Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald, Conservative shadow ag minister John Barlow and Bloc Québécois MP and agriculture committee vice-chair Sébastien Lemire each made appearances at the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s AGM, which ran Feb. 24-25 in Ottawa.

The theme of the meeting was Let’s Grow Canada: Building the Future of Canadian Agriculture.

Agriculture minister says future policy will engage farmers

MacDonald said Canadian agriculture is set up for success, but getting there could be a challenge.

“Productivity has been steadily declining in recent years, and the sector has struggled to attract the right mix of talent and maintain the level of investment in (research and development) as required to remain a global leader,” he said.

“Addressing these challenges as the sector undergoes a generational shift is not only essential to strengthening the resilience and (competitiveness) of Canadian agriculture, but also for advancing the country’s broader growth ambitions and economies.”

He also spoke about the recently announced Next Policy Framework, which will succeed the current Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership. This will act as one of the mechanisms to set the next generation of farmers up for success, he said.

MacDonald said the government must be a leader, but can’t fill that role without industry stakeholders by its side.

He also addressed what he referred to as the “white elephant in the room,” the recent staff cuts at AAFC and closure of research sites. These have drawn significant criticism from the agriculture sector.

“We can’t go forward with all these achievements that we want to make if we don’t have appropriate science,” he said. “Science builds on our capacity. It helps our farmers and ranchers on a daily basis.”

“It’s not easy in this job, when you’re asked to cut 15 per cent of your budget and you’re thinking, ‘I’m not cutting programs (at the farm gate), so what do we have to do?’

“We’re not cutting science,” MacDonald said. “We’re cutting facilities.”

John Barlow: Let’s Grow Canada

Barlow began by praising the production, sustainability and growth capacity of Canadian producers, in line with the conference’s theme. He also said there is room for the sector to improve and continue to grow.

“We are now number nine in the world in terms of food production and food exports,” Barlow said.

“Now, many times, (we say) yeah, like the Olympics, we’re in the top 10,” he continued, “but I want to be the hockey team. I want to be in the top three. I want to be on the podium. We were number five not that long ago.”

Barlow said before last year’s federal election, he consulted agriculture leaders and asked them for their priorities for the sector. He narrowed it down to several items, including a culture shift in agencies like the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Pest Management Regulatory Agency, reducing red tape and prioritizing research and innovation.

“We have not given up on trying to reach and address those priorities that you in this room put forward,” Barlow said.

“I’m not naïve,” he continued. “I’m pretty sure you shared those same priorities with my Liberal colleagues.”

He criticized the government for maintaining red tape and for its cuts to research and innovation.

“We cannot keep going in this direction,” he said. “Otherwise, we go from number five to number nine. That number is going to continue to decline.”

He pointed to statistics suggesting the agriculture sector’s growth has slowed from 2 per cent to 1 per cent over the last decade.

“We have these opportunities, but we keep missing these opportunities.”

Barlow closed by speaking directly to the AGM’s theme.

“Let’s grow Canada. I couldn’t agree more. Let’s grow it by backing the men and women who have built this industry, men and women who grow our food and produce our commodities.”

“Let’s grow Canada by harmonizing regulation, eliminating red tape and taxes to make you economically competitive,” he said. “Let’s grow Canada by assuring that our farmers and producers have access to the same tools as their competitors and our allies around the world.”

“Let’s also grow Canada by ensuring that you have a government that has your back and is listening to your priorities.”

Sébastien Lemire: Agriculture is Defense

Speaking in French, Lemire said he had an early interest in making an agriculture a part of his mandate as an MP, even if he was not working directly on the file.

Lemire represents the Northern Quebec riding of Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Despite its northern location, the area is still home to considerable agricultural production.

Lemire said he was interested in changing the narrative of his riding as a forested northern area and emphasizing its production.

He also spoke to the importance of agriculture as a strategic asset.

“To me, food sovereignty is a fundamental notion,” he said in French. “If we want to protect our population, it happens with agriculture.”

He said agriculture could serve as an element of national defense and questioned the government’s funding of defense efforts over agricultural production.

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“It’s good for Canadian agriculture,” Currie said. “(Carney) actually promised through the budget that Canadian agriculture was a strategic asset, and this is one step forward to delivering on that.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a deal on Friday that includes China reducing tariffs on some Canadian imports, including canola seed, and Canada allowing in up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles at a reduce tariff rate.

