As I wrap up my first year as chair of this organization, it’s never been more clear that being proactive and engaged matters.
Farming, as we all know, can be a precarious business. It was the weather that dominated much of our year here in Ontario and around the world, as well as global trade and political uncertainties – and while those are issues beyond the control of the individual grower, what we can have some influence over is how government and industry respond during times of crisis.
That’s where lobbying and proactive relationship building is invaluable, and that’s where the OFVGA has been concentrating the vast majority of its efforts provincially and federally this past year.
Provincially, it was a year of laying ground work as the Conservative government moved ahead with changes on many fronts and marked its first full year in office. A shuffle of cabinet ministers meant new faces in many of the portfolios of interest to fruit and vegetable growers.
We held two lobby days at Queen’s Park, one in April 2019 and one in November 2019 when we proactively met with politicians, their staff and bureaucrats to introduce them to OFVGA and what the fruit and vegetable sector represents to Ontario’s economy.
Source : OFVGA