For Immediate Release
June 19, 2007

MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT HELPS NIAGARA JUICE GRAPE GROWERS

Funding Helps Growers, Protects Other Grape Crops

ST. CATHARINES - The McGuinty government is helping juice grape growers adjust to a changing marketplace while maintaining the health of the grape sector in the Niagara region, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Leona Dombrowsky, and St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, announced today.

"This is good news for juice grape growers in Niagara," said Bradley. "This is another example of the support our government is providing to farmers in Niagara Region."

Through the Ontario Juice Grape Transition Program, the government is providing $3.8 million to help juice grape growers in the Niagara region remove the grapevines from their acreage, thereby protecting the plant health of the remaining vineyards in the region. The demand and market for juice grapes has been in decline.

"By helping juice grape growers pull out their unused vines, we are decreasing the risk of disease and pest outbreaks, while supporting the agricultural industry in Niagara," said Dombrowsky. "This funding will assist our juice grape growers make the transition to other agricultural land uses."

"This announcement of assistance for our juice grape growers comes at a critical time in our grape growing season," said Bill George Jr., chair of the Grape Growers of Ontario. "Our industry could not afford to have abandoned vineyards potentially affect the overall health of this year's grape crop. We thank Minister Dombrowsky and the government of Ontario for recognizing and responding quickly to this phyto-sanitary issue."

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in rural Ontario. Other examples include:

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Contacts:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416 326-6439

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
416 326-9342