OTTAWA, Feb. 6, 2026 — Grain Growers of Canada is calling on the federal government to provide clarity on the impacts of recent staffing reductions and announced closures or consolidations of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facilities, stating that downstream consequences cannot be assessed without clear, program-level information.

“Transparency is essential when decisions affect the foundation of Canada’s agricultural research system,” said Scott Hepworth, chair of Grain Growers of Canada and Saskatchewan grain farmer.

“Without clear disclosure of what research capacity is being reduced or eliminated, the sector cannot understand the long-term risks to production and competitiveness”, he added. “It must be clear what capacity is being lost, where, and with what consequences.”

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has cited personnel confidentiality in limiting details on the announced changes. Grain Growers of Canada emphasized that while personnel confidentiality must be respected, it does not, and should not, prevent disclosure of which programs and research capacities are being impacted.

“Personnel confidentiality is not a barrier to clarity on program impacts,” Hepworth said. “Clarity of affected programs, facilities, and research capacity is both possible and necessary.”

The scale and pace of the announced reductions are raising serious concerns across the grain sector about long-term impacts on research capacity, regional expertise, and innovation pipelines. Decisions of this magnitude require clear impact assessments explaining how applied breeding programs, agronomic research, long-term datasets, and region-specific expertise were evaluated.

“The absence of clear information shifts risk directly onto the sector,” Hepworth said. “When institutional knowledge is lost, long-term datasets are broken, or regional research expertise disappears, those losses cannot simply be reversed, and the consequences will be felt long after these decisions are made.”

Grain Growers of Canada stressed that the release of timely, detailed information is essential. Early certainty around affected facilities, programs, and timelines would allow research partners and producer organizations to respond, mitigate disruption, and protect the integrity of ongoing research and production cycles.

Grain Growers of Canada is calling for immediate disclosure of affected programs, facilities, and research capacity, and will continue to engage with government to ensure decisions affecting Canada’s agricultural research system do not undermine its global competitiveness, long-term viability, or farmers’ livelihoods

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About Grain Growers of Canada (GGC):

As the national voice for Canada’s grain farmers, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) represents over 100,000 producers through our 15 national, provincial and regional grower groups. Our members steward 120 million acres of land to grow food for Canadians and for 160 countries around the world, creating $45 billion in export value annually. As the farmer-driven association for the grains sector, GGC champions federal policies that support the competitiveness and profitability of grain growers across Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hana Sabah
Sr. Communications Manager
Grain Growers of Canada
hana@graingrowers.ca | 514-834-8841

OTTAWA, Feb. 4, 2026 — Grain Growers of Canada is disappointed by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s decision to deny emergency use registration (EUR) for two per cent liquid strychnine to Alberta and Saskatchewan, a decision that leaves Prairie farmers without an effective tool to manage a persistent and highly destructive agricultural pest.

Producers across Alberta and Saskatchewan continue to face growing pest populations that threaten crop yields, forage availability, and the viability of hay land and native pasture. Continuing to ban a proven control option further limits farmers’ ability to protect their operations, particularly in the absence of any alternative that matches the effectiveness of strychnine.

The result is substantial economic harm through lost yields and long-term land damage.

Grain Growers of Canada recognizes the importance of strong environmental and health protections. Regulatory decisions, however, must also be grounded in sound science and reflect on-farm realities. Farmers are responsible stewards of the land and depend on practical, effective pest-management tools to maintain sustainable production and protect Canada’s food supply.

The emergency-use request submitted by Alberta and Saskatchewan included enhanced stewardship measures, targeted application windows, and additional safeguards to mitigate risks to non-target species. By rejecting this request, the current regulatory approach disregards both on-farm realities and the need to maintain agricultural competitiveness and food system resilience.

Grain Growers of Canada urges the federal government and the PMRA to urgently reconsider this decision in light of the Prime Minister’s initiative to make regulations more sensitive to the needs of the economy. 

