David Bexte introduced the FARM Act on April 14
An Alberta Conservative MP introduced a bill designed to speed up approvals to give farmers access to the tools they need.
David Bexte, the MP for Bow River, introduced Bill C-273, the Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization (FARM) Act on April 14.
If passed, the law would provide provisional approvals for feed, fertilizer and seed, crop protection products, and veterinary drugs, within 90 days of a complete application if the product in question has already received approved for use in places like the U.S, Australia, or the European Union.
“If a product has already been rigorously approved and reviewed by trusted jurisdictions, Canadian farmers shouldn’t be stuck waiting years to gain access to it or even perhaps never (receive) access,” Bexte told reporters in Ottawa on April 15.
Canada’s regulatory approval process can be slow.
For the 2024 crop year, for example, U.S. farmers received access to the foliar insecticide Calantha to target Colorado potato beetle.
As of April 2026, the same product isn’t available to Canadian farmers.
U.S. farmers received access to the herbicide Talinor in 2016. But Canadian growers didn’t have access to the product until 2023.
Overall, red tape is an issue Canada struggles with.
A 2023 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), for example, ranks Canada 35th out of 38 member countries in this field.
The Canadian government has acknowledged its challenging regulatory environment.
“While Canada’s regulatory framework is robust, its complexity can be challenging for businesses and producers to navigate,” a February 2026 AAFC progress report on reducing red tape in ag says. “Regulators have been working to reduce the burden of red tape and modernize regulations to ease burden on industry without compromising health, safety and the environment for Canadians.”
Bexte’s bill doesn’t propose replacing Canada’s system, and the ag minister would have the final say on product applications.
“Canada’s science-based review system still stays in place,” he told reporters.
At least one organization has publicly supported C-273.
In an April 15 statement, Fertilizer Canada President and CEO Michael Bourque called the bill a “practical step toward modernizing Canada’s regulatory framework and ensuring farmers have the tools they need to grow healthy, hearty crops.”
The Liberals introduced a similar bill in the past.
Kody Blois, the MP for Kings-Hants and current parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, brought similar legislation forward in October 2023 though it never passed first reading in the House of Commons.