the rural economy according to PC Agriculture Critic Toby Barrett and Doug Jackson, Chatham-Kent-Essex PC Nominee.

Barrett and Jackson spoke to local Farm leaders following yesterday’s announcement by Opposition Leader John Tory of a PC agriculture plan that would see Ontario farm products promoted across the province and red tape removed for farmers in need of support payments.

“It’s time for a real ‘buy-local’, ‘buy Ontario’ initiative that will see Ontario government work with farm organizations and grocery stores across the province to promote made-in-Ontario product,” Barrett stated. “Meanwhile, for too long farmers have had to jump through hoops and pay specialists to explain how they can access funding that is rightfully theirs – farmers deserve better.”

To that end, yesterday’s John Tory announcement called for, “Implement a value-for-money audit of Agricorp in an effort to find out why farmers wait years for payments, need to hire specialists to navigate them through the bureaucratic process and then act on the recommendations”

“Farmers in Ontario deserve a government that will stand up for them when it comes to promoting their product,” Jackson pointed out. “A PC, John Tory government would mean an end to the empty words and a return to action.”

Along with the ‘Buy Ontario’ strategy and the Agricorp audit, the PC plan calls for:

While at local area farm meetings Barrett also reiterated that the Ontario PC Caucus unequivocally supports supply management and that all members of Caucus have signed on to Farm Gate 5.

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (416) 325-8404,
(519) 428-0446, or 1-800-903-8629