In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Ontario Agriculture Week, it’s wonderful to have the Beef Farmers of Ontario here with us: President Jack Chaffe and his gang, Craig McLaughlin, Joost van der Heiden, Jairus Maus, Thomas Brandstetter, Evan Chaffe and Darby Wheeler. And I saw Richard Horne was in the House as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, after you’ve been to the Somali reception, please come to the front lawn and enjoy a beautiful beef barbecue.

My question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The livestock industry is essential to Ontario’s agriculture and food industry. In Peterborough county, beef farmers generated over $11 million in farm cash receipts back in 2022. The beef sector continues to be an integral part of my local economy and, of course, of Ontario’s growing economy. Can the minister please explain how our government is ensuring that our beef sector continues to fuel our economy and feed our growing population?

Having additional processing capacity and a stable workforce is essential for a growing beef sector and for Ontario-made food to get to market. Can the minister please explain how funding initiatives by our government will ensure that Ontario is building the capacity that we need to grow the agricultural industry?

I want to thank the member from Peterborough for being a genuine champion not only of rural communities but of our agricultural industry as well. He’s spot on when he talks about the contribution that Ontario beef farmer make to our overall GDP. That translates into tens of thousands of jobs right across this province.

Ontario beef farmers understand that they finally have a government that listens and understands. Never was I more proud earlier this year to stand with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Colleges and Universities to announce a unique initiative whereby the Minister of Colleges and Universities oversaw a partnership between the University of Guelph and Lakehead to expand the veterinary program. My Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs complements that with a veterinary incentive program to ensure that large-animal vets are incented to work in underserviced areas. That’s just one example of many.

Another example would be just the briefing I had from the Minister of Labour, where we were talking about how we can better support the growth of the opportunities and capacities of our meat-processing plants—

This matters why? It matters because Ontario beef farmers know they have a government that stands with them as they travel the world to make sure that countries that are looking for good-quality beef products come to Ontario first. That matters because there’s a huge opportunity in terms of exports, and that translates into jobs right here at home. Whether it is Cargill in Guelph, or Cardinal Meats in Brampton, Norpac in Norwich or St. Helen’s right here in Toronto, we are producing—from farm to processing plant to table—protein that people can count on around the world.