(Alice McFarlane/farmnewsNOW Staff)

By Alice McFarlane

Canadian canola

Farmers vent frustrations on China trade dispute

Apr 27, 2019 | 9:32 AM

Finding a solution to the canola trade disruption with China will not be easy or quick.

That was the consensus from a public forum held in Tisdale on Friday night hosted by Prince Albert Conservative MP Randy Hoback.

Three Canadian companies have had canola seed exports to China suspended due to food security concerns while Canadian officials continue to say there is nothing wrong with their samples.

Hoback told the crowd of roughly 30 people that China is the largest importer of Canadian canola. The loss of that market has cast a shadow on the future for canola growers.

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Tisdale area farmer Ian Boxall said the dispute hasn’t changed his seeding plans.

“I stuck with the plan I made this winter. It gets late in the year and we seed based on agronomics not economics.” Boxall said. “We need this fixed so the economics work out based on our agronomic practices.”

Boxall said he is frustrated by the lack of progress.

“I think we all want to see the government do more. My understanding is their hands are somewhat tied because China won’t even talk to them. There is no sense going (to China) if there is no one to talk to,” Boxall said. “I think there is stuff they could do with retaliatory measures that show them how important this issue is to Canada and especially to Western Canada.”

Rick Lindsay farms in the Arborfield district. He said he is disappointed the federal government hasn’t tried to get an ambassador to China and try to get some answers.

“As a producer as we’re going into the seeding season it’s hard to know what to do. There is canola that has to move, is it going to move off the farm? Tonight it sounded like there is still canola sitting at port so when is it going to back up into the system,” Lindsay said. “I like when someone said we have to make more of a statement. Maybe we gotta have more meetings like this and have the media here and have more people coming out to these meetings. It’s very disappointing”

Hoback said there was good feedback at the event. He said one person suggested putting more pressure in Eastern Canada in order to get more attention.

“That could be as simple as friends using friends on Facebook and talk to your friends and family in eastern Canada and say we have a dire need to have this issue looked at and it’s going to have a huge impact on my family. Things like that could help.” Hoback said.

The Conservatives will request another emergency debate in the House of Commons. This will be the tenth request. The previous nine were rejected by the Trudeau government. Hoback said they need to continue to provide pressure.

“You just keep holding their feet to the fire,” Hoback said. “Just keeping the attention on the issue forcing them to make a decision and to react and take the issue seriously. Do not let them off the hook and you don’t let the issue die. This is a very serious issue and you cannot ignore it. You created it. You fix it.”

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF