There’s something exciting about starting a brand new year.
The opportunities and possibilities are endless, and turning the calendar allows us to start with a clean slate for another growing season. And who doesn’t want to put the harvest challenges of 2018 behind us?
At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), we’re kicking off 2019 with a renewed focus on our advocacy work for the agri-food sector and rural communities.
Many of our key areas for this year are a continuation of the advocacy we set out in our Producing Prosperity in Ontario campaign – a call for greater infrastructure investments in the agri-food sector that will build capacity and create greater economic development.
Affordable natural gas continues to be a big priority. Another key infrastructure requirement to keep us connected and competitive is high speed internet in rural and northern communities.
OFA will continue to focus on the need for a stable rural school network, and for continuous infrastructure improvements to ensure our roads and bridges support the movement of agricultural equipment.
Water quality is another key priority for OFA. As part of the Thames River Phosphorus Reduction Collaborative, we will work together on this team to reduce phosphorus losses to Lake Erie.
We also will be watching closely as the provincial government releases its plan for reducing red tape.
I’m looking forward to the prospects for a productive and prosperous year for Ontario’s agri-food sector in 2019.
By Keith Currie, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
