Conservatives Question Government's Action On Canola

Mar 11, 2020

The federal Conservatives say the Liberal government’s lack of action on re-opening Canola shipments to China over the past year shows they don’t see Canada’s canola farmers and producers as a priority.

Lianne Rood, the Deputy Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says Canadian canola and soybean producers are losing out on so much revenue.

"A billion dollars is the estimate for canola, $590 million dollars is the estimate for soybeans, because we've just seen weak leadership from Prime Minister Trudeau on this file. Where he's failed to stand up for our canola farmers and producers, and it's really unfortunate that took him over 120 days even lodged a complaint at the WTO.”

She says after China banned Canadian Canola Imports they (the Conservatives) called on the Liberals to launch a complaint with the WTO, pull Canadian funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and to increase inspections on all Chinese imports.

Rood notes another concern is the rail blockades here at home and the damage it caused our agriculture sector.

“It’s not just agriculture. Manufacturing and also potash is affected; $63 million a week, just for our grain sector alone is what this has caused us here domestically.”

She says another issue of concern that came up last week is the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and Health Canada’s decision to phase out Strychnine, an effective product that farmers have been using safely for decades to control the gopher population.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.