By early March, a pilot project allowing American grain to flow into prairie grain elevators should be operating, says a senior Agriculture Canada trade official.
Livestock feeders in southern Manitoba and Alberta could be the main beneficiaries as they find their expanding feed needs are greater than local supplies.
Acting assistant deputy minister Mike Gifford told the House of Commons agriculture committee last week that details soon will be complete to give American grain access to the Canadian system, as Canadian grain has access south.
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Small quantities of U.S. grain will be able to come north to designated elevators, under supervision of the Canadian Grain Commission.
“We’re still in the process of finalizing the details,” Gifford told MPs. “That will be done soon. So long as we can assure ourselves there will be no co-mingling (of American and Canadian grain), we will make the extra effort to facilitate wheat coming from the U.S.”
American grain will be unloaded into designated elevators in the southern Prairies and the bins will then be sealed to make sure it does not get mixed with Canadian grain.
Gifford said in the past, large shipments of American grain could move north but because of Canadian quality and segregation standards, use of the elevator system for smaller quantities from individual farmers has been prohibited. He said this has been a trade irritant as American farmers complained that Canadian have more access south than they do north. It pressured the American administration to create border restrictions.
“Going the extra mile to help offset this pressure the (American) administration is under is time and money well spent,” said Gifford.
And he said if the price is right, the pilot project may allow feed barley to move into feed-deficient southern Alberta for the cattle feedlot industry while feed wheat could move into southern Manitoba for the growing hog industry.
