Alberta Wheat & Barley Commissions call for immediate action

Mar 15, 2022

The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions says a potential CP Rail strike would have a devastating impact on farmers.

The farm groups are calling on the Federal Government to intervene through any measures necessary and are strongly urging the Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan to find a resolution.

Alberta Barley chair Tara Sawyer says Canadian railways are lifelines for western Canadian farmers and this potential strike poses serious threats to the success of our upcoming growing season which is just weeks away.

"Railways are a critical link in the supply chain as farmers rely on their service to receive crop inputs including fertilizer and crop protection products."

According to the organizations any disruption in rail service will cause a massive system backlog and economic losses for farmers, rural economies and the Canadian economy at large.

Alberta Wheat Commission chair Greg Sears says past rail strikes have resulted in devastating effects on farmers as the economic losses are often passed down the value chain to primary producers.

"Additionally, a rail disruption will immediately result in backlogs that will hurt Canada’s reputation as a reliable grain supplier to our international buyers."

Click to view the commissions' letter to Minister O'Regan calling for immediate action.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.