Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - Jeff LealOntario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs - Jeff Leal
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Ag Minister Says Production Insurance Will Have Dollars Needed

Ontario Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal says the 100 million dollar cap remains on the provincial Business Risk Management program.

However, Leal says the recent provincial budget made a committment to ensure programs like production insurance will have the dollars needed to mitigate the risks farmers face.

He also repeated the provincial government's argument that the feds need to get involved and pay their traditional 60 per cent share of that program.

The budget also repeated an earlier commitment to expansion of the natural gas infrastructure to rural Ontario.

The minister suggests the faster that can be done the sooner farmers will be able to replace more expensive electricity in many of their operations.

Leal says the government will be consulting with communities which may, as he put it, be 'shovel ready' to move that infrastructure expansion forward.

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Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal says the government has committed to making sure the money is there to mitigate the risks farmers face.

[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/LEAL-Budget-1.mp3"][/audio]

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Jeff Leal says they are pushing ahead with plans to extend natural gas infrastructure to rural Ontario.

[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/LEAL-Budget-2.mp3"][/audio]

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