“I can’t confirm it, but it looks like it might be a short-term (deal) that’s going to lead to a long-term one once they get it all fleshed out,” Currie said.

Maintaining China-Canada relationship

The deal could signal a step forward in Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, which comprises 40 countries and six of Canada’s top 13 trading partners. The Canadian government has also pledged to double non-U.S. exports by 2030.

Currie said Carney’s trade trips could be signs of his commitment to securing trade deals for Canada.

“The fact that this is the fourth trip in a very short period of time for Prime Minister Carney and company, I think that signals that they’re obviously very interested in maintaining that relationship with China and getting a deal done.”

U.S. objections

Canada’s deal with China has already begun to face criticism. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told U.S. news outlet CNBC that the Canadian government’s decision on Chinese electric vehicles at a low tariff rate is “problematic” and Canada may come to regret the decision.

Currie said disagreement from the U.S. is to be expected.

“I don’t expect (U.S. President Donald Trump’s) going to be happy that we signed a deal, but let’s, let’s wait and see,” he said.

“And you know what, good on Carney for getting this done,” Currie said. “He realizes that he’s probably not going to be happy, but at the end of the day, the U.S. kind of still needs Canada more than they want to let on.”

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized the trade deal in a post on X, saying, “There is no guarantee that tariffs on canola and other Canadian goods will be permanently, immediately or completely eliminated.”

He added Canadian pork farmers will keep paying the existing 25 per cent tariff.

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“For the first time in a decade or so, or maybe longer than that, agriculture was recognized as one of those strategic industries,” said Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) president Keith Currie in an interview with Glacier FarmMedia.

“There’s a lot of stuff in there that, if we do our job, agriculture has the opportunity to get a hold of some much-needed programming and funding,” he said.

He pointed to investments in communications and transportation infrastructure like rail and ports as areas where agriculture could see benefits.

The Carney government’s budget, released Tuesday, contained several investments aimed to help diversify Canada’s export market at a time when sectors have been kneecapped by ongoing trade disputes with the U.S. and China. It also announced funding to initiatives like the AgriStability and AgriMarketing programs and cutbacks to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Trade diversification

In a news release, the CFA praised investments in the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to modernize its trade tools and expand market access for farmers and the re-establishment of the Accelerated Investment Initiative.

Currie said the CFIA funding could have positive impacts for the Canadian agricultural export market.

“That’s something I know we talked to our Mexican counterparts a lot about, how do we streamline and expedite the crossing of the borders?” He said. “Giving CFA some of those tools and … regulatory framework structure to help with that, I think is really important.”

Grain Growers of Canada praised the budget’s attention to trade diversification in a Tuesday written release but also cautioned against other measures it said could undermine the competitiveness of Canadian farms.

“I’m seeing first-hand how trade uncertainty is impacting grain farmers across the country,” said Grain Growers chair Scott Hepworth in the release. “With challenges in the U.S. and tariffs in China, producers are under real pressure. The new investments in digital export tools and market diversification are positive steps.”

The budget included measures to support small and medium-sized businesses find new markets abroad through CanExport. In a release following the budget, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Candace Liang commended this new investment, which she said would keep Canadian businesses from being overly-reliant on the U.S market.

Organic

The Canadian Organic Growers weren’t surprised to see a lack of any specific focus on organic farming, but said many of the changes had potential to help the sector. New trade efforts could help diversify Canadian organic goods into the sought-after European and Indo-Pacific markets said Katie Fettes, Director of Policy and Research at Canadian Organic Growers.

“This whole focus on building our domestic infrastructure, including to support the trade diversification piece, that’s going to have a positive impact on the sector,” Fettes said, “including, definitely some of our growers in the Prairies that need that increased investment and access.”

One of the main goals for the Canadian organic sector’s recent Organic Action Plan is boosting organic production to keep up with market demand. Fettes said building infrastructure like transport and processing capacity can help with this goal.

Fettes said it was encouraging to see the budget aligning environmental and economic goals.

“Agriculture is a sector that really demonstrates that they have to go hand in hand.”

She said the idea of making environmentally sustainable outcomes financially beneficial is part of the whole point of the organic sector.

“Expanding organic production is, it’s going to … make our sector more competitive, but at the same time, it will have those climate benefits,” she said.

