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Cattlemen Partner with Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to Showcase Ontario
Beef for Hundreds at Queen’s Park
June
4, 2010 (Guelph, ON) – Representatives of the Board of
Directors of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA)
were in Toronto yesterday for their 7th
Annual Queen’s Park Barbecue on the front lawn of the
Ontario Legislature. The barbecue has become the
highlight of a very full day for the OCA Board of
Directors as they meet with Members of Provincial
Parliament (MPPs) to discuss current challenges for the
Ontario beef industry.
Partnering with Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food
and Rural Affairs, The Honourable Carol Mitchell, to
host the event, OCA’s leaders were pleased with the
turnout.
“This
lobby day and barbecue is our chance to bring our issues
forward in a very public and well-received manner,” says
Curtis Royal, OCA President. “It’s an opportunity to
remind our elected Members that we are a large industry
which contributes greatly to the economy but it also
allows us to underline that we need their help to see
long-term sustainability for our producers. By
including a barbecue, we get the chance to showcase our
great product - Ontario beef.”
During
the day, OCA Directors and staff had the chance to meet
with many MPPs and spotlight the economic impact of the
Ontario beef industry on the province’s economy. Other
messages included the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability
Coalition and its mandate on behalf of certain
agricultural commodities; the need for “bridge” funding
until workable programs are implemented to help farmers;
and the need for Ontario beef producers to be able to
stay competitive with producers in other Canadian
provinces.
“We
know that our farmers are having a tough time”, said
Minister Mitchell in a meeting with the Directors of the
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association. “I am looking forward
to the upcoming Federal-Provincial-Territorial meeting
in July, at which I intend to have a full and frank
discussion with my provincial counterparts as well as
the Federal Minister of Agriculture.”
The
barbecue, which has become one of the most highly
anticipated events with MPPs and their staff, is the
flagship of a consistent provincial lobby effort on
behalf of Ontario beef producers. This year, as well as
the Minister herself, OCA was pleased that Ontario
Premier, The Honourable Dalton McGuinty took the time to
show his support for the industry by greeting OCA
Directors and serving Ontario Corn-Fed Beef to barbecue
attendees. Andrea Horwath, Ontario NDP Leader again took
a turn in slicing the beef for guests, as did Ernie
Hardeman, Agriculture Critic for the Ontario PC Party.
Close to 600 people were served.
“We are very fortunate to have a
Minister who hails from a very important beef-producing
area of Ontario,” concludes Royal. “The Minister knows
our product and knows our issues and we are lucky that
she is a big supporter of our industry. When we hold
events like this, it isn’t to preach to the converted,
it’s to show the Minister’s colleagues in Cabinet, and
all urban MPPs, who might not have agriculture
top-of-mind, that they cannot forget us. We have an
amazing product and a great industry, but unfortunately,
the current economic situation means we are continuing
to lose equity. And, as a result, we’re going to lose
producers if we don’t see help from the province”.
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The
Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) represents the
interests of 19,000 Ontario beef producers. OCA promotes
Ontario beef cattle production through policy planning,
government lobbying, industry development programs,
research, and communications along with the promotion
and advertisement of beef. OCA also provides services to
cattlemen in domestic and export market development and
market pricing co-ordination and reporting.
For
More Information, Contact:
Curtis
Royal, OCA President: 705-466-2162
Lianne
Appleby, OCA Communications Manager: 519-824-0334 |
