For Release: July 11, 2005

Agriculture Ministers Make Significant Progress On Key Issues
Deposit No Longer Required To Access Income Stabilization Program

TORONTO - Ontario farmers will have easier access to financial assistance following last week's meeting of federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers, announced Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky today.

At the meeting, Canada's agriculture ministers agreed to eliminate the requirement that producers make a deposit before accessing the Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program - a change Ontario farmers have said is key to making the program more accessible.

"Our government will continue to work with its federal, provincial and territorial partners to build a strong, self-reliant agriculture industry," said Dombrowsky. "I am pleased that at my first meeting as Ontario's agriculture minister, my colleagues and I were able to listen to producers and make this program more user-friendly."

At their meeting in Kananaskis, Alberta, ministers also met with representatives of the cattle industry to plan for the possible outcomes of the U.S. District Court hearing, to be held later this month, related to the future of exports of beef, cattle and other ruminants to the U.S. Further collaboration will be undertaken by government and industry to refine an approach prior to the court decision.

"The McGuinty government is committed to working with the industry to increase our own processing capacity and develop new markets, ultimately lessening our reliance on the U.S. market," said Dombrowsky.

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Contact:
Art Chamberlain
Minister's Office
416-326-3072