The ongoing strike at the Port of Vancouver is estimated to be costing Canada's grain industry $35 million a day in lost exports.
About 650 Grain Services Workers walked off the job Tuesday morning at the Port of Vancouver over contract issues with the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VETA).
VETA represents six grain export terminals Viterra's Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, the G3 Vancouver Terminal and Alliance Grain Terminal which operate at the Port.
Like many farm groups the Keystone Agriculture Producers is calling for an immediate resumption of activities at the Port of Vancouver, including all terminal activity.
President Jill Verwey says this is just another hit as farmers have been dealing with disruption after disruption when it comes to getting their product to market this year.
"It's disappointing that this is yet another disruption that impacts us. It impacts the flow of of grain and ultimately I think affects our reputation as a reliable source of grain in the international market."
She says producers already face a massive amount of pressure during the annual harvest season to get the crop in the bin.
"This disruption at such a critical time of year will only add further stress to producers as they work long hours to get harvest complete, not knowing if there will be a transportation system to get that product to market."
She notes once again farmers are going to pay the price for the work stoppage at the Port.
"If there's disruption that stops the flow of product getting loaded on those ships, at the end of the day its going to have a negative impact on farmers being able to fill those contracts that we have here this fall. If the grain is not moving at the port, then that means everything is going to back up right to the elevator and the producer."
KAP points out will result in severe disruptions for the export of grain through many bulk grain export terminals in Vancouver, with 70% of Canada’s bulk grain exported through
Vancouver grain terminals representing 27 million tonnes of grain in the 2023/24 crop year. For pulse crops, close to 100% of bulk peas and lentils move through Vancouver terminals which was 2.7 million tonnes in 2023/24.
The President of the Wheat Growers Association Gunter Jochum says the timing of the strike at the Port of Vancouver could not be worse.
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