For release: December 31, 2004

Mcguinty Government McGuinty Government Marks Year of Progress

in Ontario's Agri-Food Sector

TORONTO - The McGuinty government made great strides in 2004 to strengthen an agri-food sector that contributes $30 billion to the Ontario economy, employs 650,000 people and ships $8.4 billion in exports annually, Minister of Agriculture and Food Steve Peters said today.

“Despite a tough year, I am very proud of the accomplishments we made by working in close co-operation with the industry,” Peters said. “Besides providing much-needed financial assistance to farmers dealing with the fallout of BSE and market fluctuations, we moved forward on innovative projects like encouraging renewable fuel production and establishing a new food safety program for small and medium-sized processors.”

“The recent Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food helped a great deal in building a foundation to seize opportunities presented by new trends and technologies that will make Ontario's agri-food sector a leader and help build a more prosperous province,” Peters added. “We look forward to tapping into the momentum that was started at the first annual summit, and making even greater achievements in the new year.”

- 30 -

Contact:
Jamie Rilett
Minister Peters' Office
(416) 326-6439
(416) 458-2610 (Mobile)