The Ontario Liberals are calling for stronger support for Ontario’s agricultural industry.

The province announced in January plans to add another $100 million to the Risk Management Program, intended to help farmers from things that are considered out of their control.

The government is taking a phased-in approach to the increase, with $30 million added to the fund this year.

The Liberal’s Agriculture Critic, Ted Hsu, supports the increases, but says farmers have since faced higher commodity prices, higher equipment costs, and new U.S. tariffs.

“We’re calling today for an immediate increase,” says Hsu.

“The implementation of the full $100 million increase to the Risk Management program, instead of a three-year phase-in to the Risk Management Program is critical. An immediate step up to the full funding increase during this tumultuous time means more farmers will have the confidence to focus on investing, on innovation, on new opportunities, and the jobs that come with them.”

Deputy Leader Stephanie Bowman adds that farmers she spoke with at a recent agricultural conference in southern Ontario outlined the pressures they face in trying to be productive and efficient.

She says they worry about the volatile environment facing the province’s economy.

“What farmers need right now to continue to provide that stable food supply for us is some increased level of support, stability from their government, and that stability comes from Ontario’s risk management program, which really is a tried and true program that delivers results,” says Bowman.

Bowman notes that for every dollar spent on the Risk Management Program, the province sees a $2-3.60 return on that investment.

“Farmers aren’t asking for handouts and neither are we,” says Bowman.

“We’re simply asking the government to accelerate the rollout of the hundred million dollars in the risk management program because it’s an investment for the families and farms who feed Ontarians.”