Extended rail provisions bring certainty for 2016 crop year

Jun 17, 2016

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) commends Members of Parliament for unanimously passing a motion yesterday to prolong for one year the rail transport provisions enacted temporarily in 2014 under the Fair Rail for Grain Farmers Act.

The provisions allow for enhanced planning and more competitive pricing options, along with better service in transporting grain to export markets. Among these measures are extended interswitching limits and strengthened regulations to ensure that railways meet service obligations. Together, these provisions will bring certainty as grain producers head into the 2016 crop year.

"Western Canadian grain farmers are most appreciative of the support from all parties and from members in both the House of Commons and the Senate for recognizing the urgency of rail transport concerns as we await long-term recommendations stemming from the recent Canada Transportation Act (CTA) Review," said Ron Bonnett, CFA President.

The provisions were set to expire August 1, 2016. However, as government has yet to respond to the CTA review (released this past February), CFA and its members have been asking to extend them, as the government has announced that a new round of consultations is underway.

Without this extension, farmers would have been at a greater disadvantage in a system that already lacks competitive options.

A massive backlog in the western grain transportation system in 2013-2014 resulted in major economic losses and farmers have been concerned about potential challenges for the coming year.

Source: CFA

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.