Ontario is earmarking more than $1 million over four years to promote locally grown fruit across the province as it pushes to boost the domestic farming industry.
The new push to promote local fruit will see special display bins resplendent with the Foodland Ontario brand bought for grocery stores around the province, pushing locally-grown tender fruits like peaches and pears for shoppers.
The new initiative was announced by Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Rob Flack on Thursday.
$1.6 million will come from the province with the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers contributing another $1.6 million that will see them purchase 7,000 of the display bins that will be shown in high-traffic areas in grocery stores.
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Flack was joined by Phil Tregunno, chair of Ontario Tender Fruit Growers, and Guelph MP and Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner at the Metro store on Edinburgh Road South in Guelph for the announcement.
“Consumers come in and they see the product right away,” Tregunno said. “With local fruit, it tastes better than anything else. We can grow the best thing but we need that product placement in stores to really drive it.”
Tregunno hopes this program will boost demand for Ontario tender fruit and other produce.
“We want to make sure the whole supply chain works really well.”
According to a news release from the ministry, the tender fruit farmgate value for fresh market and processing sales accounted for more than $85 million in 2023. It adds the Ontario agriculture and food sector supports more than 871,883 jobs and contributed more than $50.7 billion to the province’s economy in 2023.
“We employ more people in food and beverage than we do the auto sector,” said Flack. “It is big business. It’s important business. Why? Because we are feeding a growing province.”
This is the latest promotion by Foodland Ontario which has highlighted a number of fruits, vegetables, and other locally-produced food in grocery stores over the last 47 years. It is part of the Grow Ontario Strategy with a goal of increasing consumption of food locally grown, raised and produced by 30 per cent by 2032.
“Foodland Ontario has been around for decades,” Flack said. “It’s iconic, it’s a brand that’s known in Ontario, it helps gets good nutritional food on to people’s tables and feeding families.”