Bold action needed for agricultural growth

The agricultural sector faced significant hurdles that hinder its growth, including timely approvals for new agricultural innovations like seed and crop protection products.

“While there are many things outside of Canada’s control like extreme weather events and tariffs, the regulatory system is within its control,” he added.

While Canadian farmers used to be among the first to have access to new crop protection tools, they are now often left waiting while their competitors in other countries reap the benefits of the technologies, according to Petelle.

“There are currently half as many submissions of pesticides seeking regulatory approval in Canada as there were a decade ago, and yet the timelines for approval have nearly doubled. This puts Canada at risk of falling further behind other nations that have established more efficient and predictable regulatory frameworks.”

Farmers need timely access to new seed and crop protection tools to remain resilient in the face of climate change challenges and to compete in the global market. Canada’s agricultural productivity growth has stagnated at less than 1 per cent from its peak of almost 2 per cent two decades ago.

“In an industry where there’s so much potential to increase productivity and serve a global market in need of Canadian-grown food and feed, we need to capitalize on the opportunity,” Petelle said.

In addition, it’s important that Canada position itself as an attractive place for investment in R&D so we can have made-in-Canada solutions for farmers.

CropLife Canada is urging the federal government to act decisively on a number of no-cost measures that will help drive productivity and innovation within the sector.

Initiatives include an update to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) mandates to weigh economic impacts alongside health and safety, institute cutting-edge regulatory practices and and cut red tape.

New data from spark*insights reveals that 81 per cent of Canadians believe every dollar invested in agricultural science and technology yields significantly greater economic benefits for the nation.

“Canadian crops are exported around the world and bring billions into our economy, funding essential services like healthcare and infrastructure. Agriculture is truly the backbone of the Canadian economy and a huge engine for growth that benefits every Canadian,” said Petelle.

CropLife Canada joined other national agricultural organizations in a joint letter to the prime minister.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

Bold action needed for agricultural growth

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