Oct. 20, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – The Canada Grains Council (CGC) welcomes Bill C-359, An Act to amend the Feeds Act, the Seeds Act and the Pest Control Products Act (provisional registration and approval), introduced by Kody Blois, MP for Kings–Hants and Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The private member’s bill aims to improve access to new seed, feed, and crop protection products for Canadian farmers.
The Canadian grains and oilseed sector is well poised to be a leader in addressing global food insecurity. This is due to the world class ability of Canadian growers to quickly adopt and implement safe and innovative crop production technology which allows the sector to increase production in a sustainable manner. For Canada to continue to be a leader in feeding the world, we must ensure Canadian growers remain competitive when it comes to accessing new crop protection technology. This requires a regulatory framework that is science based, predictable, and timely. In recent years, Canadian growers have faced unnecessary delays in accessing crop protection products due to domestic regulatory hurdles. This has placed Canadian growers at a distinct disadvantage compared to growers in competing jurisdictions.
“Canada boasts world-class scientists and regulators, but we are burdened by layers of unnecessary red tape,” explains Erin Gowriluk, president of CGC, who emphasizes the urgent need for change.
“These obstacles prevent us from having timely access to safe and efficient crop production technology, unlike our international competitors. Canadian farmers deserve timely access to crop protection technologies that enhance our global competitiveness and allow us to sustainably increase our ability to meet the growing global demand for Canadian grains and oilseeds.”
The CGC commends MP Blois for his vision and commitment to enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian growers and calls upon the Government of Canada’s departments and agencies to take the necessary steps to address the issues highlighted within the bill, aligning with their responsibilities to foster agricultural innovation and economic growth.
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Hayley Stacey
Communications Consultant
204-804-3333
Amended, October 20th 2023, at 3:40pm