The Grain Growers of Canada and the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission are urging a quick resolution to disputes that have resulted in CN rail line blockades across the country.
They say delays will cause unintended negative impacts on farmers and the entire agriculture industry.
Even a disruption of only a few days, they say, will cause a massive backlog with economic losses that are ultimately borne by farmers.
The delays come in the wake of farmers facing devastating harvest conditions, poor grain prices and trade uncertainty.
Grain shipping in western Canada this winter has already been hampered by an eight-day CN rail strike in late November, followed by a 10-day cold spell n January and heavy rains impacting rail movement and the loading of grain vessels at the Port of Vancouver.
"With blockades happening in multiple Canadian locations, farmers will feel immediate effects," said Dave Bishop, Alberta Barley Chair. "Delays will result in farmers being unable to deliver their grain, meaning they can’t be paid at least until service resumes. We are still recovering from the harvest from hell and need reliable grain movement in order to get back on track."
As a result of the rail delays, cargo ships waiting to export Canada’s trade commodities are also backed up, with 39 ships waiting at the Port of Vancouver and eight more waiting at Prince Rupert as of February 9. Resulting export delays seriously jeopardize Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier of grain.
"As we have learned through past experiences, rail delays cause immediate concerns for Canada’s global customers," says Todd Hames, Alberta Wheat Commission Chair. "Not only do these bottlenecks hurt farmers’ incomes but they also hurt Canada’s reputation as a reliable grain supplier. Situations like this put Canada at risk of losing out on export opportunities to our competitors."
Grain Growers of Canada Chair Jeff Nielsen says farmers work hard to grow the best crops for markets around the world but by cutting producers off from their customers the industry, economy, and, ultimately, the country's reputation as a reliable shipper is at risk.
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