Canola, united on the Hill
On November 5, 2024, Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) and the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) went to Parliament Hill and met with nearly 40 parliamentarians and senior staff to advocate on behalf of Canada’s nearly 40,000 canola farmers and the entire canola value chain.
Lobby Day is one of several approaches and activities both CCGA and CCC use to engage with policymakers, and this year, it was a collaborative approach.
“This year’s joint lobby day allowed us to have representation across the entire canola value chain at all of our meetings, highlighting how policy impacts the entire sector,” says Roger Chevraux, CCGA chair and farmer from Alberta. “Lobby day puts a face to this multi-billion-dollar Canadian industry and connects policymakers with those who may not have an understanding or experience with agriculture or the farm.”
“For the canola industry, it is more important than ever to have our collective voice in Ottawa heard,” says Chris Davison, CCC president and CEO. “International trade, reliable supply chains and a competitive business and operating environment are essential for the industry’s ongoing success. Engaging with federal decision-makers to advance these and other issues is a core part of the mandate for both CCC and CCGA.”
In a typical meeting, you get 20 minutes to address specific policy issues and ask for actions toward solutions. Consistency and clarity are key.
CCGA and CCC discussed the following:
Market access and international trade. Current geopolitical and market headwinds underline the need for ambitious and commercially viable trade agreements, as well as the importance of a strong domestic market to help de-risk the industry and hedge against potential future market disruptions.
Our asks: Support the Canadian canola industry as it navigates the impact of China’s anti-dumping investigation, support a domestic biofuels market, and reject Bill C-282, an Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).
Reliable rail transportation. Farmers, shippers and the wider canola industry rely on efficient, predictable and timely rail service to ship canola to ports. Budget 2023 authorized an 18-month “extended interswitching” pilot in the Prairie provinces that expires in March 2025. Extended interswitching gives captive shippers the ability to seek competing service from the next closest railway if they are located within the 160 km radius.
Our asks: Extend Budget 2023’s rail interswitching pilot by 30 months and oppose Bill S-287, which aims to repeal extended interswitching.
Bill C-234. Currently, farmers have no viable fuel alternatives to replace natural gas and propane used on farms and, therefore, should be exempt from carbon pricing. Bill C-234 seeks to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane. With the price of carbon going up, the tax alone from grain drying can cost canola farmers thousands of dollars every year.
Our ask: Pass Bill C-234.
The day ended with a joint reception attended by parliamentarians, senior civil servants, political staff and industry representatives.