GUELPH – Grain Farmers of Ontario, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean and wheat farmers, unveiled new numbers showcasing the economic impact of grain farming in Ontario, including growth in jobs, economic output and government revenue contributions.
A recent study by MNP, spearheaded by Grain Farmers of Ontario, shows that Ontario grain farming continues to grow in its economic value to Ontario and Canada through job creation – a foundational contribution to a thriving, stable and necessary value chain for the province’s economy.
It highlights Ontario grain farming is a positive force for the provincial and national economy with:
– more than 90,000 jobs created from grain farming;
– a 60 per cent increase in economic output since 2010 – now valued at $27 billion; and
– more than $2 billion in government revenue generated – a 64% growth.
“Grain farming in Ontario is vital to the economic success of the province. Our industry is a stable source of jobs and economic growth, but farming is also one of the riskiest businesses to run,” said Grain Farmers of Ontario chair Brendan Byrne.
“In order to ensure the sustainability of farming and food production, we need to work with [the] government to ensure farmers can survive crises and keep growing food. Farmers also need to be able to take risks and continue to be a leader in adopting new innovation.
“I know that our partners in government see these numbers and value farming and its contribution to the success of our province, and I look forward to working with them further,” Byrne added.
The report outlines the importance of grains and oilseeds in the value chain, starting with inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides, materials and equipment and repair and maintenance services.
From the report:
Ontario suppliers provide most of the support, repair, and maintenance services, as well as diesel and biodiesel fuels and motor gasoline used in the crop production industry; all other inputs are sourced primarily from outside of Ontario.
After inputs, the value chain flows to production, from which the outputs of corn, wheat, soybean, oats and barley are produced.
Additional outputs generated by this process include support services to crop production (i.e., agricultural product sterilization services, crop dusting and spraying services, crop harvesting services, farm labour contractors), transportation and technological innovation.
The report also looked at the outputs of crops into other industries, which rely on the farm level to exist, including manufacturing, support services for crop production, transportation services for crop production, final products processing and retail and beyond, which are exported either inter-provincially or internationally.
To read the full report visit gfo.ca.
