November 27, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) – On news that the federal government is prepared to make meaningful improvements to AgriStability, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) would like to acknowledge the Minister’s efforts and urge consensus among the federal and provincial agriculture ministers to enact changes to support Canada’s farmers.

“We would like to thank the Minister for pushing through an increase in funding available from the federal government,” said GGC chair Jeff Nielsen from his farm in Olds, AB. “We know that, in these tumultuous times, support for this change would have taken a lot of work amongst her cabinet colleagues, and we appreciate her efforts in getting these approvals.”

The proposal from Minister Bibeau, presented at the 2020 Federal – Provincial – Territorial Ministers of Agriculture meetings, would increase the compensation rate under AgriStability from 70 to 80 per cent and remove the reference margin limit.

Along with the reference margin limit removal, GGC and its industry partners have asked for AgriStability coverage to cover losses starting at 85 per cent.

While GGC recognizes the unique fiscal challenges faced by the provinces as they consider the next steps for this important business risk management program, we reiterate that agriculture is more than worth the investment in order to drive an economic recovery – and support the food security of Canadians.

“Farmers face uncertainty from everywhere – from the punishing weather to the whims of international trading partners – and we need a predictable, bankable support system for when times get tough,” added Nielsen.

“We hope that our ag ministers keep this in mind as they consider the federal government’s proposal – and come up with a solution that works for everyone.”

For more information:

Erin Gowriluk
Executive Director
Grain Growers of Canada
egowriluk@ggc-pgc.ca
343-549-4767

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 14 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

November 23, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) – As another National Grain Week (NGW) wraps up, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is pleased to announce record engagement levels for its Grain Week 2020 events, despite the challenges of transitioning to virtual platforms.

“For us, a successful Grain Week means meeting our overall goal of putting more farmers in front of more policy makers, more often,” says GGC Chair Jeff Nielsen.

“Not only were we able to do that this year, despite the challenges of adapting to a virtual event, but we were able to actually expand our reach, including more GGC members in Grain Week events than ever before.”

GGC officials, including six staff members and 16 farmer directors, met with more than 30 parliamentarians last week, including representatives from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Senators and Members of Parliament (MPs) spanning all five political parties and two languages (French and English). GGC staff also had a total of 28 meetings, with four more scheduled for this week.

Last Monday, GGC and Crop Life Canada also launched Today’s Modern Grain Farm: A Harvest Across Canada, a video designed to help educate Canada’s legislators and policy makers about the business of a modern grain farm. To date, the film has more than 2,000 views and has attracted national media attention.

Throughout all the NGW meetings to date, GGC emphasized what has served as its messaging platform for several months now, Nielsen says, that Canadian grain farmers are uniquely positioned to help drive Canada’s economic recovery post COVID shutdowns. In order to do so, the industry needs government support in three key areas: prioritizing and enforcing current free trade agreements (FTA); modernizing regulations preventing innovation in agricultural research; and partnering with farmers in efforts to address climate change.

Media Contact:

Erin Gowriluk

Executive Director

Grain Growers of Canada

egowriluk@ggc-pgc.ca

343-549-4767

November 17, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) – This morning, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) partnered with CropLife Canada to premiere a short video designed to bring attention to the challenges and realities facing Canadian farmers.

“Today’s Modern Grain Farm: A Harvest Across Canada” is a short film designed to educate Canada’s legislators and policy makers about the business of a modern grain farm. Featuring interviews and clips from farms spanning Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and the east coast, “A Harvest Across Canada” brings legislators up close and personal with farmers across the country to learn about what life is like on a modern farm.

“One of our main focuses at GGC is putting more farmers in front of policy makers, many of whom have no agricultural background, so that they understand the true impact of their decisions and the challenges our farmers face,” says GGC Executive Director Erin Gowriluk.

“This year we had to get creative in how we could do that virtually. This video is one of the outcomes.”

The video was strategically launched at the beginning of GGC’s bi-annual lobby week to complement the requests that farmers will bring to the federal government.

These will include improving the trade situation for Canadian grains, modernizing regulations preventing innovation in agricultural research, and further recognition for the environmentally-beneficial practices that farmers employ on their land.

“This video really demonstrates the innovation that exists on Canada’s modern grain operations,” Gowriluk says. “It also highlights the fact that we all share the same goal of growing the economy and creating jobs while also recognizing that we are responsible for preserving the land for generations to come.”

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/XxtlRvYI7g8

For more information:

Erin Gowriluk
Executive Director
Grain Growers of Canada
egowriluk@ggc-pgc.ca
343-549-4767

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 14 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

September 23, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) – Following today’s Speech from the Throne, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) are disappointed that many of the pressing needs for Canada’s agriculture industry were left unaddressed by the federal government.

Earlier this week, GCC launched its own Speech from the Combine, outlining six priority areas for Canada’s agriculture sector that require immediate attention, in the hopes that this messaging would be reflected in the throne speech. These areas included: Business Risk Management programs; agricultural science and innovation; crop health; trade access; carbon tax exemptions; and cellular service and connectivity in rural areas.