Without effective tools, the economic and operational impacts will extend beyond farm gates and affect food availability and affordability for Canadians.

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About Grain Growers of Canada (GGC):

As the national voice for Canada’s grain farmers, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) represents over 100,000 producers through our 15 national, provincial and regional grower groups. Our members steward 120 million acres of land to grow food for Canadians and for 160 countries around the world, creating $45 billion in export value annually. As the farmer-driven association for the grains sector, GGC champions federal policies that support the competitiveness and profitability of grain growers across Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hana Sabah
Sr. Communications Manager
Grain Growers of Canada
hana@graingrowers.ca | 514-834-8841

OTTAWA, Jan. 16, 2026 — Grain Growers of Canada welcomes renewed engagement between Canada and China, including Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing and today’s announcement of preliminary steps to de-escalate recent trade tensions.

For Canada’s grain farmers, restoring predictability and access to key export markets matters. China is Canada’s second-largest grain market, and prolonged trade disruptions have had real consequences on farm revenues, cash flow, and confidence. Any progress that lowers barriers for Canadian agricultural products, including canola and pulses, is a positive step for farmers who depend on stable, rules-based trade.

Grain Growers of Canada has consistently called for pragmatic engagement with both the United States and China to protect tariff-free access and prevent farmers from becoming collateral damage in broader geopolitical disputes. Over 70 percent of the grain grown in Canada is exported, and there are simply no alternatives that can replace markets of this scale.

At the same time, renewed engagement must be grounded in predictability and follow-through. Canadian farmers need assurance that market access will be durable, transparent, and insulated as much as possible from future political escalation. Ongoing issues around trade enforcement, regulatory certainty, and the treatment of Canadian exports will require continued, steady government attention.

As discussions continue following this week’s announcements, Grain Growers of Canada urges the federal government to keep agriculture front and centre, work closely with producers and exporters, and ensure that progress translates into reliable market access at the farm gate.

Canadian grain farmers are ready to supply global markets. What they need from government is consistency, certainty, and a clear commitment to keeping trade working.

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About Grain Growers of Canada (GGC):

As the national voice for Canada’s grain farmers, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) represents over 100,000 producers through our 15 national, provincial and regional grower groups. Our members steward 120 million acres of land to grow food for Canadians and for 160 countries around the world, creating $45 billion in export value annually. As the farmer-driven association for the grains sector, GGC champions federal policies that support the competitiveness and profitability of grain growers across Canada.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hana Sabah
Sr. Communications Manager
Grain Growers of Canada
hana@graingrowers.ca | 514-834-8841

OTTAWA and GUELPH, Ont., Jan. 8, 2026 — Canada’s grain sector is strengthening its national advocacy voice as Grain Farmers of Ontario formally joins Grain Growers of Canada, with federal decisions on trade, transportation, research, and infrastructure taking centre stage.

Grain Growers of Canada represents grain farmers through its national, provincial, and regional member organizations, bringing a unified national voice to federal discussions on behalf of grain producers across the country. For nearly 25 years, the organization has advocated for the grain sector’s competitiveness and long-term viability, advancing policy grounded in on-farm realities for a sector generating $45 billion in annual exports.

“For decades, grain farmers have been dealing with the fallout of long-standing issues that have been left unresolved,” said Scott Hepworth, chair, Grain Growers of Canada. “Global market instability is exposing cracks across the system, and Grain Farmers of Ontario joining Grain Growers of Canada reflects just how broad these pressures are and why a unified national voice, representing every major grain-producing region, is critical now.”

Ontario is one of Canada’s largest grain-producing provinces and a critical contributor to the country’s export economy. Grain Farmers of Ontario joins Grain Growers of Canada alongside its 14 other grain grower groups from across the country, strengthening national representation to ensure the sector can continue to move grain efficiently, compete internationally, and respond to changing market conditions.

