Ontario Ag Minister Tours Drought Fields

NFU Pressures Ontario Government to Provide Relief

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

After lobbying pressures by the National Farmers Union (NFU) for the Ontario government to provide disaster relief for farmers, Ontario agriculture minister Ted McMeekin went out into the field of Niagara based Vuckovic Farms to see first-hand the impact that drought has had on farmer’s crops. Since April, Ontario has only had 40 to 60 percent of normal rainfall putting stress on crops which could severely impact yields. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs predict that 10 to 20 percent of the provinces corn crops are already unsalvageable.

“Our members across much of the province are facing a severe shortage of pasture and forages to feed livestock for the rest of the summer and to store for winter feed,” Ontario NFU co-ordinator Ann Slater said in a statement.

It’s going to take a lot more than a walk in the field to convince Ontario farmers that the province has their back. It will be interesting to see if the government will step in to provide additional relief above basic crop insurance that farmers already have.