Kyle farmer testifies in front of AG committee

Megz Reynolds,a farmer from the Kyle region once again testified in front of the House of Commons Agriculture committee on April 9.

Reynolds spoke about export of Canadian canola that is being halted by the Chinese government. China is the largest end market for Canadian canola, accounting for approximately 40% of all Canadian canola products exported annually.

In 2018 canola seed exported to China generated 2.7 billion dollars and according to the Canola Council of Canada the Canadian canola crop contributes $26.7 billion annually to the Canadian economy.

“As a grain farmer I deal with a huge amount of risk and uncertainty because I cannot control the weather. We can control our actions, our relationships and our bilateral trade agreements. Trade should not be the biggest wild card in the deck when it comes to the success of my family farming operation,” says Reynolds.

Reynolds spoke of the devastating impacts these non-tariff trade barriers will have on farmers and the rural communities that depend on them.

She plans to urge the Liberal government to resolve the issue with China as quickly as possible as seeding on the prairies in about to commence as the weather gets warmer.

“We want a government in power that isn’t so internally focused on scandal that it forgets the importance of global trade,” explained Reynolds.

“Canada is a nation dependent on global trade and we are at a logistical disadvantage when it comes to our location and how we transport our export goods to market, we need to be very aware of these challenges and put the appropriate level of respect into our trade agreements and partners.”