Ron Bonnett, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers and their organizations have already started through the process of providing input to the construction of the second stage of the draft regulations for Ontario's Nutrient Management legislation. If the first meetings are any indication, it appears that the farmers have a lot they want to tell the government.

At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, we're pleased to see this, because the more comprehensive the input, the better the chance of getting regulations the farmers will be able to live with.

OFA is not interested in seeing Ontario farmers end up with legislation and associated regulations that will drive producers from the industry. We want regulations that are based on scientific data not hypothetical projections. For decades, farmers have been taking every precaution to be good stewards of the resources agriculture needs to survive - land, water and air. We have implemented Environmental Farm Plans and through our efforts there is still $1,500 available to farmers completing the EFA to make environmental improvements on their farms. OFA is directly involved in strategic planning for water quality protection. Because of our history of valuable input to the Provincial Government, OFA has been invited to place both elected and staff personnel on the new provincial group charged with developing a comprehensive plan for water quality protection.

It is important that as many farmers as possible attend and provide their thoughts to the province's Agriculture and Food and Environment Ministry representatives on the nutrient management regulations. This legislation will form the basis for the long term relationship between agriculture, the environment and the citizens of this province. Ensuring the legislation sets the stage for a positive impact on the environment is important, but equally important is ensuring a positive impact on the economics of agriculture in Ontario.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, before it is satisfied with the process, wants to see an economic impact analysis to show what the new regulations will do to the economic balance for farmers in Ontario. There has to be assurance for Ontario's farmers that implementing these regulations will not jeopardize their competitiveness.

There is a full schedule of meetings throughout this month, and more are set for January. One set of meetings is designed to provide information to the farming community about the legislation and its regulations. From the beginning of December to the end of the month there will be 15 such meetings. The other set of meetings - five of them - will collect input from farmers and others concerned with the legislation until the end of December. The, another series will begin in January. Government officials need to hear from as many farmers as possible to ensure every area of possible concern is considered.