“There is that focus on competitiveness, being able to diversify, build resilience, and if we can connect climate into that, then all the better, because we’re kind of accomplishing two things at the same time.”

Budget cuts

The Grain Growers of Canada commended the permanent reversal of the capital gains tax increase but criticized the lack of commitments to interswitching. The producer group also expressed concern over plans to reduce AAFC’s operating budget by 15 per cent over three years, which it says could undermine research and innovation in the sector.

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada also expressed concerns that cuts to AAFC’s budget would hamstring its ability to modernize agriculture safety nets.

“Food security is national security,” said the organization’s president Marcus Janzen in a Wednesday statement. “Today’s budget continues to leave growers exposed to ongoing trade uncertainty and extreme weather events.”

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers also pointed to a lack investments in the greenhouse sector.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers said it welcomed the government’s focus on infrastructure and workforce development, particularly the $75 million investment into the AgriMarketing Program.

Where the budget falls short, the association said, is in its lack of any funding for precision agriculture technology adoption.

Action on biofuels

The Advanced Biofuels Canada Association applauded the budget for its action on biofuels, which included $327 million over two years to a Biofuels Production Incentive.

“Canada’s biomass-based diesel producers – and feedstock suppliers – need predictable, stable demand and fiscal conditions to counter market barriers from tariff and non-tariff trade barriers,” the group’s president Fred Ghatala said in a news release.

“With smart, targeted support for domestic producers, Canada can keep biorefineries operating, and build resilient demand for Canadian feedstocks, such as canola.”

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture called the budget a “missed opportunity” for some of the sector’s most pressing challenges, including labour disruptions, farmland protection and modernization of the Canadian Grains Act.

Currie said he would also like to see a national agriculture impact assessment program, which could fit into the broader red tape reduction strategy.

“We need to keep having those conversations,” Currie said. “While we’re disappointed some of the things we were asking for weren’t announced in the budget, it doesn’t mean that the conversations aren’t continuing to happen and that those things won’t happen in the future.”

“There’ll be another budget in the spring. So perhaps we can look forward to something down the road in that regard.”

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Earlier this week Heath MacDonald, Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, met to discuss bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation and trade ties between the two countries.

The meeting is part of the Canada–Mexico Action Plan 2025–2028, announced on Sept. 18, 2025, by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. In the Plan, both governments reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a dynamic bilateral agenda aimed at achieving shared objectives over the next three years, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) said in a release.

Coined the Mexico-Canada Agribusiness Dialogue (MCAD), the Oct. 14 meeting was organized by Consejo Nacional Agropecuario (CNA) and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), in collaboration with the Ministries of Agriculture of both governments. The CFA said in a release the intention is to address strategic issues such as productive growth, trade facilitation, regulatory and administrative simplification, innovation and digitization, investment opportunities, and the foundational role the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) plays in strengthening supply chains between the countries.

Minister MacDonald recognized Mexico’s key role as a strategic global partner and reinforced the opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade and technical cooperation, particularly in the grain, oilseeds, horticulture and animal protein sectors, while respecting each country’s inspection and regulatory systems, AAFC said.

Here’s what Canada and Mexico have agreed to so far:

• Mexico has accepted Canada’s proposal to ease import requirements for eligible apples from Eastern Canadian provinces starting in January 2026, and “meaningful progress has been made on mutual laboratory and inspection recognition.”
• Canada and Mexico have agreed to a new certificate that will provide new access for Canadian pet food containing bovine ingredients to the Mexican market
• Both countries agreed to advance the implementation of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Work Plan to expand market access
• Canada and Mexico agreed to adopt electronic certification for plant products such as canola and wheat, and to continue to work towards expansion of this tool to other products to facilitate efficient trade for both countries
• Canada has also accepted to establish a joint working group to analyze and propose measures to support regulatory recognition in meat and seafood.

The Minister and Secretary emphasized the importance of science and technology collaboration and sharing of expertise, and have committed to convening a meeting of scientists from both departments to identify areas of further collaboration and to report back within the next six months, according to the AAFC release.

Diversifying trade

Keith Currie, CFA president, said in an interview with Glacier FarmMedia that the United States, being in the middle of Canada and Mexico, has been an ‘easy’ trading partner for each country and a large consumer of goods.

But given the recent tensions between the U.S. and the two countries, “both countries are looking at diversifying the market so they don’t have all their eggs in one basket.”

