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For Immediate Release

October 27, 2009

REGINA– The three major farm organizations representing farmers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta emerged from a forum today with a renewed focus on the issues facing Prairie agriculture. Their discussions were framed around the AgriStability Program, transportation and international trade.  

Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS), the Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) and Wild Rose Agricultural Producers (WRAP) identified major priorities and developed an action plan to move these issues forward in the coming year.

Addressing Issues Concerning the Canada Grain Act (Bill C-13)

The farm groups continue to stress that issues surrounding the Canada Grain Act must be addressed to ensure the act will be effective for producers, in particular the producer payment security mechanism and inward inspection and weighing. The current bonding system protects a producer’s grain delivery to an elevator and ensures that he or she will be paid. This is critical protection for producers and there must be no gaps until an effective replacement is put in place. The groups will continue to convey the importance of this issue to federal decision makers and their provincial Agriculture Ministers.  

Technical Trade Barriers

The leaders of APAS, KAP and WRAP emphasized their extreme concern about the action undertaken by China to block imports of Canadian canola, effective November 15. Farm groups are pleased that CFIA and AAFC officials have been quickly assigned to deal with the dispute. Given the importance of the Chinese market to Canadian canola producers, the Prairie Farm Leaders will be communicating to the Ministers of Agriculture and Trade to request high level involvement of the Canadian Government to resolve the matter in the interest of Canadian growers as soon as possible.   

Delisting and Producer Cars

The Prairie Farm Leaders discussed the recent notice by CN Rail to de-list more than fifty Producer Car Loading Sites across the prairies. The issues of delisting should be addressed by the Service Review Panel in order to establish a framework to deal with producer cars. Delisting should not be ad hoc but subject to a rigorous process that protects the right to access to producer cars. APAS/KAP/WRAP call for a moratorium on any further delisting and dismantling of sites until the service review deals with the issue.

Cattle Price Insurance Program

The Farm Leaders also discussed the serious financial issues affecting the country's pork and beef industries. While research indicates that the price of meat to consumers has been maintained or even increased; the farmers share has continued to erode. A Cattle Price Insurance program that is being introduced in Alberta was reviewed in context of its applicability to other provinces.

The three farm organizations remain committed to working together to speak for Prairie farmers with a strong and united voice. APAS, KAP and WRAP are proud and active members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and will address these and other regional issues within that forum as well.

The next meeting of the leaders will take place in Edmonton in January, 2010                                                                               

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For more information, please contact:

Greg Marshall, APAS President.  Cell: (306) 746-7747.

Ian Wishart, KAP President.  Cell: (204) 856-6964. 

Humphrey Banack, WRAP President.  Cell: (780) 679-4449.

Aj Thakker, APAS Communications. Office: (306) 789-7774 (x229).