Issues of Concern to NFA Members:

Developing acceptable nutrient management legislation and the associated regulations has not been an easy process. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture and its partner commodity groups have been working at this for many months. Now we think we’re approaching a workable conclusion.

Ontario farmers are to be congratulated for their input and persistence. If they had given up when the process appeared impossible, we would not have made the progress that’s been accomplished. When government officials presented the second phase of draft regulations late last year, the farming industry in Ontario felt under siege.

Many farmers were talking about quitting, selling their farms and getting out of the business. The perception was they could not comply with, nor afford the regulations that were being proposed.

Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food, the Hon. Helen Johns, called a time-out early this year. During that break, government officials took a closer look at what farmers and their organizations were saying was so threatening to agriculture in Ontario.

OFA along with its Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition partners have been successful in meeting with Minister Johns and Ontario’s environment minister, the Hon. Chris Stockwell, to discuss ways of addressing the concerns of farmers and making the legislation and regulations more realistic.

The consultations held during the early days of February have led to recommendations for a much more pro-agriculture approach which also addressed the environmental concerns. Some of the changes expected are: a phase-in period extension for most categories, an enforcement protocol between OMAF and MOE with a heavy emphasis on education for all involved, and a greatly reduced focus on prosecution.

This has required a significant shift in philosophy, and OFA and its partner commodity organizations are grateful to Ministers Johns and Stockwell for their influence.

Adequate public funding to cover a significant portion of compliance costs for farmers remains an outstanding concern from OFA’s point of view. Many of the changes farmers will need to make to their production systems are made to improve the public perception of agricultural operations. OFA is insisting that government shoulder its financial responsibilities.

OFA President Ron Bonnett, with an on-going province-wide president’s tour, has met with grassroots producers in their homes and community centres. Repeatedly the message has been adequate funding or farm families in Ontario, our main producers, will be gone. The second message from these meetings is to stay on track with the regulatory process, for to stop now would put Ontario farmers in jeopardy by non-agricultural interests.

OFA believes Bill 81 offers protection to farm families if the government uses a common sense approach.

We expect the final draft of regulations, incorporating the input from the most recent consultations, to be presented to the Provincial Cabinet within days. Once that is done, the OFA and its partner commodity groups will be evaluating the regulations to ensure they reflect input during the consultations.

Right from the beginning, OFA and the commodity organization partners have been insisting on legislation and associated regulations that will give the necessary protection to the province’s groundwater supply without forcing farmers from the industry.

Ontario’s farmers have long been stewards of the land and the environment. OFA is not prepared to accept any government actions that would unduly challenge the legacy of Ontario agriculture.

 

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