The Rural Voice, 2005-08, Page 41News in Agriculture
New Ag. Minister stops in cattle country
By Jim Brown
Minister of Agriculture. Food and
Rural Affairs. Leona Dombrowsky
made one of her first public
appearances since becoming the new
minister, at the Ontario Cattle
Feeders' Association summer
meeting in Brussels on July 13. billed
as the largest beef meeting in
Ontario.
Former ag. minister Steve Peters
attended the evening's event as well.
According to Dombrowsky, the
Ontario Cattle Feeders' Association
saw the potential to seek out new
market opportunities years before the
BSE crisis happened.
"I am referring to the Ontario corn -
fed beef program, which you
launched back in 2000," she said.
She said it underscores the
association's commitment to produce
a high-quality, consistent product that
will increase beef consumption.
"I commend the association on its
mandate to reclaim and increase the
market share for beef in Ontario and
congratulate you on your success,"
said the minister.
Dombrowsky said that with more
then 60 producers enrolled in this
program, she was told they supply
2,500 program cattle each month to
five certified packers.
"I believe branding initiatives like
this will improve the demand for
Ontario beef on international
markets," she said.
The Ontario government is
committed to strengthening the
prosperity of its agri-food industry
and she added it recognizes that
strategic investments in research and
development consistently yield
significant returns to this sector.
"Through the Agricultural Policy
Framework, we have partnered with
the federal government to bring
programs to Ontario that will help us
to maximize the benefits for our agri-
food industry," said Dombrowsky.
"We are seeing those benefits
crystallized through the framework's
Canada -Ontario Research and
Development program (CORD)."
She stated that CORD will deliver
38 THE RURAL VOICE
$35 million in research and
development funding to Ontario's
agri-food sector.
The minister noted it is an
outstanding example of industry -
driven innovation that can create new
opportunities for Ontario's agri-food
sector and, in turn. bring huge
benefits to the people of this
province.
"As long as we continue to broaden
our knowledge base through the
types of projects CORD will fund,
we can be confident that we're
building a foundation strong enough
to support growth and change in the
agriculture and food sector," she said.
She stated that to date, 125 projects
totalling about $10 million in
government funding have been
approved.
"I am pleased that the Ontario
Cattle Feeders' Association was
named as one of the successful
applicants for CORD funding," said
Dombrowsky. "This will help you to
build on your Ontario Corn -fed Beef
Market Recovery initiative."
She stated it is initiatives like these
that enhance the competitiveness of
the Ontario beef industry and
strengthen partnerships across the
food chain and that when farmers
prosper, so does the rest of Ontario.
"Our government is committed to
working with all of our stakeholders
in the agri-food sector to retain and
grow existing businesses, attract new
investment and develop new markets
— both at home and around the
world," she said.
The minister added it is the
government's goal to give all the
people of Ontario a quality of life
that is second to none; a quality of
life that everyone here today deserves
to have — for themselves and for
their children.
"On behalf of the government of
Ontario, 1 congratulate the Ontario
Cattle Feeders' Association and our
province's producer families on your
leadership and success – both now
and in the future," said Dombrowsky.
Even though just in the ministry a
couple of weeks, she said she is not
new to agriculture as she grew up on
a small cow -calf operation near
Tweed.
"The time I spent growing up on a
farm gave me a first-hand
appreciation of both the hard work
and rewards that this lifestyle
entails," she said. "That
understanding has grown as I have
listened to the concerns of my
constituents in my own rural riding
of Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and
Addington over the last five years."
She said this experience has given
her the opportunity to become
familiar with the multitude of issues
the agriculture sector faces.
She indicated she had the
opportunity to work with the
agricultural community during her
time as Minister of Environment, as
they moved forward to develop
nutrient management and source
water protection plans that were
viable for farmers and protected the
environment.
"With the recent decision to move
Rural Affairs back to the agricultural
portfolio... and our place at the table
with the government's planning and
priorities committee, our premier
wants to ensure that OMAFRA has a
role as lead ministry," stated
Dombrowsky. She explained the
planning and priorities committee is
the inner cabinet.
She added it is certainly a time of
transformation and great potential for
agriculture and she was proud to
serve as the minister.
One of her first meetings as
minister was the previous week when
the provincial and federal agricultural
ministers gathered in Alberta to
discuss the issues
"I am pleased to tell you that the
outcome resulted in some decisions
that will benefit our farm families,"
she said.
First, the ministers agreed to make
CAIS (Canadian Agricultural Income
Stabilization) program more
accessible by eliminating the deposit
requirement.
In the coming months they will be
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