Two governments and two farm groups agree the major railways did not provide adequate service last winter.
The Saskatchewan government, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, National Farmers Union and Alberta’s Wild Rose Agricultural Producers have all officially intervened in the Canadian Wheat Board’s complaint to the Canadian Transportation Agency.
“Someone needs to take some responsibility for the costs that producers experienced in February and March,” said provincial transportation minister Clay Serby.
He said producers should be compensated for the unacceptable losses.
But agriculture minister Eric Upshall said it is impossible to measure the cost to Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier.
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“Some of our international grain customers have gone elsewhere because we were unable to meet our sales commitments,” he said. “It will be difficult to get them back.”
The ministers said they decided to intervene because something has to be done before the next crop year.
“What’s the option? Sitting back like the federal government’s doing and doing nothing? I don’t think so,” Upshall said.
While Serby said the railways are clearly at fault, SARM president Sinc Harrison spread the blame among the railways, the wheat board and the grain companies.
“But it’s not the producers’ fault.”
He said producers are frustrated and it’s time for action.
“It’s been going on for years and we don’t seem to be getting any smarter,” Harrison said.
Alan Holt, president of Wild Rose Agricultural Producers, said he expects the railways to “own up to their actions and not only correct the existing problems in grain transportation, but provide our members, as well as all Alberta grain producers, some type of financial compensation.”
The transport agency has 120 days to rule on the April 14 complaint by the wheat board.
