Ontario Increasing Support for Farmers in Niagara

January 28, 2025

Beamsville – The Ontario government is increasing annual funding for the provincial Risk Management Program from $150 million to $250 million to enhance support for farmers and the province’s $51 billion agri-food sector. The $100 million increase will support farmers in responding to market challenges while boosting their long-term business confidence and competitiveness.

“This is a historic increase in provincial funding that will support local farmers and growers across Niagara,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

“More than ever – as we face significant cross-border trade challenges – we need to support Ontario made and Ontario grown. As a region with the largest number of agricultural commodities in the province, from tender fruit and grape and wine to livestock and grains, our province is standing behind our 51 billion agri-food sector.”

“Our government promised farmers we would continue to expand and enhance the Risk Management Program, and with this historic investment, we have delivered,” said Hon. Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.

“To Ontario’s world-class farmers, know that our government remains focused on strengthening your resilience and competitiveness, no matter what headwinds may come our way.”

The $100 million increase will be phased in over a three-year period, starting with a $30 million increase for the 2025 program year, leading to an annual total of $250 million by the 2027 program year. Producer premiums will remain at thirty-five percent of government funding, and the current phase-in of this will continue.

“Ontario farmers work tirelessly to feed our growing province, and they deserve a government that protects them and their industry against economic uncertainty,” said Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance.

“This investment will not only continue to support hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity, it will also help ensure the continued growth of Ontario’s thriving agri-food sector for generations.”

“The Ontario Federation of Agriculture has continuously advocated for further enhancements to the Risk Management Program through positive consultations with provincial policymakers and our members,” said Drew Spoelstra, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

“We are delighted that the Ontario government has honoured its commitment to deliver this historic funding increase. This investment will provide Ontario’s farmers with added confidence and certainty at the exact time it is needed most given growing market instability.”

This investment builds on the $50 million annual increase to the Risk Management Program in 2020 to $150 million, and past reforms which allowed unused program funds to be rolled over to future year claims, allowing the program to be most responsive in times of greatest need. This also builds on the 2023 changes to the compensation rates for AgriStability which were increased from seventy percent to eighty percent, a change that Ontario led the fight on at the federal level to better serve farms facing significant margin declines due to production losses as part of the national suite of Business Risk Management programming.

Risk Management Program supports over 383,000 jobs and $24 billion throughout Ontario’s agri-food supply chain across 8,500 farms which produce cattle, hogs, sheep, veal, grains and oilseeds, as well as edible horticulture through the Self-Directed Risk Management stream.