Farmers worried about transportation of pending bumper crop
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Farm groups from Western Canada say they can’t schedule a meeting with federal transport minister Marc Garneau.
Ron Bonnett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said he’s been trying to meet with Garneau since April to discuss transportation concerns.
Producers are expecting bumper crops and are worried about potential rail bottlenecking.
Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau.
In addition, Bonnett said farmers are concerned over a report recommendation that could limit the amount of money Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railway would earn by shipping western grain.
“We are just getting (Minister Garneau is) ‘not available,’” he told the Canadian Press. “Frustration would be the mild word.”
Norm Hall, president of the Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan, said he contacted Minister Garneau last winter, but didn’t get a response until this summer.
“It took until July to get a reply just saying ‘Yes, we received your letter. Sorry, we are too busy,’” Hall told the Canadian Press.
Hall said farmers are concerned that agriculture’s voice isn’t being heard as another review is being conducted.
“Are (railroads) going to get their way again?”
Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, said farm organizations want to meet with Garneau to ensure their messages are being heard exactly as their meant to be.
“We want to have a face-to-face so we can clarify our position quite strongly,” he told the Canadian Press.