“Ontario’s grain farmers are strongest when we stand united with our peers across Canada,” said Jeff Harrison, chair, Grain Farmers of Ontario. “Joining the Grain Growers of Canada is a strategic decision that reflects today’s political landscape and positions all grain farmers for long-term success. We bring deep expertise and a strong voice to national discussions, and we are committed to working collaboratively to advance policies that benefit farmers from coast to coast.”

Together, Grain Farmers of Ontario and Grain Growers of Canada will work to ensure federal policy frameworks governing a wide range of critical topics – such as trade, transportation, research, and infrastructure – reflect the operational realities of grain farming and the consequences those decisions carry for Canada’s export economy.

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About Grain Growers of Canada (GGC):

As the national voice for Canada’s grain farmers, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) represents over 100,000 producers through our 15 national, provincial and regional grower groups. Our members steward 120 million acres of land to grow food for Canadians and for 160 countries around the world, creating $45 billion in export value annually. As the farmer-driven association for the grains sector, GGC champions federal policies that support the competitiveness and profitability of grain growers across Canada.

About Grain Farmers of Ontario:

Grain Farmers of Ontario is the province’s largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 barley, corn, oat, soybean, and wheat farmers. The crops they grow cover more than six million acres of farmland, generate over $4.1 billion in production value, contribute over $27 billion in economic output, and support more than 90,000 jobs across the province.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hana Sabah
Sr. Communications Manager
Grain Growers of Canada
hana@graingrowers.ca | 514-834-8841

Susan Blundell
Director, Communications
Grain Farmers of Ontario
226-820-6641 |  sblundell@gfo.ca   media@gfo.ca

OTTAWA, Nov. 4, 2025—Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) responded to targeted wins for grain farmers in Budget 2025, including the permanent reversal of the capital gains tax increase, but cautioned that other measures could undermine farm competitiveness.

“Budget 2025 acknowledged the impact that the capital gains tax increase would have had on family-run grain farms across Canada by permanently reversing it,” began Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “This will ensure that family farms can continue their succession planning with certainty and that the next generation of farmers does not pay millions of dollars more in taxes.”

The budget also allocated significant sums towards trade diversification, including in response to the challenges that growers are currently facing due to Chinese tariffs on canola and peas. This includes the creation of a Strategic Exports Office and funds for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to modernize trade tools and secure market access.

“I’m seeing first-hand how trade uncertainty is impacting grain farmers across the country,” said Scott Hepworth, Chair of Grain Growers of Canada and a grain farmer from Saskatchewan. “With challenges in the U.S. and tariffs in China, producers are under real pressure. The new investments in digital export tools and market diversification are positive steps. We need every tool available to keep grain moving, find new customers, and protect our bottom line in an unpredictable global environment.”

Infrastructure also features prominently in Budget 2025, with $213 million for the Major Projects Office to coordinate public and private investment and a new $5 billion Trade Diversification Fund to strengthen Canada’s export corridors. With nearly 70% of Canadian grain exported, efficient port infrastructure remains vital to keeping products moving to global markets on time and competitively.

“We continue to urge the government to add the Port of Vancouver to the next major projects list,” said Larkin. “It’s the single most important export gateway for Canadian grain, and its inclusion would send a clear signal that Ottawa is serious about improving trade competitiveness.”

Missing from the budget, however, was any commitment to extended interswitching, a key measure that expired in March 2025 and had allowed the sector to access competing rail lines, reducing shipping costs and improving service. “Without extended interswitching, farmers lose a competitive tool that kept costs in check and performance accountable,” Larkin warned.

GGC also expressed concern over the government’s plan to reduce Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s operating budget by 15% over three years, a move that could undermine public research and breeding programs essential to innovation and productivity.

“While Budget 2025 provides much-needed clarity for farmers, it falls short of delivering the full competitiveness framework needed,” continued Larkin. “We look forward to continuing to work with the government to ensure the sector remains competitive, resilient, and profitable to drive Canada’s export economy.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hana Sabah
Manager, Communications
Grain Growers of Canada
hana@graingrowers.ca | 514-834-8841