Grain Growers of Canada wants Bill C-30 provisions extended

May 09, 2017

Current provisions are scheduled to expire August 1

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is asking the federal government to extend the grain rail provisions scheduled to expire on August 1, 2017.

Last June, the Government announced certain rules within the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act (Bill C-30).

Including requiring Canadian National Railway Company and Canadian Pacific Railway Company to move minimum quantities of grain during specified time periods,would be extended until the beginning of August 2017.

But with the growing season underway, farmers will need access to as much grain transportation as possible.

Jeff Nielsen

“…it is imperative that Prairie grain farmers and the entire value chain know they can rely on a consistent rail system to get their grain to port,” GGC said in a May 9 statement. “About 90 per cent of Canadian grain is destined for the export market, the vast majority of which is shipped by rail.”

GGC is calling on the country’s Transportation Minister to reconsider the August 1 expiration date.

“We urge Transportation Minister (Marc) Garneau to extend the provisions, particularly those related to interswitching, until the Transportation 2030 legislation is enacted,” Jeff Nielsen, GGC president, said in a release.

Transportation 2030 is Minister Garneau’s strategy for safer, cleaner and more efficient transportation throughout the country.

The current interswitching rules allow the Canadian Transportation Agency to extend interswitching rights up to 160 km for grain and other goods.

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