Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

New Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, Jeff Leal, Who is he and will he be a good Minister of Ag?

 

 

Jeff Leal

Political Career

  • Minister of Rural Affairs, February 2013 – May 2014
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, October 2007 – February 2010
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, September 2006 – September 2007
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy, November 2005 – September 2006
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, June 2005 – November 2005
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, September 2004 – June 2005
  • Second Deputy Mayor, Peterborough
  • City Councillor, Peterborough

Education

  • B.A. (Honours), Economics and Political Science, Trent University
  • Business Administration degree (Honours), University of Windsor

Personal and Family Life

  • Married (Karan) with two children, Braden and Shanae

Executive Biography

Jeff Leal was first elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003 as the MPP for Peterborough. He was re-elected in 2007, 2011 and 2014.

Leal was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in June 2014. He has served as Chief Government Whip, and as Parliamentary Assistant to the Ministers of Aboriginal Affairs, the Environment, Energy, Economic Development and Trade, and Training, Colleges and Universities.

Prior to being elected to the legislature, Leal was a Peterborough city councillor and second deputy mayor. He has worked extensively with the county and local governments, as well as the City of Peterborough.

From the Ontario Government website.

Views: 1123

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

OHRIA Welcomes Minister Leal.

OHRIA News

The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association is pleased with the announcement that Premier Kathleen Wynne has named Jeff Leal as Minister of Agriculture and Food, taking over those duties from Wynne.

 

The Agriculture portfolio is very important for members of the horse racing industry, and OHRIA looks forward to dealing with Minister Leal in this key position.

 

As Minister Leal will also be continuing in the position of Minister of Rural Affairs, we know the Minister already has a great insight into the concerns of our members and we are interested in building our relationship further.

 

"The past two years have seen tremendous changes for our industry, with significant issues that need to be addressed and Minister Leal has already demonstrated through word and action a genuine concern for the horse racing and breeding industry," said Sue Leslie, President and Chair of OHRIA. "We expect the government will be a strong partner in tackling these concerns in the next few months."

 

Prior to the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program 60,000 people were employed in the horse racing and breeding sectors. The industry continues to employ tens of thousands and plays an important role in the economy of rural Ontario, and OHRIA looks forward to our next meeting with Minister Leal to work together on building a strong partnership with the government.

OFA committed to working with new provincial cabinet.

OFA News

GUELPH, ON [June 24, 2014] – In a post-election cabinet shuffle, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today the re-amalgamation of the agriculture and rural affairs ministries. The cabinet announcement also included changes to other ministry portfolios. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is supportive of all the changes and will continue working closely with the various ministries to address important issues affecting the business of farming in Ontario.

Ontario’s agriculture and food industries are affected by a number of portfolios across multiple ministries. The OFA looks forward to working with new and returning Ministers and policy makers in their areas of legislative responsibility.

The OFA welcomes returning Minister Jeff Leal to his expanded portfolio as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. As former Minister of Rural Affairs, Leal is familiar with both the rural and agricultural landscape. The OFA will work closely with him to champion agriculture, food and rural issues across other ministries, particularly Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure. 

Led by Minister Brad Duguid, the newly reconstituted Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure will prove to be important to the agriculture and agri-food sector’s plans for economic growth in Ontario. OFA will work with Minister Duguid on the Liberal party’s promise to enable natural gas connections across rural Ontario. Natural gas expansion across our province is a sound investment and will improve the competitiveness of farms and other rural businesses.

Continuing with its focus on food literacy, the OFA will work with the new Minister of Health, Dr. Eric Hoskins, and returning Minister of Education Liz Sandals, to develop a long-term strategy to reintroduce nutrition and food preparation into Ontario’s education system. The OFA also looks forward to working with former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ted McMeekin, in his new role as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. McMeekin will lead the review of the Greenbelt, Oak Ridges and Niagara Escarpment Plans and the OFA will be at the table to ensure farming and food businesses remain sustainable within these land-use designated areas. OFA will work closely with Reza Moridi, the new Minister of Research and Innovation, to continue critical agricultural research into new markets, climate change and enhanced productivity.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is the largest general farm organization in Ontario. As a dynamic farmer-led organization based in Guelph, the OFA works to represent and champion the interests of Ontario farmers through government relations, farm policy recommendations, lobby efforts, community representation, media relations and more. OFA is the leading advocate for Ontario’s farmers and is Ontario’s voice of the farmer.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

New University of Manitoba research chair to advance beef production sustainability

Thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), the University of Manitoba (UM), along with its partners at Manitoba Beef Producers, Manitoba Agriculture, and Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives is proud to announce the establishment of the BCRC Chair in Beef Cattle Economic Sustainability. “It’s important for our industry to understand beneficial management practices that boost productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability – including those related to greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and biodiversity,” said Craig Lehr, the Beef Cattle Research Council chair and Alberta beef producer. “This new Chair will focus on viable solutions for Canadian beef cattle producers with innovations that improve economic sustainability while reducing environmental footprint.” The beef industry faces mounting challenges, including volatile input costs, climate-related risks, and limited access to equitable risk management tools. These pressure

University of Manitoba honours agricultural leaders with 2025 Certificate of Merit

The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences celebrated the 45th anniversary of its Certificate of Merit by recognizing three outstanding alumni for their exceptional contributions to Manitoba’s agricultural sector and rural communities. Since its inception in 1981, the Certificate of Merit has honoured over 95 individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in agriculture, agri-food, and community service. This year’s recipients — Cathey Day, Fred Greig, and Kim McConnell — were celebrated at a special ceremony on June 19 for their lasting impact on the province’s farm and food landscape. “We are proud to honour these three remarkable leaders in this milestone year,” said Martin Scanlon, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. “We know that our alumni have deep and lasting impacts – not only within their professions, but also in their communities. These honourees are a true inspiration for young people who are considering studies and career

Saskatchewan government announces support measures for producers amid dry conditions

The federal government, alongside the Saskatchewan government has announced new measures by the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC) to support producers facing this year’s challenging dry conditions. SCIC will implement the double low yield appraisal process, encouraging acres of low-yielding eligible crops to be diverted for grazing, baling, or silage to make additional feed available. Under this initiative, severely damaged crops with appraised yields below an established threshold will have their yield reduced to zero for crop insurance claims. SCIC is doubling the low yield appraisal threshold values, allowing producers to salvage their eligible crops as feed without negatively impacting future individual coverage. All qualifying acres for double low yield appraisals must be diverted to livestock feed and cannot be left to harvest. Producers are advised to contact their local SCIC office before putting damaged crops to an approved alternate use. Daryl Harrison, Saskatc

Bioenterprise Canada Announces Round 2 Participants in the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub

Bioenterprise Canada is pleased to announce the successful applicants from round 2 of the Grow Ontario Accelerator Hub (GOAH). Twenty (20) Ontario-based companies have been selected to receive advisory, mentorship, and support services through our growing national network, Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine. 

AGCO Announces Agreements Reached with TAFE on Key Commercial and Other Issues

AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology,

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service