Farmers could access new markets through alternate shipping method
By Kaitlynn Anderson
Staff Reporter
Farms.com
Northern Ontario producers are examining the possibility of rail transport for their grain.
The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) would like to develop a rail siding facility to provide farmers between Nipissing and Cochrane with an alternate method to highway transportation, according to yesterday’s article in Northern Ontario Business.
Area farmers could reap many benefits from this facility.
“Local producers will be able to access new and alternative markets,” Stephanie Vanthof, NOFIA’s administrator, told Farms.com today.
Rail transportation could also help farmers diversify risk and address existing issues, she said.
For example, farmers may currently face logistical problems become some trucking companies in the Clay Belt are operating at full capacity, the article stated. Long-haul trucking can also have negative environmental impacts.
In addition, farmers who ship their grain by rail can avoid major accidents on roadways, which often interfere with the delivery of trucked commodity shipments, the article stated.
Some local companies are already familiar with rail transport.
“Elevators in the area (currently) ship some small amounts of commodities by rail,” Vanthof said. “This facility would improve efficiencies and potentially reduce the overall shipping costs (through) increased volume.”
To determine the viability of the project, the group has hired a consultant to conduct a feasibility study which should be completed by early April, Vanthof said.
The news follows the commitment from Canada’s national railways to relieve the grain backlog in Western Canada.
barmalini 2016/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo