Flack says too soon to know Ontario agriculture tariff impact

The Ontario agriculture minister says the government is ready to act when it’s needed

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Published: March 12, 2025

Flack says too soon to know Ontario agriculture tariff impact

Ontario’s agriculture minister says that he’s in regular contact with farm organizations, but everyone is waiting on details before knowing the impact of Trump tariffs on Ontario’s farmers.

“We’re going to protect our farmers, our ag and agri-food workers, our businesses and communities,” said Rob Flack, Ontario’s minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness in an interview at the Ottawa Valley Farm Show.

“We didn’t call on this. This is a trade war…President Trump has started.”

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He says he talks daily with farm organizations about the tariff threat.

“It’s very fluid, as you know, so there’s nothing specific yet, but we’re on the ready,” he said.

The Ontario Legislature will begin sitting again in early April. It’s been out of session since the recent election was called.

“We’re going to have a budget by the end of month so we’re putting together contingency plans for if and when something comes down. We hope cooler heads prevail.”

About the author

John Greig

John Greig

Senior Editor

John Greig is a senior editor with Glacier FarmMedia with responsibility for Technology, Livestock and Ontario. He lives on a farm near Ailsa Craig, Ontario. Contact John at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jgreig.

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