TORONTO - Premier Dalton McGuinty is hoping that an Ontario apple a day will keep the recession away, or at least provide a boost to the province's beleaguered economy.

The province is committing $24-million over three years in an attempt to make Ontario-farmed foods available in more jails, schools and hospitals.

"Just as we moved Ontario wines to the front of the line in the LCBO, we want to move Ontario foods to the front of the line wherever we're buying food in the province of Ontario," McGuinty said Monday.

Although provincial institutions have routinely purchased whatever was easiest to get, it's important to understand, in the midst of a crippling recession, that buying Ontario produce, meat and dairy will help the economy, McGuinty said.

"If you sell a bottle of Ontario wine, you're actually promoting Ontario jobs," McGuinty said after a speech at the annual Premiers' Agri-Food Summit -- a gathering of farmers, food processors and retailers.

"An Ontario apple is of greater value to the Ontario economy, Ontario potatoes are of greater value -- Ontario beef, lamb -- whatever we can do here to promote our foods is better for our economy."

McGuinty has been pushing people to buy more Ontario fruits and veggies for years, and said all Ontario government buildings in the legislature complex in Toronto serve locally grown food in their cafeterias and restaurants.

Last month's budget included a promise to make certain existing procurement programs permanent, such as OntarioBuys, which was introduced in the 2004 budget to find savings in the $10 billion spent by the broader public sector to buy goods and services.

New Democrat Peter Kormos said the Liberals "only pay lip service" to buying provincially produced goods, noting there are no so-called Buy Ontario provisions attached other budget offerings -- including plans to spend billions of dollars in building projects.

"Mr. McGuinty fails miserably in any effort to encourage Buy Ontario and fails absolutely in showing any leadership by his own example," said Kormos, who recently took the Liberals to task after learning that the Legislative Assembly procurement office was buying Ontario flags from China.

Speaker Steve Peters has since changed the flag procurement to ensure it's Canadian.

Kormos also dismissed concerns about the costs associated with buying local.

"Everybody knows that California lettuce might be a few cents cheaper than Ontario lettuce, never mind the products that are coming in from China," he said.

"But buying Ontario means you're supporting Ontario jobs, it means you're buying quality food, it means you're buying healthy food ... and being environmentally sound."

McGuinty acknowledged some institutional contracts may end up being more expensive under a plan to buy Ontario products, but said the province must grab every opportunity to promote homegrown.

"Sometimes they're not the easiest foods to access only because we haven't got the avenues in place, so that money is with a view to developing those connections," he said.

Ontario's agri-food industry contributes about $33 billion to the Ontario economy and employs over 700,000 people.