For Immediate Release
By Daryl Fransoo
Saskatoon, SK (August 25, 2025) — Western Canadian farmers are the backbone of our nation’s agricultural economy, producing world-class wheat, canola, pulses, and other grains that feed millions globally. As chair of the Wheat Growers Association, I have seen firsthand how our ability to move these crops to market depends on robust transportation and trade infrastructure. Yet outdated ports, overstretched rail networks, and sluggish regulatory systems are choking our potential at a time when global trade dynamics demand urgency. If Canada does not act, we risk losing markets, farmer livelihoods, and our global reputation as a reliable supplier.
Infrastructure Under Strain
The Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest, moved nearly 29 million metric tonnes of grain in 2024, making it a critical gateway for Prairie farmers. But the infrastructure feeding it is buckling. Rail corridors built generations ago cannot keep pace with today’s freight demands. One missed connection ripples across the supply chain, idling trains, delaying ships, and stranding grain. For farmers, every bottleneck is a reminder that Canada’s infrastructure is only as strong as its weakest link. The 2018 rail backlog proved the cost of these weaknesses, as Prairie farmers lost markets and global buyers turned instead to competitors like Australia and the Black Sea region.
Recent events highlight the danger of inaction. In August 2025, China imposed a 75.8 per cent tariff on Canadian canola, a mid-harvest blow that could cost Prairie farmers billions. For exporters scrambling to ship products, even minor delays at ports or on rail lines can mean lost contracts. The September 2024 strike at the Port of Vancouver, which cost the grain sector $35 million a day, underscored how fast disruptions can spiral. When vessels are diverted to other nations, we don’t just lose sales, we also lose trust, and rebuilding that trust takes years.
The United States, our largest customer, brings its own uncertainties. Ongoing negotiations and the prospect of new tariffs under shifting administrations make it clear Canada must diversify markets. Reliable rail and port capacity are our insurance policy, giving us the ability to pivot quickly to Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Without it, we remain stuck in a world where speed and reliability decide who wins trade.
Why the Urgency
Canada’s agricultural exports, valued at more than $99 billion in 2023, are projected to grow by 3.5% annually, fueled by global demand for grain, potash, and other commodities. Yet projects that should prepare us for that growth move at a glacial pace. The Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion at the Port of Vancouver took 18 years to secure federal approval, while Peru built a state-of-the-art port in just six. This slow-moving process, mired in red tape and overlapping regulations, stifles our competitiveness. By contrast, the Centerm Expansion Project, completed in 2023, boosted container capacity by 60% and proved that investment pays off—yet such successes are too rare. A modernized Second Narrows Bridge, double-tracked and seismic resistant, would allow heavier trains and reduce bottlenecks, ensuring Prairie grain reaches global markets on time.
Physical infrastructure is only part of the challenge. Canada’s regulatory framework for approving crop protection tools and other agricultural innovations lags behind competitors like the U.S. and Brazil. The Wheat Growers Association has called for a Regulatory Delivery Oversight body to fast-track science-based approvals, cutting delays that erode yields, stifle innovation, and push investment elsewhere. Infrastructure is not just ports and railways, it is also the systems that enable Canadian farmers to compete on the global stage.
Every bottleneck risks stranded crops, lost markets, and reduced farm incomes. The 2018 rail crisis, the Vancouver port strike, and now the blow of China’s tariffs are warnings we cannot ignore. With billions in exports and Canada’s global reputation at stake, delay is no longer an option.
The federal government, alongside CN and CPKC, must prioritize modern ports, rail upgrades, and streamlined approvals. Farmers are ready to feed the world. But we need infrastructure that matches our ambition.
The time to invest is now, before the world passes us by.
Media Contact:
Darcy Pawlik
Executive Director, Wheat Growers Association
Email: dpawlik@wheatgrowers.ca
Phone: (306) 361-5667
About the Wheat Growers
Founded in 1970, the Wheat Growers is a voluntary farmer-run advocacy organization dedicated to developing public policy solutions that strengthen the profitability and sustainability of farming, and the agricultural industry as a whole.
For more information please visit: wheatgrowers.ca. Click here to see who is helping to advocate for grain farmers.