FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2004

CELEBRATING AGRICULTURE WEEK
Laurie Scott calls on McGuinty government to recognize the importance of Agriculture.

Today at the beginning of Agriculture week, Laurie Scott, MPP Haliburton-Victoria-Brock spoke out in support of farmers, and the important work that they do providing Ontario families with fresh quality food.

“This coming weekend we will celebrate Thanksgiving. The bounty from the harvest that fills our tables comes to us through the hard work of our farmers,” said Laurie Scott. “As a province, we need to become more aware of how our overall well-being is connected to the quality food farmers provide.”

Ontario's agriculture industry has always been and continues to be an important part of the province's economy. Farming in Ontario dates back to before the time that the first Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable John Graves Simcoe, had the land in Upper Canada surveyed for the purpose of establishing farming homesteads for the early Loyalist settlers.

In June of 1998, Bert Johnson, the Progressive Conservative MPP from Perth riding introduced a bill into the legislature proclaiming Agriculture week. It was a simple bill with the stated objective of providing special recognition for the contribution of Ontario’s farmers to our society by proclaiming the week commencing on the Monday immediately before Thanksgiving Day in each year as Ontario Agriculture Week.

The McGuinty Liberals do not seem to recognize that agriculture is the second most significant driver of our province’s economy. It is not just farmers and their families who suffer when the government makes cuts to the agriculture ministry’s budget. Family farming operations are important to the economic health of our rural communities. If the feed mills or the equipment dealers can’t sell their products, those businesses will suffer, as will their local community.

“The Liberal government has cut important programs and funding over the past year,” said Laurie Scott. “They have slashed the ministry budget by $128 million despite their promise to make the Agriculture and Food Ministry a lead ministry. Hopefully the coming year will be a better one for our farmers. Agriculture should be more of a priority of the government than it has been.”

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