Farmer Terry Byrne is happy that Ontario's PC leader has announced an increase in funding for crop and agricultural insurance. May 23, 2018. (Photo by Paul Pedro)

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An Essex County farmer is happy that Ontario’s PC leader has announced an increase in funding for crop and agricultural insurance.

Terry Byrne says it’s crucial because the rain experienced by the region this month is delaying the planting of crops.

PC Leader Doug Ford was in Woodslee on Wednesday to say, if elected, he’ll hike the high-risk management program by $50-million a year to help farmers manage risks outside of their control.

Byrne says if they don’t get the crops in the ground, they have no way of paying their bills.

“If you look around the fields out here, these fields are barren and should be planted right now,” says Byrne.

Ford also says he’ll expand natural gas and broadband and cellular service in rural Ontario by partnering with the private sector.

The PCs say natural gas is a quarter of the cost of electricity.

Ford says he’ll spend $100-million on the broadband and cellular expansion with the money coming from the savings of the natural gas expansion program.

Byrne says the cost of electricity is ridiculous for a farmer and using natural gas is the way to go.

“Natural gas is the most efficient way of drying our grain,” Byrne says.

Byrne also says he’s also glad that Ford is committing to look at widening Hwy. 3.

“If you go down that road there’s shrine after shrine of people who have been killed on that thing,” he says.