Walkerton – MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner reaffirmed his commitment to fight for farmland protection at the 2026 International Plowing Match. Below is an excerpt from his speech.
“It’s never been harder to be a farmer in Ontario than it is right now.
We have some of the best farmland and the best farmers anywhere in the world.
Ontario’s food and farming sector contributes $52 billion dollars to the economy and employs one in nine Ontarians.
It’s our responsibility at Queen’s Park to come together across party lines to let farmers know we have their backs.
That’s exactly why independent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady and I have teamed up to put forward a bill that would, if passed, create a foodbelt to protect Ontario’s farmland. Because we can’t afford to keep losing 319 acres every day.
Being able to feed ourselves and the world is the best defence against Trump’s tariffs. We have the land, we have the farmers, we have the research institutions to make it happen.
So let’s work together to invest in our rural communities so we can not only feed Ontario, but feed the world.”