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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Friday April 3, 2020

Apr 3, 2020 | 9:26 AM

Food and food production has been designated essential infrastructure by the federal government.

Canada’s National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure selected ten sectors which included food, transportation, water and manufacturing.

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said food workers are working hard to make sure everyone has enough to eat while businesses and public health departments are working to protect the health of food workers.

“We are all going through a period of great uncertainty right now and I assure you that our government is taking all the necessary measures to ensure Canadians always have access to quality food at affordable prices,” Bibeau said in a news release. “We know how essential the women and men who work on farms, in processing plants and throughout the food supply chain are to our collective well-being.”

Bibeau said when we go to the grocery store, we can be confident there will be food on the shelves.

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CN Rail hit an all-time record for March grain movement.

Chief operating officer Rob Reilly said the 2.62 million tonnes of grain is a 6.1 per cent increase from 2017, the previous record for March.

The numbers come as the country’s largest railroad operator works to clear a backlog built up after a month of blockades erected across the country in February.

CN grain director David Przednowek said high demand for flour and durum from mills during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely drive high grain volumes in the coming months as producers seek to shore up staple reserves.

Reilly said overall container shipments are down after China slashed production as part of its quarantine measures. However, domestic container movement is on the rise as Canadian distributors and customers bulk up on supplies while contending with a trucking shortage.

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Fertilizer Canada commended all levels of government for their efforts in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and for giving assurances to Canadian farmers work will continue as normal.

President and CEO Garth Whyte said production supply chains will remain open during this critical time of year.

“We are very pleased to see that not only has the federal government declared our industry and supply chain as an essential service, but so have a majority of provinces,” Whyte said. “Our manufacturing facilities will continue to operate at normal capacity to meet the demands of farmers as they begin preparations for the spring planting season.”

Whyte said farmers and producers will play a leading role in the country’s economic recovery in the coming months.

The Canadian fertilizer industry employs over 76,000 workers and contributes nearly $24 billion to Canada’s economy every year.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF