Chamber pushing for clearer paths in ag trade

Southern Alberta Newspapers File Photo. AG TRADE: The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce has spent the last several months advocating to reduce trade barriers and strengthening agri-food growth in the region, and is calling for more action during ongoing tariffs.

Southern Alberta Newspapers

Over the past several months the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce has been actively engaged in discussion with local producers, processors and governments while advocating to reduce trade barriers and strengthen agri-food growth in southern Alberta.

These ongoing discussions have identified a need to improve interprovincial trade, meat procession capacity, labour shortages, regulatory modernization and market access opportunities for regional producers.

One of the key issues identified by industry, says the chamber, is the challenge faced by producers when provincial and federal regulatory systems restrict movement of products across provincial boundaries.

Local livestock producers and meat processors have also highlighted challenges that include limited slaughter capacity, long transportation distances, labour shortages and high compliance costs.

“These challenges are particularly acute in rural regions such as southeast Alberta, where small and medium-sized operations often service local and regional markets but may lack the scale required to justify full federal licensing,” reads a release.

The chamber says a significant topic discussed during the recent policy consultations is the proposed federal approach to addressing unmet slaughter capacity.

New regulations seek to create a pathway that would allow certain provincially inspected meat products to move between provinces under specific conditions.

The chamber says it believes there is an opportunity for long-term, risk-based solutions from the proposed regulations, however it expressed concerns surrounding challenges facing the industry that include labour shortages, distances for federally licensed facilities, high capital costs and limited processing capacity for certain species.

The chamber says it has also continued to advocate for practical animal welfare solutions that benefit both producers and animals, and has supported the use of video ante-mortem inspection as a means of addressing situations where animals are injured or unfit for transport.

“Such approaches can improve animal welfare outcomes, reduce unnecessary transportation and provide producers with additional options while maintaining appropriate inspection oversight,” reads the release.

The chamber recently posted actions it has taken to advocate for removal of unnecessary interprovincial trade barriers and seek practical solutions that help producers, processors and agri-food businesses grow and expand.

Recently chamber executives attended the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Business Enablement webinar held by Food Processing Skills Canada and say it highlighted several important themes that could be utilized in the region.

The session focused on the agency’s work to support Canadian businesses while highlighting methods to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, improve client service and regulatory clarity and help businesses better understand and navigate compliance requirements.

The chamber has shared information around regulatory modernization and improved engagement with local industry stakeholders and food producers for consideration.

The statement comes on the heels of another issued by the Chamber last week calling on provincial governments to work together to simultaneously focus on removing barriers for businesses to grow amid the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and Canada started by the Trump Administration.

The chamber calls the tariffs “uncharted territory” and says it’s important governments remain focused on supporting businesses, workers and families through this period of economic uncertainty.

Alberta’s agriculture and agri-food sector generates more than $10 billion in gross domestic product annually, with direct crop and livestock farming generating more than $6.4 billion.

Alberta’s ag sector is absorbing some of the largest tariffs, including 50 per cent on dairy products, honey and vegetable seeds.