Policy & Issues

Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) is a producer-driven organization. Resolutions from our members drive BFO policy development and provide direction for the association. The BFO Board of Directors is responsible for implementing all policies and providing direction in response to emerging and recurrent issues affecting the Ontario beef sector. Development of all policies and positions are made with the best interests of the Ontario beef sector in mind while giving due regard to the specific needs of the various sectors within the industry.

Provincial Priorities (2026)

  1. Establish a government-backed Breeder Loan Guarantee Program to improve access to affordable capital, support herd expansion and renewal, and reduce financial risk for cow-calf operators.
  2. Immediately increase the program area operational cap for Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) from $1.2 million to $2.4 million, ensuring timely, predictable income support during periods of market volatility.
  3. Modernize Ontario’s carcass condemnation process by improving transparency, consistency, and dispute resolution mechanisms to ensure producers are treated fairly and compensated appropriately.
  4. Address Ontario’s critical veterinary shortages by improving access to veterinary services in rural communities, enhancing the Veterinary Incentive Program (VIP) and continuing to modernize the Veterinary Assistance Program (VAP) to reflect current costs and on-farm needs.
  5. Promote sound land use planning and zoning policies to protect critical agri-food processing infrastructure from nuisance complaints and encroachment that threatens expansion and viability, including facilities such as Cargill Guelph, Cargill Sarnia and St. Helen’s Meat Packers.
  6. Ensure provincial processors receive clear permitting requirements and process guidance well in advance of regulatory harmonization related to Specified Risk Material (SRM).
  7. Initiate a comprehensive review of the PAWS Act to assess its on-farm impacts, unintended consequences, and alignment with existing animal care, transport, and welfare frameworks.
  8. Secure increased and sustained funding for the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance research agreement, supporting applied research, innovation, and evidence-based policy development for Ontario’s beef sector.
  9. Explore community pasture expansion and renewal opportunities by securing government and ENGO partnerships to fund infrastructure upgrades, enhance environmental outcomes, and expand grazing capacity.
  10. Encourage municipalities to utilize Canadian science, data, and production practices when developing climate action plans, sustainability initiatives, and food procurement policies to ensure decisions reflect local agricultural realities and outcomes.

FEDERAL Priorities (2026)

  1. Protect and strengthen Canada–U.S. beef trade by defending the integrated North American market and forcefully opposing U.S. tariffs or other trade measures that undermine the competitiveness of Ontario’s beef farmers.
  2. Firmly oppose any trade agreement with Mercosur that includes expanded access for beef imports. Increasing market access for Mercosur countries risks creating a significant trade imbalance, undermining the competitiveness of Canada’s domestic beef sector and negatively impacting Canadian farmers.
  3. Strengthen business risk management programs by increasing the AgriStability trigger and payment cap, seeking federal contributions to Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP), and examining U.S.-style cattle risk management programs, such as Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin.
  4. Protect Ontario’s finite agricultural land base, which is essential to the long-term viability of farm families and Canada’s food production. Any development that results in the loss of agricultural land (i.e., Alto High-Speed Rail, Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar) must involve transparent consultation with the agricultural sector and include strong farmland protections, meaningful mitigation measures, and fair compensation for impacted farm operations.
  5. Increase the inspection and enforcement of retail beef-labelling claims, with a particular focus on imported products and the appropriate use of “Product of Canada,” “Made in Canada,” and other origin claims.
  6. Advance Ontario’s cattle traceability priorities and secure transition support and infrastructure funding for farmers and the broader beef sector.
  7. Develop and implement incentives and programs that support herd rebuilding and help restore Ontario’s beef cow herd.
  8. Closely monitor the implementation and impacts of V-USA (vCOOL) and aggressively oppose any re-emergence of mCOOL or similar labelling regimes that promote market segregation, distort trade, or increase costs for Ontario beef farmers.
  9. Increase investment in meat-processing capacity by improving access to funding for new facilities and expansions, strengthening domestic and foreign labour pathways, and expanding skills training for industrial butchers and meat cutters.
  10. Secure a permanent increase in the interest-free limit under the Advance Payments Program (APP) to at least $350,000, prioritizing implementation for the 2026–27 program year, and make Ontario’s Risk Management Program (RMP) eligible as security for advances issued through the APP.