Broad Shipper Coalition Pushing Hard For Rail Regulation

0ttawa Watching railway customer Rob Davies and railway spokesman Cliff Mackay debate railway regulation was like watching Abbott and Costello, except this was improv. “I just don’t think regulations create win-win solutions,” Mackay, president of the Railway Association of Canada, said during a panel discussion here Nov. 16 during a grain industry symposium organized by

Mixed Reaction To Rail Freight Service Review Interim Report

Grain companies and Canadian Nat ional Railway (CN) turned thumbs down on the Rail Freight Service Review panel’s interim report, but for different reasons. The grain companies say the report commissioned by Transport Canada released Oct. 8 after two years of consultation is flawed because it fails to recommend the federal government immediately legislate the


Know What You Grow – for Sep. 16, 2010

Farmers making their first deliveries to an elevator this fall will have to sign two declaration forms instead of the customary one. Since 2006, producers have had to declare that the wheat they were delivering is eligible for the class to which it’s going. Now farmers are being asked to declare the non-wheat board crops

Maintaining Trade Is Ongoing Battle – for Aug. 5, 2010

As everyone knows, agriculture is at the mercy of the weather. Agriculture is also at the mercy of trade disruptions. Saskatchewan is the world’s largest exporter of canaryseed and a trade issue has emerged with Mexico, our largest customer. Mexican officials have been complaining about the level of wild buckwheat seeds within canaryseed shipments. Back


Rail Service Review Enters Next Phase

“Either we have adequate competition or, where we don’t have adequate competition… we need effective legislation to simulate this balance.” – WADE SOBKOWICH Farm groups, grain companies and railway shippers are pleased a federal government review of railway service has taken another step forward. Rob Merrifield, minister of state for transport announced Sept. 23 the

Changes Likely For Flax Industry

“It’s going to be a wake-up call for somebody.” – DALE ADOLPHE Canada’s flax industry will have to change how it does business to restore European Union (EU) confidence if genetically modified (GM) flax is verified in Canadian exports. Farmers might have to declare the variety of flax they deliver, or grow only certified seed,


Agriculture Hall Of Fame – for Aug. 20, 2009

John Murray Cormack was born and raised on a family farm at Rossburn, Manitoba. He obtained a BSA from the University of Manitoba, an MSc from the University of Nebraska and a PhD from Iowa State University. Murray and Cather ine (nee Crookshank) raised four sons: Ron, Ken, Neil and David. From 1957 to 1959,

Odds Against C-13 Becoming Law: CGC Chief

Bill C-13, the proposed legislation to overhaul the Canada Grain Act is unlikely to become law, according to Elwin Hermanson, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). However, he told the Keystone Agricultural Producers’ (KAP) its study into alternatives to CGC security was not in vain. “I think the odds favour that the bill


Grain Act Bill Dead Or Delayed

“The key here is that this hoist motion actually kills the bill before it even has a chance to make it to committee.” – PIERRE LEMIEUX Opposition parties employed a rarely used parliamentary tactic to effectively kill the federal government’s proposed legislation amending the Canada Grain Act last week. Just as the government was preparing

Wrong Wheat Delivery Fines Uncertain

“Details have to be developed after the bill receives royal assent. Then we would draft corresponding regulations…. – REMI GOSSELIN A lot of western Canadian farmers are under the impression they’ll face big fines for delivering the wrong wheat to an elevator if C-13, a bill to amend the Canada Grain Act, becomes law. It’s