The Agriculture Advisory Council to CN Rail is calling on the federal and provincial governments, and supply chain partners, to support Canada’s agriculture industry in the wake of illegal blockades that severely disrupted rail transportation in Canada.
Following a meeting in Vancouver to discuss the impacts of the blockades, the Council said Wednesday the rail disruptions took a heavy toll on the agriculture industry’s ability to serve domestic and international customers and had significant negative financial impacts on farming families across Western Canada.
“We acknowledge that CN’s recovery efforts are underway, but we emphasize that there is still a complex backlog that cannot be underestimated. This is critical as there are customers still waiting for their product, farmers waiting to be paid and inputs like fertilizer that must be delivered in time for seeding,” said Council Chair Alanna Koch.
CN established the Agricultural Advisory Council in August 2019. They body provides CN with advice on its annual Grain Plan and feedback on the CN Winter Plan. It also serves as a forum to discuss policy issues that impact the agricultural industry, including the international trade situation, regulatory barriers and other emerging issues.
The Council said it is vital to ensure the future security of the railway network to restore Canada’s international reputation as a reliable and efficient supplier to world markets.
“We know CN is focused on getting past this event and we look forward to providing input into its plan on how it will work with their stakeholders, customers, and the federal and provincial governments to ensure reliability and restore service for the Canadian agriculture industry,” added Koch. “To reduce the vulnerabilities Canadian farmers face because of unexpected disruptions to the supply chain, we call on the federal and provincial governments to work with CN and farmers on executing this plan to ensure our reliability and restore Canada’s reputation as a world-class trading partner.”
The Council notes this plan will require investment by governments and the railway industry into critical infrastructure at Canada’s ports.
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