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“(Iliad Things Grow in Ontario" A lot of good things. in firm. Some 200 commodities come out of the soil of this province; a farm gate value alone of $3.4 billion. In fact. Ontario produces 30% 0f Canada‘s agriculture and food products and processes 56% of all food proceSSCd in Canada. I Many people’s lives depend on agriculture. In Ontario, 1 in 5 people derives a living from the food industry. Agri- culture and food is big business in Ontario. In addition to producing and processing food products, there is an obligation to market the product; to ensure it’s in stock: to ensure its price is competitive, to get it to mar- ket: to inform the consumer about its quality and avail» ability. Has Ontario met that obligation? Recent food sales indicate that the province could be doing more to stimulate the agriculture and food industry. During the early 1970's an alarming decline in sales of various Ontario food products became a dominant trend. For example. in 1965 Ontario-produced peaches accounted for 80% ofthe total Ontario market for canned peaches. By 1978 the share had dropped below 20%. Furthermore. over the last 10 years Ontario foodimports have been growing an average of 5% faster than Ontario food exports. This is especially disconcerting as Ontario has the ability to produce 40% of the total imports. The farm gate value of those replaceable imports is $520 million annually. Translated to economic terms. a loss in market share, both domestically and internationally, results in lower producton and a decline in the utilization of agricul- tural land for food production. This, coupled with a severe pressure from the urban development. will lead to a per- manent loss of food-producing capability. an inefficient and unprofitable agricultural economy, and dependence on foreign sources for the food products required to feed the people of Ontario. The Government of Ontario has stated its commitment to maintain a healthy and productive agricultural sector. As a result. the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food has assumed responsibility for giving leadership to both the agri- culture and processing sectors of the industry in developing markets for Ontario products. The economic conditions today are generally encourag- ing for the expansion of the agricultural industry. Ontario farmers are in a reasonably good financial position to invest in the future in spite of present interest rates. The current level of the Canadian dollar at approximately 85g;l affords opportunities for growth in exports, as well as replacement of imported products. The recent tariff changes may re- juvenate the existing processed fruit and vegetable industry as well as establish new processing industries such as tomato paste. Ontario has the ability and capacity to produce a greater volume of food. The overall objective of the Ontario Mini- stry of Agriculture and Food. specifically the Market Devel- opment Branch, will be to in» crease the average annual growth rate of farm income in Ontario from its historic level of 1.7% to a 4-5% level by 1984. 18 The objective will be accomplished by accelerate: [he growth rate of Ontario food exports, and replacin; of replaceable agriculture and food imports in Om 3.3 m. 1984. In dollar amounts, our targetreplaceable int; 15 all, approximately $200 million of the total $520 mill -. farm gate value. The communication tool of import replacemer ; [he Foodland Ontario program. Foodland’s marketing a is to expand the domestic market and stimulate ., : tire I. ,. tion of Ontario food products to the benefit of I» processors and distributors of Ontario agricultural 1 my Foodland's communication objectives are to r -. m. creased consumer awareness of the wide range of a 3m ducts produced and/or processed in Ontario. The l]. r, [3 also designed to create greater understanding 0le am. tance of the agriculture and food industry to the a. m economic health of all Ontario. After 2 years of Foodland, as of November. 1979, re- search showed that 50% of Ontarians were becoming aâ€" ware of the need to “buy 11 Ontario” to keep the province 0 healthy. Also, “buying 0 0. Ontario” assured the con- Q (“N00 sumer of a first class quality product. After 18 months, the Foodland logo was being recognized up-front by 43% of the consumers polled. The first one is to communicate the quality anc e of Ontario produce and processed food available. This :en seen in the Foodland Ontario News advertisemer igli- lighting one or more foodtypes, usually with a recilr The second campaign attempts to convince (It 1so that “buying Ontario" not only assures them 01 11‘s. but also fosters the economic health of Ontario. The fundamental benefit of both campaignsr .rt. which, together with the Foodland logo and NB “Good Things Grow in Ontario", lends an elemeu HH- sistency and recognizabilityto the total Foodland t. ‘g'Il The primary medium for delivering this messag: 'ill newspapers, as they have proven very effective in ‘n‘; the Ontario consumer. The detailed explanation paper advertising is crucial to the success of the put it“ supplementary media such as billboards, transit adt W; mall posters. and rural radio, also used to inform Jn‘ sumer about the Foodland Ontario program. Point-of-purchase merchandising in retail stores id) effective in terms of display return for dollars 5p: the Foodland program includes display markers, Pm ids' buttons and crests, signboards, and information an all“! booklets. Then our public and media relations encompass “‘1 range of activities such as answering consumer in 159‘ publishing press releases, liaison with schools an Nd editors, appearing on radio‘and T.V. talk shows to '-'”55 the Foodland program. I , Foodland exhibits are also a cost efficient mE' 3' 0‘ reaching the public with the message. Exhibits llll“ set". recently located at Ontario Place, the C.N.E.. lino“;