Chambers want to ensure future competitiveness of agri-food sector

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released a  report which presents a series of recommendations designed to address barriers to the competitiveness of the agri-food sector in the province.

The report is called Fertile Ground: Growing the Competitiveness of Ontario’s Agri-food Sector.

As one of the most significant economic drivers in the province, the agri-food industry employs 1 in 9 Ontarians and represents $36.4 billion in GDP.

This report in part stems from OCC Policy Analyst Kathryn Sullivan’s July 2016 visit to Windsor-Essex, where she and WERCC CEO Matt Marchand met with local wineries, food processors, and agriculture stakeholders to gather information.

“In Windsor-Essex, agri-food stakeholders cited increased costs, regulatory pressures and the availability and reliability of natural gas as a barrier to growing their competitiveness,” said Marchand.

“Ontario has the largest net loss of plants in the country. Locally, we've lost $450 million in investment in two examples alone: Golden Acre Farms and Nature Fresh Farms who set up plants in Ohio instead.”

Among the recommendations presented in the report, the WERCC identifies the following as priorities to be addressed in the short term:

-Work with industry and all levels of government to establish a regulatory “concierge service” to assist industry in understanding, navigating and achieving compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.

-Publicly release economic impact assessments of policy initiatives that could affect the agri-food sector.

-Work with industry and post-secondary institutions to ensure that program offerings remain responsive to the needs of agricultural producers and processors.

-Access to reliable and adequate natural gas year-round.

-Urge Canadian government to pass a PACA (Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act)-type legislation.

“The health and viability of the entire industry depends on the ability of producers and processors to compete on a level playing field,” said Marchand. “In 2015, Ontario agri-food trade exceeded $14 billion. The Province must strive to do its part to enable the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.”

In order to attract, retain and grow agribusiness, the WERCC is looking for government to work collaboratively with the agri-food sector to set goals for Agriculture Week 2017 that support the industry in meeting the Premier’s Agri-food Challenge.