WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA — Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau participated in CropConnect to announce funding for new projects that will help Canada’s grain industry manage risk and build public trust.

“Canadian grains are in demand around the world because of their quality, nutrition, innovation and value,” Bibeau said. “This funding demonstrates the federal government’s ongoing commitment to advancing the grains and oilseed sectors. These investments address two key issues facing the sector: better risk management tools and market readiness.”

Since 2016, Canadian grain exports to the world increased in value by almost 25%, with the biggest gains in Asia and the United States, the AAFC noted.

The Canada Grains Council (CGC) will receive over C$430,000 to develop a pilot insurance product for grain exporters to address the risks they face of having their shipments rejected at the border of the importing country.

The Canadian government wants to ensure that grain farmers are protected against the unpredictability of the international market and the risks of regulatory trade barriers, particularly around the input residues on seeds. With a target of growing agri-food exports to C$75 billion by 2025, this project builds upon the government’s stance for international rules-based trade.

The CGC also will receive C$789,558 to develop a code of practice for farm production of Canadian grains. The new codes are voluntary and led by farmers.

They will help farmers encode the best practices to follow to be considered sustainable, for both market and public trust purposes. The codes will cover a range of topics, including fertilizer management, pesticide use, soil management, farm workers and protection of wildlife habitat, as well as food safety and work safety.

“Despite Canada’s solid reputation worldwide as a high quality and trustworthy provider of grain and oilseed products, we cannot take this for granted,” said Tyler Bjornson, president of CGC. “Exploring new ways to help producers and industry address market access risks, as well as maintain consumer confidence that we are doing the right things to produce sustainable and safe food are an essential part of our long-term strategy as a sector. Funding for these two projects is important to continue down that path and we would like to thank Minister Bibeau for her support of these initiatives.”

Altogether, the CGC will receive up to C$1.2 million in support of the two projects.