“Our goal with the Speech from the Combine was to provide the government with clear and specific directives for what our industry needs right now to drive an economic recovery and benefit all Canadians,” Nielsen explained. “We are disappointed that so little attention was paid to addressing the challenges facing our sector.”

During the Speech from the Throne, it was stated that, “[the] Government will recognize farmers, foresters, and ranchers, as key partners in fight against climate change, supporting efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience.”

GGC is pleased with this statement as we have consistently shared with the government that farmers wish to be part of the solution. Unfortunately, this sentiment has not been reflected in the recent conversations that we have had with the government.

“From consultations on carbon offset protocols to the criteria for the proposed Clean Fuel Standard, we have not felt that our perspective has been acknowledged,” said Nielsen. “We hope that today’s message sets a new tone going forward as we are more than willing to step up and play a role in addressing climate change.”

Going forward, GGC will work closely with federal and provincial agriculture ministers to ensure that Canada’s agriculture industry remains top of mind, Nielsen added.

“Although we are disappointed today, we will continue to do what we always do –  advocate for Canadian farmers.”

One bright spot was the indication by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that ‘improving rural connectivity’ will be a priority for this session of parliament.

“COVID-19 has highlighted more than ever how critically rural areas need improved cellular wireless, internet connectivity, and broadband access,” Nielsen said. “The cutting-edge tools available in today’s agriculture world, which help us reduce inputs and produce more crops on less land, are only as good as the connection they have.”

For more information:

Erin Gowriluk

Executive Director

Grain Growers of Canada

egowriluk@ggc-pgc.ca

343-549-4767

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 14 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

September 21, 2020 (Ottawa, ON) -In advance of the federal Speech from the Throne, which will be delivered later this week, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) has released its own “Speech from the Combine,” a video asking for government support for Canada’s grain industry in order to drive the post pandemic recovery.

The seven-minute video outlines six priority areas that require immediate attention in order to position the agriculture industry for success, said GGC Chair Jeff Nielsen – who voiced the Speech from the Combine from his farm in Olds, Alberta. “At GGC we have long been advocating for these changes directly to the federal government, but now they are more important than ever,” he explained. “As Canada begins its economic recovery period, the agriculture sector faces its own challenges including the need for regulatory modernization, market access issues and a lack of reliable business risk management programs.”

The six requests of the federal government are, as follows: provide effective Business Risk Management programs; support science and innovation in agriculture; support crop health; help improve trade access; provide carbon tax exemptions; and improve cellular service and connectivity in rural areas.

“Through our Speech from the Combine, we have provided the government with clear and specific directives for what needs to be done,” Nielsen added. “As the government develops a plan for economic recovery we wanted to ensure that Canada’s agriculture sector is central to that plan, so we can all work together for everyone’s benefit.”

The full video is available here.

For more information:

Erin Gowriluk

Executive Director

Grain Growers of Canada

egowriluk@ggc-pgc.ca

343-549-4767

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 15 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

July 15, 2020 – Ottawa, ON. On behalf of its members and board of directors, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) are pleased to welcome their newest member, the newly-formed Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA).

MCA was formed through the amalgamation of five separate commodity groups in Manitoba – Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association, Manitoba Corn Growers Association, National Sunflower Association of Canada, Winter Cereals Manitoba Inc. and Manitoba Flax Growers Association. The organization will continue to represent wheat (spring & winter), barley, corn, sunflower and flax, and officially begins collecting check-off levies from the sales of these crops starting on August 1, 2020.

“Joining GGC was one of our first decisions upon amalgamation because it fits within MCA’s mandate to work with key industry stakeholders to develop and support existing markets, ensuring efficiencies and a focused approach to national priorities,” said MCA chair, Fred Greig. “We look forward to building a strong working relationship with GGC and providing them with input from our farmer members on policy that affects agriculture in our province.”

GGC and MCA will be jointly focused on improving the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture on both the domestic and international front.

Canada’s grain growers will also benefit from MCA’s perspective on many issues, one that represents 8,000-plus Manitoba farmers and 40 percent of the province’s field crops produced.

“MCA is an organization that represents so many different crops and having them on board will further increase the diversity of our membership. When we have more voices at the table, we are an even stronger advocate for all farmers,” said GGC Chair, Jeff Nielsen. “As Canada’s united grower voice, we understand how critical it is for our country’s farmers to come together under strong leadership to drive innovation, profitability, and sustainability for our industry.”

For more information, please contact:

Cole Christensen

Communications Consultant

403-589-3529

media@ggc-pgc.ca

For more information

Hayley Stacey
Communications Lead
P: 204-804-3333
E: media@ggc-pgc.ca

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 15 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

(Ottawa, Ontario) May 5, 2020 – Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement of a $252-million relief package for agriculture and agri-food, Canada’s grain growers are left disappointed by the long-term challenges that this measure fails to address.

“While we recognize the urgent challenges faced by other commodities, today’s announcement does nothing for grain farmers,” said GGC chair Jeff Nielsen. “This relief package offers no resolution to our existing issues, which result from long-standing market access challenges, rail blockades, and 2019’s harvest from hell.”

As net farm incomes continue to plummet, the federal government has only offered relief programs that are either not applicable to the majority of farms or prioritize access to debt for already highly leveraged farmers. This relief package, unfortunately, maintains that trend.

GGC has repeatedly stressed to the federal government that the AgriStability program is the most effective way to provide a safety net for all types of farmers who need it. Not only does it already have universal buy-in among the industry’s sectors, it provides targeted support to more efficiently address the challenges that the federal government has sought to remedy.

“Our Minister of Agriculture has already indicated that programs like AgriStability ‘need to be improved’, so why not start today?” added Nielsen. “The only way forward is to implement the changes that we have asked for to support Canadian farmers this year and help us to rebuild their businesses for a post-COVID-19 world.”

For over a year, GGC has asked that AgriStability receive an infusion of funds, which will allow the program to cover losses starting at 85 per cent of historical reference margins and eliminate of the Reference Margin Limit while encouraging farmers to retroactively enroll for 2019-20.

During today’s press briefing, the Prime Minister stated that, “We will be there for our agricultural producers because they are so important to all Canadians. The hard work they do and the support they give us all needs to be respected, reflected on, and mostly, supported.” GGC hopes that the Prime Minister will act on these sentiments and support Canadian farmers.

“We have provided the government with these proactive, practical measures to give farmers the tools they need to succeed,” said Nielsen.” We ask now that the federal government take a leadership role and decisively implement the concrete solutions that we have outlined.”

For more information, contact:

Cole Christensen

Communications Consultant, Grain Growers of Canada

Email: media@ggc-ppc.ca

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 15 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.

In response to today’s announcement by the federal government, we would like to extend our appreciation for their recognition of the essential role that farmers play in our economy.

On behalf of Canada’s grain farmers, we will continue to advocate for more comprehensive business risk management programs to ensure farmers have meaningful support during challenging times. These measures should include direct stimulus through existing funding mechanisms.

The bottom line is that farmers need tools to succeed – not the freedom to drown in debt.

As an industry, we have put forward recommendations to the government. We look forward to working with them to ensure they are put in place in a timely manner.

(Ottawa, Ontario) March 11, 2020 – Upon news that Senator Diane Griffin has brought forward Senate Public Bill S-215 for debate, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) are calling on all Senators to support the bill which would exempt natural gas and propane from the carbon tax.

“We are very pleased that Sen. Griffin has brought forward this legislation so early in the parliamentary session,” said GGC chair Jeff Nielsen. “This bill lessens the burden of the carbon tax on our farmer members ahead of a crucial spring seeding season.”

On behalf of Canada’s grain farmers, GGC implores Senators to demonstrate unanimous support of Bill S-215 in the Upper Chamber and quickly advance this legislation forward to Committee.

“We must work collaboratively so that farmers are recognized for their environmental stewardship and to achieve the government’s twin goals of mitigating climate change and increasing the agri-food sector’s competitiveness,” explained Sen. Griffin.

In Sen. Griffin’s speech, she indicated that farmers are unable to mitigate costs of the carbon tax through direct action – as critical measures like drying grain are not a “discretionary fuel use.” She also reiterated the importance of maintaining agriculture’s competitiveness in order to meet the federal government’s states goal of $85 billion in agri-food exports by 2025.

“Senator Griffin articulated very well just why the carbon tax is simply not workable for farmers, and why these broader exemptions for fuel used to dry our grain is so important right now,” added Nielsen. “After the 2019 ‘Harvest from Hell,’ paying additional taxes to dry grain that would otherwise rot in the bin or be sold at a steep discount just adds insult to injury. There are simply no alternatives to fossil fuels to dry our grain and those costs are coming at a time that farmers can afford it least.”

The Senate Bill S-215 is similar in nature to Bill C-206, tabled by MP Philip Lawrence, which is expected to be debated in the House of Commons in the coming weeks. GGC is supportive of both pieces of legislation and hopeful that either will be passed into law in advance of the 2020 harvest to ensure the taxes are not applied to the cost of grain drying this fall.

“Given the clear desire for this legislative change in both Chambers and across Party lines, our hope is that the federal government would include broader exemptions for all fuels used in farming operations in the Budget Implementation Act – once tabled,” said Nielsen. “This is not about politics. This is about the sustainability of the family farm in Canada.”

The full text of Senator Griffin’s speech can be found here 

For more information, contact:

Cole Christensen
Communications Consultant
Email: media@ggc-ppc.ca
Phone: 403-589-3529

Grain Growers of Canada provides a strong national voice for over 65,000 active and successful grain, oilseed and pulse producers through its 15 provincial, regional and national grower groups. Our mission and mandate are to pursue a policy environment that maximizes global competitiveness and to influence federal policy on behalf of independent Canadian grain farmers and their associations.