Canola Growers Want More Action On BRM Programs

Dec 20, 2019

Canola farmers are disappointed with this week's federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) Agriculture Ministers’ meeting.

The Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) says that Canada’s agriculture ministers decided that more study is needed to improve business risk management programs, rather than implementing well-known, tangible steps that will adequately support canola farmers.

“In 2019 we faced a major market closure, the most unpredictable growing season and harvest in memory, and a rail shipping disruption,” says Bernie McClean, President of Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA). “Every one of these uncontrollable risks is taking a toll on farm profitability, and we are gravely concerned that programs like AgriStability won’t be there to help famers.”

The AgGrowth Coalition, of which CCGA is a member, has been asking the FPT Ministers to implement the following action items:

1. AgriStability coverage immediately adjusted to cover losses starting at 85 percent of historical reference margins with no Reference Margin Limits;

2. Prioritize discussions on production insurance for livestock and horticulture crops which are not currently covered under AgriInsurance;

3. Discussions on BRM programming options to be meaningful and focused on program effectiveness rather than funding levels; and

4. The establishment of an industry-government technical working group that allows farm groups to actively participate in BRM data and impact analysis.

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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.