Ontario
Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal has stepped in to try to calm farmers’ concerns
over a move by his Ontario Farm Products Marketing Commission to remove
bargaining rights from the Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers Marketing
Board.
“I have directed the OFPMC to refrain
from implementing any changes to the existing regulatory framework applicable
to the vegetable processing industry until there has been a fulsome public
consultation and engagement process . . .” he said in a news release.
I wonder how long Geri Kamenz can continue as commission chairman.
Farm organizations,
including the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Christian Farmers
Federation of Ontario, have been critical of the commission.
Despite
his directive, effectively chiding the commission, Leal said “I would like to
offer my sincere thanks to the OFPMC for its ongoing commitment and work on
behalf of the industry and all Ontarians as it is of vital importance to the
future of our agri-food industry and Ontario’s economy.”
That leaves a big question: was this an initiative of the commission or did it come from the Liberal cabinet that's using the commission as an arm's-length tool to distance itself from inevitable farm anger?
The
commission has indicated it opened the issue because Ontario’s processing
vegetable industry has been stagnant. That has never seemed to bother the commission about other marketing boards it supervises.
While
processors haven’t said anything publicly, it’s clear that they would be happy
to see an end to the marketing board’s bargaining powers.
