Ont. cuts red tape to benefit farmers

 

Staff Writer

Farms.com

 

The Ontario government plans to modernize the Farm Business Registration Program, allowing producers to save time and minimize paperwork. 

 

Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, announced this proposal, which aims to reduce red tape for farmers as a component of the Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, yesterday. He made the announcement at the Doan & Family Turkey Farm in Norwich. 

 

"Ontario's farmers and farm businesses are among the many impacted by burdensome, unnecessary government red tape," Hardeman said in a Thursday OMAFRA release. "I am pleased to be working to remove many of these barriers to business growth and job creation in the agricultural sector. In fact, we are looking to do even more as we work with the sector to find additional areas for the government to address so (farmers) can focus on growing their businesses."

 

The proposal is part of the government’s multi-year Ontario Open for Business Action Plan. The plan aims to diminish regulatory red tape affecting businesses by 25 per cent. 

 

Before the announcement, Hardeman toured the Doan & Family Turkey Farm, saying that such events benefit the province’s ag industry.

 

“I think it’s one giant step to try and get the message out to the rest of Ontario of what is actually going on down on the farm,” he told Farms.com. “Obviously, there are misconceptions of how farming is done and how animals are raised. 

 

“Every opportunity I get to go out and (hold these) events, and the media is there, we can then get the message out to the public of what’s happening out there and why agriculture is so important to the province of Ontario.”

 

Kathryn Doan, co-owner of Doan & Family Turkey Farm, agrees that farm tours help Ontarians better understand different areas of the ag industry.

 

 

“I think, even when we are familiar with a certain sector, we’re not necessarily experts in other areas,” she said to Farms.com. “I feel it’s really important, especially with turkey. There’s an opportunity for us to highlight how important it is to keep our birds healthy – to keep our birds in an environment that grows the safe food that the consumer want. 

 

“You should say yes to opportunities like this,” she added.