Farmers Forum staff
TORONTO — The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has come out with a new fact sheet on the province’s farm-trespassing law — including prominently noted exemptions granted to people with Aboriginal and Treaty Rights — and ministry officials are planning two webinar meetings to explain it to farmers.
Trespassing is a hot topic in farm country. The Ontario Federation of Agriculture points out that trespassing on farms, agri-food businesses and livestock transportation facilities “poses risks to biosecurity and the security of our food supply.”
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 and related Regulation 701/20 are on the books to address the “unique risks” that trespassing poses to agriculture, adds the OFA.
The online webinars are scheduled January 30, 2023, (2:30 to 3:30 p.m.) and February 3 (11 a.m. to 12 p.m.) Email SecurityFromTrespass.OMAFRA@ontario.ca no later than Thursday, January 26, to take part in one of the sessions.
