New Trade Agreement Requires Changes To Canada's Grain Act

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association sees the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement as a good step forward for Canada.

One change impacting the wheat sector is that any registered wheat varieties grown on either side of the border would be recognized in the other country.

Wheat Growers Chair Jim Wickett says the issue American wheat growers had if they wanted to bring grain into Canada was that it was automatically downgraded to feed.

He says the amount of grain that comes into Canada is 50,000 tonnes or one elevator full.

“It’s not something we need to run screaming and scared of. We ship anywhere from three to five million south and it’s a high-value market. It’s going to take a change to the Canada Grain Act but that is going to straighten that out so that wheat is wheat. So, that if a US farmer brings it up, he’s going to be graded exactly the same as a Canadian farmer.”

He notes the current clause in the Grain Act is a hangover from the Crow Rate (which ended in 1996) in having foreign grain get a freight subsidy and its time it was changed.

The Wheat Growers have collaborated with US Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers US on several occasions over the past two years pushing for these changes.