Grain transportation is a key issue for farmers this harvest season
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) was one of about 19 farm organizations that met with Minister of Transport Marc Garneau and Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay to discuss issues relating to grain transportation.
Farmers are concerned that with an extremely large crop on the horizon, there could be a bottlenecking when it comes to transporting grain.
CFA says the meeting was a good way to bring concerns to the forefront.
“We felt that the meeting was a good first step in strengthening relationships between Transport Canada and farm groups,” Ron Bennett, CFA president, said in a release. “Our views and concerns were made clear, and were echoed by a number of other western grain organizations also in attendance.”
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Some groups feel that when push comes to shove, farmers will be taken care of, as long as the railways do their part too.
“I don’t actually think it will be a problem,” Norm Hall, president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, told CKOM. “CN is usually on time. CP is a concern because they’re usually aren’t on time. If CP isn’t moving the grain on time, it affects the bottom line for farmers.”
Ministers Garneau and MacAulay said they understand the importance of Canada’s grain sector and that reliable rail transportation helps farmers contribute to the economy.