He said Mexico is Canada’s next closest ally, “and if we can get [the Canadian] government to follow through on commitments like transportation infrastructure improvement, port improvements” as well as taking advantage of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail system that runs from Canada down through the Rio Grande into Mexico, Canada can become that trusted supplier and get our products to ports.

“We can transport our goods quicker and easier, and we can increase our trade that way,” he said.

Reducing trade risk

Currie said Canada and Mexico are fairly aligned when it comes to reducing the risk posed by an unpredictable President Trump.

“What he’s focusing on, we’re not 100 per cent sure, other than more access for [the U.S.] and less access for us, but he certainly, certainly wants to pull more manufacturing in particular, and processing back into the United States.

“But that’s easier said than done. So how do we maintain, at least in the short term, the continued trade that we’ve had and that trading relationship, so that doesn’t harm our countries too much, while we start to transition to different markets.”

He said the U.S. will still be Canada’s largest trading partner given geographic location, “but if we increase our trade with the Mexicans and other parts of the world, and decrease our trade from 60 per cent of our products going to the U.S. to, say, 45 per cent in the next five or six or eight or 10 years, that’s a significant shift. And it just spreads the risk out so much more.”

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“Without a clear shift in approach, Canada risks falling permanently behind in a sector critical to domestic and export growth, food security, and economic resilience,” the groups said in an open letter published Monday.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture and 29 other groups called attention to Canada’s shrinking share in the global agri-food market and slowing growth in annual productivity.

“While governments in other nations are making bold investments in agri-tech, domestic food processing, production, and export readiness, Canada has been slow to respond, losing opportunities in the process,” they said.

The coalition said Canadian agriculture and agri-food has the potential to drive an additional $100 billion in GDP growth over the next 10 years.

They asked the federal government to:

• Create a focused plan for economic growth in the agricultural sector, including targets for investment in innovation, value-added processing, exports and others
• Reduce regulatory burdens to make Canada more attractive to investors and innovators
• Prioritize infrastructure that supports agriculture, like railways, ports and rural infrastructure
• Modernize risk management tools to support the sector through trade and climate challenges

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) held board meetings and a policy summit in Winnipeg on July 15 and 16.

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Dave Gallant, vice-president of finance and APP operations at the Canadian Canola Growers Association, said the program has moved beyond what it was originally intended to be. The legislation says it is supposed to improve marketing opportunities for farmers by advancing them working capital, yet most farmers are using it in the spring for cash flow.

“Over 65 per cent of the dollars we do, and we do about $2.5 billion a year, use the program from April 1 to the end of July,” he told the Canadian Federation of Agriculture policy summit here.

“A full third of the farmers are using it for its really true basic intended purpose, which is cash flow in the fall so they can pay their bills, so that they can actually develop a marketing plan to maximize the revenue from the products that they produce.”

Few livestock producers use program

Scott Clark, vice-president of marketing and communications at Agricultural Credit Corp., said farmers tell him it allows them to save money on borrowing when other costs keep going up.

ACC is a not-for-profit formed by a coalition of farm organizations to administer the APP and other financing.

The summit heard that very few livestock producers use the program, perhaps one in 10, and that supply managed farms are ineligible even though they may also be producing crops.

Gallant also said the federal government has to stop treating farmers who use the program as if they will all default. It requires the administrators to assess the credit worthiness of all applicants, even if they’ve used it for years without problems.

Other discussions during the day focused on innovation and regulation, competitiveness, trade and succession planning.

Canadian Pork Council re-joins CFA

Meanwhile, a former CFA member is back in the fold.

The Canadian Pork Council, representing nine provinces and 7,000 farms, has rejoined the country’s largest farm organization after leaving it in 2013 over trade policy.

At the time, the council said trade protectionists dominated the organization, but Steven Heckbert said times have changed.

The executive director of the CPC said it was time to join forces with other commodities given the trade uncertainties.

“There’s all sorts of trade pressures on us but also on agriculture as a whole,” he said.

Heckbert said the board wants a common voice for the entire industry, particularly as it deals with the United States.

More to come.

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“I think we need to find our hook in some of those core government priorities,” said Brodie Berigan, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s (CFA) senior director of government relations and farm policy.

Berigan spoke alongside Food and Beverage Canada CEO Kristina Farrell and Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council (CAHRC) executive director Jennifer Wright in a webinar on June 26.

