WESTERN PRODUCER — As the calendar flips to 2025, Canadians are preparing to head to the polls to elect the next federal government.
With election fever continuing to build, Canadian farmers have concerns about how major agriculture issues will be addressed in Ottawa.
Glacier FarmMedia reached out to stakeholders in the Canadian agriculture sector to find out what they consider to be the most relevant issues for producers this election cycle.
Some of the major focal points for Canadian producers include the financial impacts of carbon pricing, labour stoppages and international trade.
Many industry representatives expressed concern that agriculture may not be much of a focal point in the election campaign.
Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, said it would be important for farmers to manage expectations about how much attention their priorities will receive.
“I think a lot of people have high hopes for what gets into a platform, and I think that people should go back and look at what’s been in past ones and mitigate their expectations for the sector,” he said.
“If there are references to agriculture and food, they’re part of a broader campaign message and direction.
“The Liberals … the reality is, agriculture tends to be a bit of an afterthought, unfortunately.”
However, McCann said the priorities of the opposition Conservatives have not always been clear either.
“If you get into things like … the push to fix the budget and some of the other things that (Conservative leader Pierre) Poilievre is pushing for, what does that actually mean in agriculture context? I don’t know,” he said.
The carbon tax is among the top current concerns for Canadian producers because a lack of green alternatives has left many paying higher rates.
Kyle Larkin, executive director of Grain Growers of Canada, called it the number one issue for Canadian grain farmers.
“Individual grain farmers are paying tens of thousands of dollars on a yearly basis because they’re using natural gas and propane to dry their grain, which is an essential process,” he said.
“There’s no viable alternative.”
Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Keith Currie said producers aren’t opposed to doing their public duty by using more eco-friendly methods, but they have been left with no viable alternatives.
“The purpose of the carbon tax was to change habits to a cleaner economy,” Currie said.
“But in agriculture, what are our options if we can’t use fossil-based fuels for heating our homes and our livestock facilities, our shops and for powering our equipment and running our grain dryers?” Currie said.
“We’re 小蓝视频 penalized … unfairly, without the opportunity to change our habits, because there’s nothing to change to.”
Massimo Bergamini, executive director of Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, said the impacts of the carbon tax have been “absolutely unnecessary from an economic or environmental perspective.”
“They just reduce the sector’s competitiveness, and they increase the price of food in Canada and elsewhere,” Bergamini said.
Currie hopes to see border carbon adjustments prioritized.
“We just need to have an understanding on how a government, you know, after the next election in particular, is going to handle the border carbon adjustments that are coming down the road for agriculture,” he said.
The carbon tax has regularly been in the crosshairs of the opposition Conservative party, which has adopted the “axe the tax” slogan.
Bergamini said governments should assess future decisions by asking themselves if the results will improve or diminish the quality of food production in Canada. He said if they had already been using this framework, the impacts of the carbon tax on farmers would not have been so drastic.
Several stakeholders agreed the capital gains tax is a topic for producers to watch.
Larkin called it the number two priority for the industry.
“The Liberals have been very clear that they’re going to keep forging ahead on that,” he said.
“The Conservatives have said that they’re going to do a whole review of the tax system, which will include stakeholders like farmers.
“We’re looking forward to getting involved in a process like that because, for us, it’s not just the capital gains tax, it’s the whole suite of taxation that impacts farmers.
“When you talk about Canadian agriculture, you’re talking about 97, 98 per cent of our operations are family owned and operated,” he said.
“That capital gains piece is really key to helping with that succession planning and that transition into the next generation of farmers.
“The other aspect of taxing is a capital cost allowance, and we’re asking for that 100 per cent exemption on the first year for farmers.”
Recent labour stoppages at terminals across the country have disrupted the agriculture sector.
“I think we often think about it in the context of western grain farmers, but it’s not just that,” McCann said.
“It is kind of any part of the sector that relies on transportation to move food, which is really everybody.”
He said labour is one area where agriculture often feels the impacts of larger changes.
Larkin said the next government must address labour issues as soon as possible.
“In no way can Canada continue having major labour disruptions, especially at our railways or at our ports on a monthly or yearly basis,” he said.
