Grain farmers want to make agri-food economic strategy report a reality

This week, grain farmers from across Canada are in Ottawa for the second annual National Grain Week. Grain farmers come to Ottawa in February so that we can meet with legislators and policy-makers before the weather warms up and we get to work preparing for spring planting. Right now, farmers are ready to roll up their sleeves and work with government to find ways to seize opportunities and resolve challenges in front of us. For grain farmers, that work comes down to one thing: making the Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table (EST) report a reality. The Agri-Food EST report is a call to action for government and industry to work together to increase sales of Canadian food, and it is imperative that we answer that call. The report is full of recommendations that, if acted on will have a real impact on the economic health and well-being of grain farms and rural communities across Canada. It is important to underscore the role that farmers play in the Canadian economy. In 2017, grain sales alone put more than $25-billion into rural economies across Canada, not including the impact of value-added processing. Farmers take that revenue and invest it in seed, fertilizer, fuel, machinery, and other expenses and support many of the small businesses that keep rural Canada strong and vibrant. That is why the benefits of making the report a reality will go far beyond the farm gate and will be felt by the hundreds of thousands of Canadians from coast to coast that work in and around the agri-food supply chain. Reading the report, it is easy to tell that it was developed in close partnership with industry. The Agri-Food EST had representatives from primary production, including a grain farmer from Saskatchewan, food processors, exporters, and retailers. This diverse group of industry leaders was supported by a Producer Advisory Council to ensure that the farmers’ voice was heard. This industry engagement resulted in a report that tackles the barriers that are preventing farmers and the entire value chain from achieving full potential. By tearing down these barriers, the report predicts that the agri-food sector will be able to reach ambitious targets of $140-billion in domestic sales and $85-billion in exports by 2025, that’s a 27 per cent and 32 per cent increase from 2017, respectively. To bring this report to reality, it is imperative that the government continue to deliver on its ambitious trade diversification agenda, particularly with the report’s new goal of $85-billion in agri-food exports by 2025, a $10-billion increase from the 2017 budget goal. Trade barriers and tariffs have a significant impact on our competitiveness in foreign markets. Governments must take steps to secure preferential access through free trade agreements and then aggressively defend that access against non-tariff barriers. Barriers to competitiveness can be found at home as well through cumbersome regulations and policies. To reach our goals, farmers need governments to take positive steps including exempting agriculture from the carbon price, modernizing the Canadian Grain Commission, and investing in transportation infrastructure so grain can reliably get to customers and positioned for export. To make the report a reality, Canadian farmers know that we must continue to increase our sustainability. We have already made significant improvements to our environmental footprint through modern farming practices, new technology, and hard work. For example, crop protection products and biotechnology have helped farmers reduce tillage, effectively turning Canadian farmland into a giant carbon sink. The government can support farmers’ sustainability by improving the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s (PMRA) rigorous approach to registering and re-evaluating crop-protection products, ensuring the PMRA has adequate resources, and funding a national water monitoring program. Finally, the report will only become reality if farmers are able to become even more innovative than we are today. The unfortunate fact is that Canada lags most of its competitors in public and private investment in plant science and innovation. Grain farmers believe it is imperative that government increase investment in public breeding and innovation, ensure competitive access to new plant breeding innovations, and increase support for private sector investments in plant science and variety development. As farmers increase our competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation, the ambitious targets laid out in the Agri-Food EST will become reality. Our sleeves are rolled up and we’re ready to work. We hope that the legislators and policy-makers that we’re meeting with this week are ready to get to work too. Jeff Nielsen is chair of Grain Growers of Canada. He produces canola, malt barley, and wheat on his farm near Olds, Alta. The Hill Times