Ontario is looking north to expand its agricultural footprint, with new plans to unlock more farmland in the Clay Belt region as part of a broader push to grow the province’s agri-food sector.
The government said Tuesday it will streamline access to Crown land in the Clay Belt, a vast 180,000-square-kilometre region that stretches across northern Ontario and into Quebec. Much of the land is considered potentially fertile and suitable for forage, field crops and livestock production, provided proper drainage and management practices are in place.
While the Quebec side of the Clay Belt has seen more extensive agricultural development, Ontario’s portion remains comparatively underutilized, said a government release Tuesday. The province says easing access to Crown land would allow more farmers to lease or develop arable land, creating new opportunities for production, job creation and economic growth, it added.
“Our government will never stop championing the immense opportunities in our northern Ontario agriculture sector,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “We are taking new action to unlock Crown Land in the Clay Belt, expand the northern Ontario agricultural footprint and grow prosperity and competitiveness to the region.”
More than 90% of land in northern Ontario is Crown land, making access a key factor in expanding agriculture in the region. The government says its approach will prioritize proponent-driven development that strengthens regional economic ties while respecting Indigenous communities’ exercise of Aboriginal and treaty rights.
Northern Ontario already plays a role in the province’s agriculture sector. In 2021, 1,782 farms in the region generated $238 million in farm cash receipts, led by grains and oilseeds, dairy and cattle production.
The province says expanding agriculture in the Clay Belt could further boost output while helping strengthen Ontario’s long-term food security and economic resilience.
