As a representative of one of the largest agriculture-producing areas in Ontario with over 4,000 farm families, it’s an honour to rise in this place to recognize the 25th Ontario Agriculture Week.

Speaker, 25 years ago, MPP Bert Johnson established Ontario Agriculture Week through a private member’s public bill. MPP Johnson represented the riding of Perth–Middlesex from 1995 to 2003. We all owe our thanks to MPP Johnson for this important week in recognition of our agriculture sector.

Year after year, farm families work through changing seasons and market fluctuations to ensure that our province is fed and well-nourished. Every day, farmers and agriculture workers across this province wake up before the sun rises to grow and prepare the food that we enjoy at our kitchen tables.

Our government is focused on supporting Ontario’s agriculture sector and strengthening our food supply chain. Our government has set an ambitious goal to increase the amount of food grown and produced in the province of Ontario by 30% by 2032. By doing so, we’ll create more good-paying jobs in agriculture and the food industry.

We can never thank our farmers and agricultural workers enough for the vital work they do to keep our province fed. They are the reason Ontario exports over $19 billion in agri-food products per year. These are among the many reasons why our government will always support Ontario’s growing and thriving agricultural sector.