Grain movement and rail transportation was the focus of discussion  in Saskatoon yesterday.

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay met with 19 representatives from a wide variety of farm groups from across Western Canada.

Prior to the roundtable, the two federal ministers met with the Prairie regions Agriculture Ministers.

Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart felt they had a good meeting on rail transportation:

Stewart said, "You know we talked about permanently extending inter switching distances, the maximum revenue entitlement, increasing the Canada transportation agency accountability that is created and enforce reciprocal penalties for violating service level agreements between shippers and railway companies"


Following the meeting with the Agriculture Ministers the two met with various farm groups including APAS.

Norm Hall is President of APAS and was pleased with the process:

Hall said, "It was an opportunity to finally meet with Minister Garneau, the transportation review was moved up a year because of grain, and now he's finally talked with grain producers and heard our concerns and we had representatives from right across Western Canada in there and it's a rare occasion, but all the way through this process through the review Western Canadain grain farmers, whether its commodity groups or general farm organizations we've all been on the same page and as the minister said, on many of the concerns we spoke with one voice and believe me that's a rarity in Western Canadian agriculture."

Jim Wickett farms in the Rosetown area is President of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association and felt it was a very positive meeting:


Wickett said, "You know competition, accountability and the capacity of the rail. So lots of different suggestions lots of different nuances from each of the groups. but the core message was pretty much the same, the health of the industry is basically at stake I mean we have a big crop right now,  and we're going to be pushing the system a little a bit."

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau says he found the groups had a unified message:

Garneau said, "The voice was that they have a product they want to get it to market they want to get it efficiently to market in a timely way they realize as we do that their lively hoods depend on it but also their reputations too."

Garneau noted there was a lot of discussion around the issue of maximum revenue entitlements adding that he felt the feedback he heard throughout the day was very useful:

Garneau Said' "We heard very clearly from the different people that were in the room what are their concerns what are their hopes and aspirations with respects to an industry that is growing because the grain industry is going to continue to grow in the years to come and this is important to Canada, it was very important to hear them as part of our consultation process."

Garneau says they will review the material but gave no indication on any timeframe for what might happen going forward.