By Peggy Brekveld, Board Member, Northern Ontario, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Agriculture drives Ontario’s economy. In terms of actual dollars generated from Ontario farms, primary agriculture contributes $13.7 billion to our province’s GDP and generates 158,000 jobs. Agriculture is on top and we’ve got plenty of potential to grow. Just look to northern Ontario for a great example of the tremendous growth potential for agriculture. North of Parry Sound lies almost 90% of Ontario’s total land mass, and 7% of our province’s total farmland.
As a farmer in northern Ontario, I’m seeing steady farmland expansion across the region. And with 3 million acres of prospective farmland in northern Ontario, we’ve got a lot of potential to generate more food, fibre and profits. Expanding agriculture in the north means greater economic growth for all of Ontario.
There’s plenty of room and opportunity for new and expanding farmers in northern Ontario. Lower land prices balance the higher costs of transportation – whether you are bringing in farm inputs or shipping out commodities.