Large financial commitments to things like defense and housing could draw away workers from an already strained agriculture and food labour force, Wright said.

The sector should look at how its priorities fit into the government’s mandate and use that as an entry point for advocacy, Berigan said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney set seven priorities in his mandate letter earlier this year, including building “one Canadian economy” by removing barriers to interprovincial trade, establishing a new economic and security relationship with the U.S., strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, and making housing more affordable.

The mandate letter also mentioned “attracting the best talent in the world” while balancing immigration rates.

It’s hard to know what this means, Berigan said. He speculated this could be targeted at Americans who are feeling insecure in their job and who may be interested to move to Canada.

Need to build consensus

The Agri-food sector needs also needs to agree on what it needs so it can present a unified voice to the government.

“When you are the government, and you have a diverse set of stakeholders who are calling for different things, it’s very easy to do nothing,” Berigan said.

More than 100 members of the agriculture and food sector met for a summit on June 11 and 12 in Toronto. Berigan said the need to strengthen employers’ human resource capacity came up a lot—specifically, the need to support employers to build capacity around tech solutions and a labour pool that will increasingly rely on technology to drive productivity.

The sector also needs to identify its skills gaps, said Farrell. Berigan said the need for a “skills gap map” came up at the summit. The government already has some of this data, but needs to hear it from the industry.

Programs in flux

The federal government is at the beginning of a new mandate and structuring its priorities, Berigan said. A lot of programs are in flux, including the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

The sector needs to clearly articulate the advantage of pursuing a multi-pronged approach like the National Workforce Strategic Plan that the CFA, CAHRC and Food and Beverage Canada have developed, he added. It also needs some sense as to how it will implement it.

“I think the clock is definitely ticking,” Berigan said.

“Unless we’re in there, able to articulate the value and the role of these types of strategies and the importance of them, decisions are going to be made without us.”

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“Canadian farmers, like our counterparts across the G7, are facing complex challenges that demand coordinated, forward-thinking solutions,” said CFA president Keith Currie.

“We are committed to working with our global partners to strengthen food security, drive innovation, and advance climate resilience,” he added. “With the right tools, policies, and support, farmers can continue to lead the way toward a more sustainable and secure future for all.”

Canada is hosting G7 leaders in Kananaskis, Alta. from June 15 to 17.

Leaders have prepared draft documents on topics like migration, articifical intelligence, critical minerals and the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, Reuters reported on Monday.

Trade threats

In a statement, farm groups from Canada, the U.K., the U.S., Japan, France, Italy and Germany, noted trade and supply chain disruptions due to rising protectionism, conflict and shifting global alliances. This, among many factors, has challenged farmers’ ability to maintain productivity and ensure food security, they said.

“Persistent economic instability and escalating trade wars with the unpredictable imposition of tariffs continue to disrupt farm operations and agri-food value chains,” the groups said in the statement.

“Farmers bear the brunt of these trade distortions.”

The groups urged the G7 governments to support farmers to weather trade instability while pushing for transparency, reduced volatility, stable trade policy, and a multilateral, rules-based system “underpinned by the World Trade Organization.”

Regulatory modernization, innovation

The farm groups also called for the G7 to pursue regulatory modernization.

“Regulatory inefficiencies and outdated policies can restrict growth, innovation, and trade,” they said.

“Aligning regulations with modern science and global standards can reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and facilitate fairer international trade.”

Regulation should also recognize agriculture’s environmental, social and cultural contributions “beyond mere productivity metrics.”

Farms, including small-scale operations, also need access to the latest technology, like precision agriculture, biotechnology and artificial intelligence-based decision-making tools, the groups said.

“Innovation must become a priority for G7 countries,” the groups said.

They called for a farmer-centred approach, more public and private investment, enabling infrastructure and a supportive regulatory environment.

”Investing in agriculture also means investing in rural communities, territorial balance, and the intergenerational renewal of the farming sector as key pillars for the future of the globe.”

Sustainability

The statement also acknowledged increasing environmental volatility.

“The escalating effects of climate change — seen in more frequent droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events — are threatening crop yields and livestock health, while placing additional stress on rural infrastructure and farmers,” it said.

The farm groups called for “realistic, science-driven and incentive-based” climate policies. They also called recognition that farmers bear much of the risk associated with climate change and need tools and support to manage that risk.

