OAG Annual Report

October 31, 2025 - Download the PDF

Chair's Report

My first year as Chair of the Ontario Apple Growers (OAG) brought both challenges and opportunities for Ontario’s apple sector. Throughout the year, OAG remained committed to supporting growers through trade disruptions, economic uncertainty, and climate-related challenges, while continuing to advocate for long-term sector viability.

The 2025 growing season was marked by prolonged drought conditions across many apple-producing regions. Water stress impacted fruit sizing, yield, and overall orchard health. Fruit quality coming out of storage will need to be monitored. Growers responded by adjusting irrigation strategies, prioritizing crop quality, and managing limited resources. These conditions reinforced the importance of climate-resilient practices and the need for continued investment in infrastructure and support.

In Ontario the sector continues to evolve, and it is essential that we remain engaged with stakeholders, government and each other to ensure our needs are met. To help us prepare, the OAG is undertaking a review and update of the strategic plan. I urge you to take the time to complete the survey as well as actively participate in the virtual town hall meetings. Your Board wants to hear from you.

We are fortunate that consumer interest in Canadian-grown food remains strong even during these challenging economic times. Growers are trying to adapt and keep pace with modern orchard systems. Our focus remains on building a competitive, and connected apple sector, one that continues to deliver high-quality fruit to Canadian families.

As I look forward, the need for a strong sector that works collaboratively is very important. We all have our own business priorities and the next 5 to 7 years in apples will require hard decisions by some. I think there will be transformations not only here in Ontario, but across Canada and the United States. On my farm I’m focused on making sure that the orchards and blocks I have are the right varieties and are as profitable as possible. If they aren’t, changes are made, either pulling them out or other management changes are made. In apples we all play a long game.

I’d like to thank the dedicated Directors, Committee Representatives, and staff for their commitment to the apple sector and the issues we are facing together.

About the OAG

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