In a joint statement today, the leadership of 14 Ontario agricultural organizations said they “are pleased to find common ground with the Ontario government in respect to protecting farmland under the proposed Provincial Planning Statement.”
According to a May 30 Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) Viewpoint by President Peggy Brekveld, the provincial government will not be moving ahead with the three-lot severance proposal, and will extend the consultation period that is currently ongoing regarding the proposed Provincial Planning Statement (PPS).
Why it matters: Farm groups were concerned that the Proposed Planning Statement could make establishing housing within prime agricultural lands much easier.
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The government “has agreed to work with the agriculture sector to find solutions to this issue,” she said.
“Ontario’s farmers have been vocal – and united – in recent weeks in asking the provincial government to take a pause on its recent proposed Provincial Planning Statement and proposed Bill 97. We are thankful that government has listened to our most significant concern and is taking steps to address it,” said Brekveld.
“We understand — and support — the need to increase the housing supply in Ontario, but we also want to ensure that housing is developed without encroaching on Ontario’s farmland, which is our most precious natural resource,” the Ontario agricultural organizations said in their joint statement, and are encouraged by the government’s commitment to continue to work on finding solution with Ontario’s farming community.
The Ontario agricultural organizations included in the joint statement are:
Beef Farmers of Ontario
Chicken Farmers of Ontario
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario
Dairy Farmers of Ontario
Egg Farmers of Ontario
Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance
National Farmers Union – Ontario
Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission
Ontario Farmland Trust
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Ontario Pork
Ontario Turkey
Ontario Sheep
Veal Farmers of Ontario
