Several announcements made by the province at the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo in Verner on Tuesday.

Premier Doug Ford announced that Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade will lead an Ontario trade mission to South Korea and Japan.

It will take place from October 12th to 24th.

“We’re going to champion our top notch Ontario agricultural products. They’re some of the best in the world. We won’t be bullied by other countries. We’re going to stand up for our farmers,” Ford says.

Fedeli says his job will be to focus on automotive and aerospace contacts

“We do $14 billion in trade with Japan now and $7 billion with South Korea. Trade is important to the growth of Ontario. We expect to enhance that by making the contacts and then bring the business home,” he says.

Hardeman’s main job will be on agriculture.

Meantime, the province announced it’s investing in 20 agriculture projects across the north including $200,000 for BisON to build a new bison ranch in Crystal Falls, $400,000 for Ferme Roberge in Verner to expand its business by diversifying into the broiler chicken industry, $330,000 for Krause Farm and Rental in Verner to expand its business to export quality hay and domestic lamb and $60,000 for Parview Farms in Cache Bay to expand its dairy farm operation.

(photo by station staff)

Filed under: 2019-international-plowing-match-and-expo, premier-doug-ford, vic-fedeli