CANADIAN AGRICULTURE GROUPS READY FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT HARVEST IN A GENERATION

#CANADASREADY Campaign Calls for Increased Transparency into Canada's Rail and Containerized supply chain.

WINNIPEG, MB, July 20, 2022 /CNW/ - The fall of 2022 represents the most important harvest in a generation. Canada's farmers, processors and exporters are being called upon by governments and countries around the world to step up to help alleviate the extreme pressure on the global food supply being caused by the war in Ukraine and global supply-chain challenges stemming from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Today, agriculture groups launched the "Canada's Ready" campaign – a grassroots public awareness campaign to show Canadians and the world that our farmers, processors and exporters are ready to step up and deliver. The campaign encourages anyone working in the agriculture industry to participate by taking a photo on the job and sharing it online with the hashtag #CanadasReady.

To ensure there are no weak links in Canada's agriculture supply chain, groups are calling for increased transparency throughout Canada's shipping logistics systems. Canada's two major railways will soon submit to the government their grain plans for the 2022-23 grain year. Canada's agriculture industry at large has developed a four-point plan to ensure that farmers, processors, exporters, and consumers in Canada and around the world have confidence not only in these plans but in Canada's overall ability to deliver.

This includes:

• Providing detailed, transparent plans on how railways plan to move grain based on the template provided by the grain sector. Container lines serving Canada must also step up and provide a clear indication of the expected capacity of their programs that will be made available each month for agriculture exports.
  
  
• Forming an Industry/Government Labour Council to track the progress of the collective agreement negotiations. There are 12 CN and CP labour agreements that are expired or will expire in 2022 alone.
  
  
• Ensuring that railways and container lines provide monthly updates on their capacity plans.
  
  
• Increasing support for comprehensive performance measurement programs – such as the Ag Transport Coalition for rail – to measure how service providers are meeting their plans and outline improvements for the future.

Groups also committed to continue to play a constructive role to improve Canada's overall supply-chain resiliency and build its international reputation as a reliable shipper of agricultural goods.

Quotes:

"Canada has committed to countries around the world that we would be there to help feed them in their time of need. Canadian growers are ready and have invested to meet this challenge. With the eyes of the world on our system, it's time for increased transparency to prove we can deliver. We encourage growers to show their support by engaging online while getting this much needed crop in the bin and on its way to a world hungry for Canadian grain."

-     Kevin Auch, Chair, Pulse Canada

"Grain processors and exporters have consistently invested to expand Canada's capacity to store and move grain. A large crop is expected and demand for Canadian grain is on the rise. By implementing our plan, we can show that Canada's Ready to do what we do best – supply quality grain to consumers here at home and around the world."

-     Wade Sobkowich, Executive Director, Western Grain Elevator Association

SOURCE Pulse Canada

For more information, media may contact: Jeff English, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Pulse Canada, 204-960-1622, [email protected]