A newly released pricing study from Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) mirrors what growers across Ontario's fruit and vegetable sector are experiencing: consumers are paying more, while farmers are often getting less.

The study found that returns to greenhouse vegetable growers have declined despite increasing retail food prices, highlighting a growing disconnect between what consumers pay at the grocery store and what farmers receive for their produce.

While the study focused specifically on the Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector, similar pressures are being felt by fruit and vegetable growers across Ontario as production costs continue to climb and market uncertainty increases.

"These findings confirm what fruit and vegetable growers across Ontario in general have been experiencing for some time: rising food prices do not mean farmers are receiving more for their crops," says Alison Robertson, executive director of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association (OFVGA). "Growers are being squeezed by rising costs, increasing production risks and purchasing practices that push more financial pressure back onto the farm. The result is that consumers are paying more while farmers are often getting less."

Costs for fuel, fertilizer, labour, transportation, packaging, equipment, and other essential inputs needed to grow crops have increased significantly. Recent OFVGA analysis found diesel prices have increased by approximately 53 per cent year over year, while fertilizer costs are up between 20 and 30 per cent.

Many growers are also facing increasing pressure from evolving purchasing practices that shift more risk onto farmers through additional fees, longer payment timelines, and contracts that require pricing commitments long before production costs and yields are known.

"This isn't just a grower issue — it's a food security issue," adds Robertson. "If producing fruits and vegetables in Canada becomes increasingly difficult and risky, we will become more dependent on imported food and global supply chains. Canadians want affordable, reliable access to fresh food, but that starts with maintaining a strong and competitive domestic fruit and vegetable sector."

OFVGA supports OGVG's call for greater awareness of the gap between retail food prices and farm-level returns and encourages policymakers, retailers, and consumers to consider the long-term implications of increasing pressure on domestic food production.

Source: Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association June 9, 2026 newsletter