This positive news is significant at a time when Canadian farmers and producers are dealing with a multitude of trade and weather-related challenges. While pork exports to China represented $514 million in 2018, making it our third-largest export market; Canadian beef represented $97 million in exports to China, 2.6% of Canada’s total 2018 beef exports.”

CFA recognizes the Canadian Government’s efforts to resolve the situation for Canadian pork and beef exports. Unfortunately, Canadian canola producers continue to face a Chinese ban since March 2019. Canadian canola seed exports to China were worth $2.7 billion in 2018.

“Yesterday’s news of the reopening of Chinese markets to Canadian pork and beef is being well received by Canadian farmers and producers as well as others in the value chain. While we are celebrating this favourable turn of events, we are mindful of the continued uncertainty and tangible hurt our Canola producers, as well as other commodity producers, are bearing as a result of being shut out of international markets – fallout that is a direct result from actions that are in no way of farmers’ and producers’ doing,” said Mary Robinson, CFA President.“As we well know, the economic losses of canola exports to China in particular is hurting our entire country and CFA continues to call on the federal government to prioritize reopening markets for all Canadian agricultural exports that are critical to not only our farmers and producers but the entire value chain.”

China represents a key market for Canadian agriculture, so this positive news regarding beef and pork is very welcome and significant. CFA will have to monitor the canola situation closely, hoping that Ambassador Dominic Barton’s keen understanding of the importance of Canadian agriculture will help resolve and restore the Chinese market for Canadian farmers.

Source: Canadian Federation of Agricolture

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The CFA, the unified voice advocating for Canadian farmers at the national level, launched the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign this morning on Parliament Hill.

The campaign is a non-partisan initiative leading up to this year’s federal election aimed at incumbent MPs, new candidates, and policymakers, to promote the potential of the Agri-Food sector as the most significant economic engine in Canada, a champion of food security, and innovative contributor to national environmental stewardship.

In 2017 the federal government’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth, led by Dominic Barton, highlighted Agri-Food as a key growth sector for Canada.  Canada possesses world-class agricultural expertise, has a modern economy, and established infrastructure to move products to market, noting that more is needed to leverage the sector’s potential for expanded trade and domestic growth.  Internationally, Canada’s Agri-Food industry has earned an excellent reputation for producing safe, high-quality food, due in part to our high environmental safety standards.  Canada is well-positioned to satisfy increasing food demands, both domestically and abroad.

The Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign highlights several important benefits of a larger, more prosperous domestic agri-food industry:

• Economic Growth – The Canadian agri-food industry generated $112 billion in GDP in 2016, and between 2012 and 2016 overall growth of the sector was 11%, compared to 7.8% across the entire economy. The industry provides 3 million Canadian jobs, that’s 1 in 8, making it the second largest employer in the country.  Canada produces twice as much food as it consumes, and is well-positioned to benefit from increasing domestic and global food demand.

• Food Security – Canadian agriculture produces among the most diverse range of products and food in the world. Our regulatory leadership has allowed our farmers to produce food of exceptionally high quality, enabling us to become among the most efficient and affordable   Canadians spend less on food than most other countries, using under 10% of disposable household income on groceries.

• Environmental Stewardship – Currently only about 6.5% of Canada’s land mass is being farmed, and a strong agri-food sector helps ensure this precious resource is preserved for future generations. Canadian farmers have drastically reduced carbon emissions from on-farm activities over the past 3 decades, and new technology and innovation efforts continue to further reduce the carbon footprint.  Research partnerships between government, academia and agriculture are targeting lower emissions from crop production and livestock, and continue to explore opportunities to use water more efficiently.

“The CFA looks forward to collaborating with our membership, industry stakeholders and government, as we continue to identify solutions for Canadian Agri-Food issues.  Over the coming months we are looking forward to meeting hundreds of political candidates and officials as we move toward the federal election.  Our goal is to convince government to treat Agri-Food policies as a national priority, regardless of whether they represent rural vs urban ridings,” says Mary Robinson, President of CFA.

“Farmers feed the world, which makes the agriculture industry arguably recession proof.  For economic, food security and environmental reasons we firmly believe the Producing Prosperity in Canada campaign possesses the key ingredients for national support.  A robust national Agri-Food industry will benefit all Canadians.”

Source: Canadian Federation of Agriculture

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“We will also be working closely with the federal government on areas noted in the budget that have been earmarked for consultative review,” noted CFA President Mary Robinson. “Overall, it appears this budget is a step in the right direction.”

Some of the announcements that are of particular importance to the agriculture sector include the development of a National Food Policy which provides a platform through which CFA hopes will enable a whole-of-government approach to Canadian Agri-Food policy, an initiative CFA has been calling for since 2011. This policy will focus on tackling food waste, improving community access to healthy food and will shine a spotlight on Canadian food both at home and abroad. CFA looks forward to working with a number of key departments and industry stakeholders to ensure this policy helps leverage the sector’s immense economic potential, in meeting ambitious growth targets set by the Agri-food Economic Strategy table for agri-food exports and domestic sales.

One important initiative within the National Food Policy is a 3-year agricultural immigration pilot that CFA has called for, which is an excellent addition to the recently announced rural immigration pilot. For decades farm labour has been and continues to be a critical issue for farmers, and while CFA awaits further details on this announcement, programs like this are critical in helping alleviate critical labour shortages while creating a skilled agricultural workforce for the future in Canada.

CFA is pleased to see the call for small business deduction relief for farmers and fishers selling to affiliated corporations. These deductions will ensure farmers and fishers regain access to their small business deduction, enabling producers unduly affected by changes announced in 2016 to invest in their businesses, making them more efficient, sustainable and profitable over time.

The commitment of $5 – 6 billion to provide high-speed internet to 100% of Canada by 2030 is vital for farmers to be able to conduct simple day to day e-commerce as well as embrace cutting-edge precision agriculture technology. High speed internet is essential in the development of rural Canada in general

CFA also notes the support for Supply Managed sectors following the ratification of trade deals such as CETA and the CPTPP. However, the details of these provisions must be looked at more closely and CFA will work with its Supply Managed members to assess these provisions and ensure they adequately respond to the loss of markets that came about through concessions made under both agreements.

Finally, CFA is pleased to see the continued push for regulatory modernization, building on announcements made in 2018’s Fall Economic Statement. In pursuing regulatory roadmaps that create a more responsive, adaptive, and user-friendly regulatory system, Canadian producers look forward to modernization efforts aimed at enabling more timely access to innovative products and reduced costs associated with unnecessary regulatory burden.

CFA will continue to assess and examine the details in the budgetary recommendations to evaluate the true impact it will have on the success of Canadian Agriculture.

Source: CFA News

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