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While some in the agriculture sector were frustrated by the lack of direct commitments, others saw potential for more action in the future and overlap between files.

The mandate letter, released Wednesday, contained seven priorities for the government, most of which focused on economic issues and Canadian sovereignty.

‘We expect clear commitments’

Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) Executive Director Massimo Bergamini said he was surprised to see no mention of issues like food security, something the Liberal Party highlighted in its election platform.

“We are certainly hoping that the next week’s Speech from the Throne will correct that oversight and will ensure that the food security for Canadians is in fact a priority for the government.”

“There’s a reference to … affordability and cost of living and all those things,” he said. “I guess food security kind of falls in that. But it’s quite generic. The platform was very explicit.”

Bergamini said he saw hope in the fact that new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald was named last week to the Build Canada cabinet committee, which will deal with overall economic strength and productivity.

“I found that to be important and aligned with the high-level issues around food security and resiliency of agriculture, potentially,” he said.

Bergamini said while it’s encouraging to see these issues discussed, agricultural issues should be addressed more directly.

“I understand a lot of this stuff is shorthand, right?” He said. “You can read the tea leaves.”

“But we shouldn’t be Kremlinologists here today, right?” said Bergamini. “We shouldn’t have to go through this when it comes to food security, when it comes to agriculture. I think it’s fair to say that we expect clear commitments.”

Sector-relevant issues

The mandate letter did mention several sector-relevant issues like establishing a new economic relationship with the United States and removing interprovincial trade barriers.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture sees “the potential for strong alignment between many of the Prime Minister’s priorities and the priorities of Canadian farmers,” it said in a statement to Glacier FarmMedia.

“Whether it’s strengthening trade with key partners, improving interprovincial commerce, building a resilient national economy, or addressing agricultural workforce challenges, these are all areas where agriculture has a critical role to play,” the statement read.

No need to be ‘small minded’

Lauren Martin, Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Canadian Meat Council (CMC) said she does not think a lack of agriculture-specific messaging means Carney is abandoning the sector.

“To be reasonable about this, his priorities aren’t very sector-specific,” Martin said. “I think he’s taking this, as I understand a prime minister would, his level is very nationalistic.”

Martin suggested Carney would be looking to his cabinet members like Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald and Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson to find some quick wins.

“That, to me, is where I hope to see some sector-specific stuff shape out.”

Martin said she was not concerned about a sudden policy shift away from agriculture.

”I don’t we shouldn’t be small minded about this,” she said.

“The Prime Minister has a number of different priorities, and I personally don’t need to see the words of agriculture on his lips to make me feel that this sector is seen, heard and important.”

The agriculture sector could help Canada level up economically, Martin said.

“I think as long as (Carney has) got that enabling mindset to let us lead, then it’s up to the sector to kind of work and advocate, to dismantle and move the needle.”

The speech from the throne, which will further establish the new government’s priorities is set to take place next week.

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“Farmers are being squeezed from seemingly all sides at once with inflation and tariffs from both the US and China. The long-awaited removal of the carbon tax will provide farmers a bit of relief from this pressure and can be seen as recognition for the difficult place Canadian farmers and consumers find themselves in today,” said CFA president Keith Currie in a news release.

On Friday, new Prime Minister Mark Carney said the consumer carbon price would be canceled, effective April 1. This will set “the applicable fuel charge rates for all types of fuel and combustible waste to zero,” according to the text of the order in council.

The federal carbon pricing system has two parts: the charge on fuels and a system for industrial emitters, as per the government’s website.

The CFA said that, based on estimates in 2023 from the Parliamentary Budget Office, farmers would save over $100 million a year with the removal of the consumer carbon levy.

The CFA has long lobbied for exemptions from the carbon pricing system for farmers. Gasoline and diesel for farm use were exempted from the levy. Farm businesses may also apply to receive a refundable tax credit on eligible fuel charges, as per the federal government’s website.

Efforts by farm organizations to have propane and natural gas for heating and grain drying exempted stalled in late 2023.

“The signing of this order-in-council is a reassuring step in the right direction, but we need to see Parliament reconvene and provide a long-term solution that removes the consumer carbon price from legislation and ensures farms of all sizes are exempt from the carbon price,” said Currie.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government of Canada to ensure future environmental policies enable long-term sustainable productivity growth and the competitiveness of Canadian agriculture.”

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