Canadian canola farmers are navigating major trade volatility. Ongoing tariffs have closed access to China, once a $4.9 billion market, while uncertainty around the upcoming Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review is putting Canada’s two largest export markets under pressure.
At the same time, Canada’s growing biofuels sector offers a valuable opportunity for canola farmers. With strong policy support, biofuels can drive new domestic demand for canola and reduce farmers’ exposure to trade disruptions.
Canada’s canola farmers rely on predictable market access. These shifts show how quickly geopolitical issues and national policies can ripple back to the farm gate.
As the national representative of Canada’s 40,000 canola farmers, Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) has been front and centre with the federal government, calling for a political solution to the China tariff dispute and for a canola-friendly biofuels policy.
Canola’s Annual Lobby Day
Every year, the Board of Directors and staff from CCGA spend a day on Parliament Hill meeting with Parliamentarians and senior staff to advocate for actions and policies that strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of Canadian canola farmers.
This year’s lobby day, which included 23 meetings with Parliamentarians and senior staff, was held in partnership with the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) to highlight how our two key policy priorities for lobby day extend beyond the farm gate and through the entire canola value chain.
“We use these meetings to show what policy looks like on the ground,” says Andre Harpe, Alberta farmer and CCGA Chair. “From trade disruptions to rising costs, canola farmers live with the results of policy decisions every day, and our perspectives need to be part of the decision-making process in Ottawa.”
Trade and Market Diversification
Canadian canola farmers depend on fair, open, and predictable trade to stay successful. With China’s anti-dumping and anti-discrimination tariffs effectively closing the Chinese market and no immediate alternatives to fully replace that market, the canola sector is navigating a period of severe disruption. Together, these issues are creating volatility for farmers and threatening the stability of one of Canada’s most important agricultural exports.
During meetings with Parliamentarians, CCGA emphasized that restoring access to China and maintaining strong North American trade ties are essential to protecting farm incomes and preserving Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier.
Our asks:
- Reopen the Chinese market by continuing high-level engagement to resolve the current market closure.
- Support farmers with the appropriate policy, regulatory and financial measures.
- Defend and modernize North American trade.
Supporting a Made-in-Canada Biofuels Sector
Growing markets at home is just as critical as expanding them abroad. A strong domestic biofuels sector creates steady demand for Canadian-grown canola and helps offset market volatility (like the current market access challenge with China) for farmers.
Recent private-sector investments of more than $2 billion will soon allow Canada to process up to 75% of the canola crop domestically. However, the political uncertainty hanging over the federal biofuels policy framework is a barrier to greater industry investment and the establishment of a reliable biofuels market.
Our Ask:
- Develop clear federal policies that support a made-in-Canada biofuels sector.
“Lobby Day is one of several approaches we use to advocate on behalf of all canola farmers,” says Dustin Pike, CCGA’s Vice-President of Government and Industry Relations. “These meetings open the door to ongoing conversations with policymakers about practical solutions that make a difference on the farm. It really underscores the value of bringing farmers’ perspectives directly to Ottawa.”
The day ended with a joint Parliamentary Reception co-hosted by CCGA and CCC, featuring remarks from the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Heath MacDonald.
The event brought together farmers, industry representatives, and policymakers to recognize canola’s vital role in Canada’s economy.