Almost six years after parting ways, Grain Farmers of Ontario has rejoined Grain Growers of Canada, marking a renewed push for a more unified national voice as Canada’s grain sector navigates mounting economic and policy pressures.
In a statement released Thursday, Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) confirmed it is once again a member of the national advocacy organization, saying the move will strengthen federal-level representation for grain producers at a time when decisions on trade, transportation, research, and infrastructure are increasingly critical to farm profitability.
GFO exited the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) in February 2020 following disagreements over the effectiveness of national advocacy. At the time, tensions centred on the organization’s response to the U.S.–China trade war, particularly what Ontario growers viewed as insufficient federal support for soybean farmers. Broader concerns around governance structure, policy alignment, and internal dynamics also contributed to the split.
The return comes as volatility in global grain markets and persistent structural challenges are sharpening the need for coordinated advocacy, according to sector leaders. GGC chair Scott Hepworth said the decision reflects the scale and breadth of pressures facing farmers across the country.
“For decades, grain farmers have been dealing with the fallout of long-standing issues that have been left unresolved,” Hepworth said. “Global market instability is exposing cracks across the system, and Grain Farmers of Ontario joining Grain Growers of Canada reflects just how broad these pressures are and why a unified national voice, representing every major grain-producing region, is critical now.”
Ontario is one of Canada’s largest grain-producing provinces and a major contributor to export volumes. With GFO back at the table, GGC now represents 15 provincial, regional, and national grower groups, collectively speaking for more than 100,000 grain producers who steward roughly 120 million acres of farmland and generate about $45 billion in annual export value.
GFO chair Jeff Harrison described the decision as a strategic response to today’s political and economic environment.
“Ontario’s grain farmers are strongest when we stand united with our peers across Canada,” Harrison said. “Rejoining Grain Growers of Canada positions all grain farmers for long-term success and ensures our perspectives are heard as national policies are developed.”
Together, the two organizations say they will work to ensure federal policy frameworks reflect on-farm realities and the consequences government decisions carry for Canada’s export-dependent grain sector. Grain Farmers of Ontario represents about 28,000 farmers producing barley, corn, oats, soybeans, and wheat on more than six million acres, underpinning billions of dollars in economic activity and tens of thousands of jobs across the province.
