For immediate release: 5 July 2006

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT INVITES NEW THINKING ON THE FUTURE
OF THE AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY
New Committee To Advise Government On Innovative Directions For The Sector

TORONTO - The Minister's Strategic Advisory Committee will help the Ontario government strengthen the agri-food industry for the benefit of rural families, Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on behalf of Premier Dalton McGuinty today.

"We're on the side of rural families, who want a competitive agri-food sector supported by innovative research, new lines of business and strong sales of Ontario-grown food," Premier McGuinty said. "With the talent and expertise we are drawing on in this committee, I'm sure we will see great progress on all these fronts in the near future."

The 16-member committee is drawn from a broad cross-section of the agri-food industry. It will advise Dombrowsky on how to best implement an industry vision and strategic directions that came out of the Premier's Summit on Agri-Food, held in February, 2006.

The directions include:

• identifying barriers, opportunities and potential partners for a marketing strategy for organic and niche products, and
• identifying solutions on how to speed up bioproduct innovation and access to lucrative markets.

The committee will also advise on the design of an Outlook Conference on innovation in the agri-food sector, to be held on November 8-9, 2006, and provide an update on industry progress at the next Premier's Agri-Food Summit, being planned for early 2007.

Other McGuinty government initiatives for rural families include:

• Investing more than $32 million in capital grants and up to $60 million in annual operating grants to help build a successful ethanol industry in Ontario.
• Recognizing the unique needs of rural schools with $230 million for school repairs, library books and transition programs.
• Investing $19 million in rural communities through the Rural Economic Development program.

"The long-term vitality of our agri-food industry is in the best interest of the entire province," said Dombrowsky. "I am confident that this committee will bring fresh ideas to the table for moving the industry forward in new, more sustainable and profitable directions."

- 30 -

Contacts:
Chris Flavelle
Minister's Office
(416) 326-3072

MINISTER'S STRATEGIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The 16-member committee is drawn from a wide cross-section of the industry. The following are areas for which input from the committee will be sought:

• An Outlook Conference, scheduled for November 8-9, 2006. This will be a forum for agriculture and food industry leaders, government officials, researchers and international presenters to discuss the recent performance and mid-to-long-term prospects for this sector. The focus of the conference will be innovation.
• A strategy to better market organic and niche products.
• Methods for speeding up the development of bioproducts and bringing them to market.
• A status report on how the industry is progressing, for presentation at the 2007 Premier's Summit on Agri-Food.

The committee includes:

Chair

Rita Burak is currently chair of Hydro One Inc. She is also a director of The Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada and the president of a consulting partnership, The Network Executive Team, Management Consultants, Inc. Ms. Burak is the vice chair of the University of Guelph Board of Governors and a member of the University Health Network Board of Trustees. From 1995 to 2000, she served as Secretary of the Cabinet in Ontario, and from 1989 to 1995 as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. She is a member of the Order of Ontario.

Members

Ron Bonnett, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Keith Chen, President of Culinary Destinations Ltd.

Jim Clark, Executive Director of the Ontario Cattle Feeders Association.

Allison Connell, Senior Manager of Agriculture at BMO - Bank of Montreal.

Greg DeVries, Chair of the Ontario Soybean Growers.

John Kelly, Executive Director of MaRS Landing.

John Kikkert, President of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario.

Yves Leroux, Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs at Parmalat Dairy & Bakery Inc.

Rory McAlpine, Vice President, Government and Industry Relations at Maple Leaf Foods.

Don Mills, President of the National Farmers Union - Ontario.

John Scott, President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.

Larry Skinner, Board Member and Past Chair of the Ontario Pork Producers' Marketing Board.

Art Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association.

Lori Stahlbrand, President, Local Flavour Plus.

Geoff Wilson, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Public Affairs, at George Weston Ltd.

- 30 -

Contacts:
Christopher Flavelle
Minister's Office
(416) 326-3072