Ontario to spend $3.7M for Northern farming growth

Ontario is providing $3.7 million to help increase farm production in the Northeast as part of the government’s plan to build a more diverse economy in the North.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the investment today in New Liskeard on the final day of her week-long trip to more than a dozen communities across Northern Ontario. Through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), the government will invest in four projects run by consortiums of farmers. The projects, involving 76 farmers in total, include clearing land to bring new farmland into production and installing tile drainage systems on new or existing farmland to remove excess water, leading to larger and healthier crops.

Ontario is providing:

• $1 million to Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) for about 1,900 acres of land for a consortium of nine farmers in the Timiskaming and Cochrane regions

• $999,925 to NOFIA for about 1,897 acres of land for a consortium of 12 farmers in the Timiskaming and Cochrane regions

• $952,200 to West Nipissing East Sudbury Agricultural Support Projects Inc. for about 1,587 acres of land for a consortium of 26 farmers in the Nipissing and Sudbury regions

• $793,725 to Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre for about 1,383 acres of land for a consortium of 29 farmers in the Algoma and Sudbury West regions.

The NOHFC’s investments in agricultural projects  — part of the government’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario — are promoting economic diversification, helping farmers take advantage of local and niche markets, and contributing to a sustainable local food source for Northerners.

Investing in agricultural expansion in the North is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario’s history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.