AFA makes submission to Canadian Grain Act review

The Alberta Federation of Agriculture (AFA) welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) on the review of the Canada  Grain Act (CGA) and operations of the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC).

AFA is a strong supporter of the roles that the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) performs on behalf of producers and Canada’s export trade. We fully support the CGC’s current mandate: “The Canadian Grain Commission works in the interests of grain producers. Guided by the Canada Grain Act, the CGC strives to establish and maintain standards of quality for Canadian grain, regulate grain handing in Canada and ensure a dependable commodity for domestic and export markets.”

This comprehensive review is critical in order to ensure that regulations reflect the state of our changing agriculture sector while meeting the needs of the industry and producers. 

The following are a few highlights from AFA’s submission that we feel are important to address:

• Producer protection is absolutely key and the central goal that the CGC should always be working towards.
• Consistency in grading and training is currently lacking.  The creation of a compulsory and standardized training program is encouraged.
• AFA continues to push for strong legislative support in research and funding.