Communications

July 7, 2021 (Ottawa, ON) – With harvest just around the corner, many members of the Canadian agriculture industry are wondering how we are going to deliver our products to international buyers. Many farmers also have outstanding questions/concerns/comments about Canada’s grain shipping and handling system.

Now, we want to hear from you!

Today the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) officially launches its Grain on Trains hotline, in conjunction with the new Grain on Trains podcast. These are both part of an overall, GGC produced campaign designed to delve deeper into the Canadian grain shipping and handling system, educate the ag industry about how it is set up to work, and highlight farmers’ experiences dealing with a system with limited capacity. The overall goal of the project is to engage with all the stakeholders responsible for getting Canadian grain to market and identify opportunities to address inefficiencies, says GGC Executive Director Erin Gowriluk.

“We know that every year, Canadian farmers produce more and more grain but few of us really understand where the grain goes when it leaves the terminal and how it gets to our end-use markets around the globe,” she says. “This podcast is an opportunity for us to delve deeper into the complex system and hear from the voices that is often missing in the conversation around grain shipment in Canada – those of farmers.”

The Grain on Trains hotline is now officially open to farmers, Gowriluk says, and is an opportunity for them to share frustrations, ask questions or just share general thoughts.

“We just want to hear from farmers – what problems have you encountered with our current grain shipping and handling system in Canada? What frustrations do you have around grain movement, or outstanding questions about how it works?” she says.

The first podcast guest will be Mark Hemmes of Quorum Corp., Canada’s Grain Transportation Monitor. Future guests will be posted on the website so that callers can direct specific questions as needed. Farmers who call the line will be asked to leave a recording, which may be shared as part of the podcast. The first episode of the Grain Growers of Canada podcast is now available at Grainontrains.ca. Episodes are also available wherever you listen to podcasts.

To participate in the hotline, text your message to 416-649-6488 or record your voice message at (toll-free) 1-888-870-3672.

For more information

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
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.