It is my pleasure to provide you with my President’s message. The past year has once again demonstrated both the resilience and the importance of the agri business community in supporting Ontario agriculture. Our members play a critical role in providing the products, services, expertise, and infrastructure that enable Ontario’s farmers to operate efficiently and sustainably. From crop inputs and feed manufacturing to grain handling and marketing, agri businesses form an essential link between producers, processors, and domestic and international markets.

At the same time, the operating environment for agri businesses continues to evolve. Over the past year, the sector has faced a range of challenges including geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, trade volatility, labour pressures, biosecurity concerns, and increasing regulatory complexity. These factors, combined with climate variability and shifting global market conditions, have reinforced the importance of strong industry collaboration and effective advocacy.

In this environment, the Ontario Agri Business Association remains focused on its core mission: representing the collective interests of agri businesses across the province while supporting the competitiveness, safety, and sustainability of our sector. OABA is committed to providing timely information to members, advocating on key policy issues, strengthening relationships with industry partners and governments, and delivering valuable training and leadership programming.

The Association’s strategic priorities focus on five key areas: member engagement and communications; stakeholder relationships; safety, training, education and leadership; advocacy and government relations; and organizational excellence. Together, these priorities provide a framework to ensure that OABA continues to deliver meaningful value to members while strengthening the voice of agri business within Ontario’s broader agricultural community.

Government relations remains a central focus of OABA’s work. The regulatory and policy environment affecting agriculture continues to evolve rapidly, making it essential that agri business perspectives are clearly understood by decision-makers.

OABA continues to strengthen relationships with elected officials and senior government representatives at both the federal and provincial levels. Our advocacy efforts have spanned numerous policy files, including engagement during both federal and provincial elections where OABA shared sector priorities with all major political parties and candidates in key agricultural regions.

At the federal level, this work has included participation in consultations related to gene-edited plant breeding technologies, updates to the Feed Regulations, and Clean Fuel Regulations. OABA has also continued to advocate for the inclusion of commercial grain drying in carbon pricing exemptions, recognizing the critical role this activity plays within Ontario’s grain handling system.

The Association has also highlighted the importance of maintaining competitive access to crop inputs, including raising concerns related to tariffs on fertilizer imports and the potential impacts these policies may have on agricultural input costs and the competitiveness of Canadian producers.

Provincially, OABA has remained engaged on issues including budget consultations, biosecurity, modernization of grain financial protection regulations, and ensuring that environmental standards related to air, dust, and noise emissions are appropriately scaled for agri businesses. Additional priorities have included discussions related to municipal property assessment reform and the development of a comprehensive agri-food labour strategy.

Looking ahead, the remainder of 2026 will be another active year for advocacy as discussions related to the renegotiation of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), major federal infrastructure initiatives, and several provincial regulatory changes are expected to directly impact members’ operations.

Another core focus of OABA is the delivery of high-quality training, safety programming, and professional development opportunities for our members. The safe and efficient operation of agri business facilities remains a top priority for our sector, and OABA continues to support members through practical training and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Over the past year, OABA delivered multiple training courses both in Guelph and at member locations across the province. The Association also continued to offer introductory and advanced grain grading programs to support the development of skilled industry professionals. In addition, our Safety Network continues to provide an important forum for safety professionals to connect with peers, share best practices, and learn from industry experts through our ongoing partnership with ACUTE Environmental and Safety Services.

Looking forward, the Board has also established sub-committees to review and modernize both our membership fee structure and our health and safety strategy to ensure that OABA continues to deliver strong value to members as industry needs evolve.

Our 2025 Annual Meeting and Convention was held in December at the Hilton Mississauga Meadowvale and marked the Association’s 26th annual meeting. For more than 25 years, OABA has served as a strong and effective voice for Ontario’s agri business community. The continued success of the Association is a direct result of the dedication and engagement of our members, volunteers, and staff.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the many volunteers who contribute their time and expertise to OABA through our Board of Directors, Section Committees, and working groups. I would also like to recognize the outstanding work of the OABA staff team, whose professionalism and dedication ensure the Association continues to deliver high-quality programs and effective advocacy.

As we look ahead, the opportunities and challenges facing agriculture will continue to evolve. By working together as an industry and maintaining strong partnerships across the value chain, I am confident that Ontario’s agri business sector will continue to thrive and I wish all members and industry partners continued success in the year ahead.