(file photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Canadian Canola

Agriculture committee wants to hear from ministers

Mar 29, 2019 | 2:10 PM

The House of Commons agriculture committee met today to discuss China’s decision to stop buying Canadian canola.

China said it has found hazardous organisms in the shipments of two major canola exporters, Richardson International and Viterra.

Conservative and NDP MP’s asked the committee to be recalled to request Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau to appear in front of the committee.

Conservative Prince Albert PM Randy Hoback said the cabinet ministers need to provide assurances to farmers.

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“Nobody knows what the future looks like and there has been no guidance from this government to help provide or shine some light on what that looks like. We don’t know if the prime minister has reached out to the ambassador, we don’t know if CFIA officials have been on the ground,” Hoback said. “Everybody in this room will agree that we have the best canola in the world. We know it’s not a quality issue.”

Hoback said ultimately it’s the farmer who pays the price.

“Everybody says the canola markets dropped some $20 to $30 a tonne, maybe $40 and maybe not done yet. That’s the profit the farmer gets,” Hoback said. “That’s not the cut for Cargill or CN or the food processor. That’s the farmers’ margin. That’s his profit. That comes right out of his wallet. If farmers need to make adjustments to seeding intentions he needs to do it now.”

Hoback said he was glad the federal ministers are in Saskatchewan but expressed concern about how long it took for the meeting to take place.

“Where have you been? You don’t need a passport to go to Saskatchewan and it shouldn’t take an invite from the premier of Saskatchewan to get you there,” Hoback said. “This issue has been flaring its head for three weeks now going on four and they’re just starting to engage. Very frustrating.”

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF