KINGSVILLE, Ont. - Making Ontario wines more available in liquor stores and at farmers' markets, and an apprenticeship program for young farmers, were among the key features of the NDP's agricultural platform released Friday.

The New Democrats will work with the government-run Liquor Control Board of Ontario to guarantee more shelf space for independently produced Ontario wines if they win the Oct. 6 election, said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

"There are still too many barriers stopping small wineries from getting to the shelves of LCBO outlets," Horwath said in a release.

"Many independent producers are forced to sell the bulk of their wine at the winery door. We will examine a range of measures to give small wineries more access to more Ontarians including allowing wine to be sold at designated farmers' markets."

The NDP also promised to increase the Ontario grape content in wines labelled as "cellared in Canada." Currently, Ontario producers are allowed to designate wines as being "cellared" in Canada as long as they contain at least 30 per cent Ontario grapes.

Horwath travelled to Kingsville in southwestern Ontario to release the NDP's agricultural platform, which also included a promised apprenticeship program to help more young people get a start in farming. The average age of an Ontario farmer is 53, 12 years older than the average age in non-farming sectors, said Horwath.

"More needs to be done to offer young people a future in the industry," she said. "That includes providing those crucial first steps on the career ladder to those who want to enter the agriculture industry."

The NDP also promised to extend a training tax credit to farmers who hire agricultural workers and would review regulatory barriers that they said put Ontario farmers at a competitive disadvantage.

"Farmers should be able to focus on priorities such as growing safe, healthy food instead of spending hours filling out paperwork," said the NDP's platform document. "Ontario farmers are subject to too many inequitable rules that do not apply to outside competitors."

The NDP said foreign apple imports can be grown using chemicals while producers in Ontario are banned from using them.

Horwath said the New Democrats would also forgive the debt of 200 graduating medical students if they agree to work in rural and underserviced areas of the province, noting there are too many people without access to health professionals or facilities.

"We can send a message to young people that they have a future in farming by protecting rural schools, providing more doctors, connecting high-speed Internet and investing in apprenticeships to open gateways to sustainable careers," said Horwath.

The New Democrats are matching the Progressive Conservatives' promise to fully support the agricultural risk management programs implemented by the Liberals.

The Tories also promise to increase the market share for VQA wines and, like the NDP, promise to promote more locally grown foods.

The Liberal government has not released any of its campaign policies yet.