“That’s what grain farmers have been experiencing.”
Currie said labour stoppages have been far too common in Canada.
“We’ve had nine stoppages in the last six years,” he said.
Recent threats to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program also have some groups concerned.
Lauren Kennedy, director of public affairs for Chicken Farmers of Canada, said a reduction of labour in processing could have negative downstream effects on producers.
Interswitching is another concern.
“What we’re looking for during the election is a commitment on a permanent, extended interswitching,” Larkin said.
He also hopes to see it expanded to 500 kilometres, “so we capture all grain farmers across the Prairies and also expanded to British Columbia.”
Currie said the CFA is looking for an extension to the interswitching pilot.
“We’d like to see that program extended into maybe a three year or beyond program” so that the industry could determine the full effects of inner switching.
Several sources said they would like to see parties recognize the sustainability efforts of the Canadian agricultural sector.
Larkin referred to Canadian grain farmers as “the most sustainable in the world.”
“We need to recognize them for the advancements that they’ve made through zero-till and through cover cropping and through other means.
“Right now, they’re not necessarily 小蓝视频 compensated or even spoken about in a positive light,” he said.
“So I think that’s a big thing we’re looking for the election is, let’s start talking the good story that already exists.”
Kennedy also said she would like broader recognition of the positive changes made by Canadian chicken farmers. She said legislation such as Bill C-59, which would requires businesses to provide testing or substantiation to support certain environmental claims, has the potential to hinder that.
Animal diseases such as African swine fever, BSE and highly pathogenic avian influenza are persistent threats to Canadian livestock. As a result, biosecurity planning is a top concern.
Kennedy said chicken farmers don’t have enough access to antimicrobials or alternatives such as feed additives.
“We continue to advocate to the federal government, and again, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, just in terms of reducing those administrative fees and cost of entry fees,” she said.
Biosecurity and the threat of outbreaks are issues governments should be taking more seriously, she added.
“We just look to the government to continue to invest in CFIA resources when it comes to animal disease outbreaks so that we have that support when need be.”
The outcome of the recent U.S. election has fast-tracked several issues to the forefront in Canadian politics, particularly relating to trade.
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has threatened Canada with 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs. He has previously said he will renegotiate the United States-Mexico- Canada Agreement.
This could have major consequences for Canadian producers.
“We’re already in a difficult situation,” Larkin said.
“The last thing we need is another trade irritant, especially for our largest trading partners, such as the Americans, who are our first-largest trading partner, and Mexico, who are our fifth largest.”
McCann said Trump’s approach to the renegotiation will set the stage for agriculture policy decisions over the next two years.
He added that this would create a dynamic where Canadian producers are not able to set their own course.
“Instead, we’re either reacting or dealing with the transactional issues that are in front of the sector.”
Bergamini said these threats have the potential to worsen the crisis of food security in Canada as they drive prices up on either side of the border.
In the chicken sector, Kennedy said continued support for supply management is the most important thing.
“Under supply management, we are domestically focused on raising safe, high-quality chicken for Canadians,” she said.
“Any time there is a trade agreement (or) trade negotiations happening, of course we pay attention to ensure that we are still given the ability to provide safe, nutritious chicken for Canadians.”
While many of those interviewed for this story agreed ag-centric policy is not likely to take centre stage, many of the other main campaign issues could spill over to affect producers.
“I think that often, what kind of the broader campaign does in these issues that the parties talk about, is they set the direction and the tone,” McCann said.
“And that then does filter down into kind of the specific decisions that they take in government.
“A lot of our issues aren’t housing, they’re not health care, they’re not kind of that top three or top four up there.… But a lot of them, when you dig down into them, there are impacts on grain farmers.
“Canada’s economy and profitability, those are issues that grain farmers are dealing (with) on a daily basis.”
McCann said science and innovation funding has implications for agriculture, although it has not garnered much attention.
“What is the role of research and development? And what are we going to do in a country (where) we are seeing public and private investments in R and D and agriculture declining in this country,” he said.
Canada’s federal election is scheduled for Oct. 20 of this year, although NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s recent pledge to put forward a non-confidence motion suggests Canadians may be going to the polls much earlier.
Related Coverage
