Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Senate calls for free inter-provincial ag trade

A Senate report on agriculture trade calls for the elimination of inter-provincial trade barriers and more efforts to boost exports.

The report was released while federal and provincial ministers of agriculture were meeting and apparently talking about inter-provincial trade barriers without making any progress they were prepared to announce.

The key points in the Senate report are recommendations that:

- The federal government eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade and pursue free trade agreements with other countries.
 
- All levels of government work together to eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers and invest in rail, road and marine infrastructure to guarantee that Canadian producers and processors are able to efficiently transport their products to consumers.
 

- The federal government improve access to infrastructure grants for farmers and food producers who want to invest in new technologies, and that Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration and Citizenship Canada create programs that help farmers hire foreign workers to address labour shortages.