Premier Kathleen Wynne and Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister Responsible for Small Business, released a statement after meeting with leaders from Ontario's agri-food sector.
The pair met with a number of top agri-food leaders late last week to discuss trade relations with the United States.
The U.S. is Ontario's number one trading partner, with two-way agri-food trade totaling about $28.8 billion in 2016.
Both point to the relationship as a way to help the agri-food businesses thrive and is essential to creating and maintaining good jobs in Ontario communities, growing the economy and providing safe, quality food to consumers.
Starting this month, Minister Leal will travel to key Great Lakes states to meet with government and business leaders in the agri-food sector. This complements the Premier's ongoing engagement with state governors and continued dialogue with a full spectrum of Ontario businesses and workers.
Minister Leal will continue to advocate for agri-food trade between Ontario and the United States, emphasizing the importance of the two-way trading relationship defending the interests of farmers and processors, and maintain the integrity of Canada's supply management system.
Ontario is also establishing a Minister's Advisory Committee on Agri-Food Trade, comprised of leaders from Ontario's agri-food industry, to provide advice and insight on the realities of the shared agri-food value chain.
