Canadian fresh produce industry visits Parliament

Representatives of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association and Canadian Horticultural Council and industry members recently met with Parliamentarians to discuss issues affecting the produce sector.

Topics of the Feb. 25 meetings included financial protection measures for growers and sellers, supporting agriculture sustainability initiatives and advancing crop protection solutions, according to a news release. The Parliament visits were part of the annual Farm to Plate event.

“It is extremely valuable for industry members like me to have had the opportunity to meet face-to-face with Parliamentarians to offer our perspective on the most critical issues affecting everyday business in the produce sector” Oleen Smethurst, CPMA chairwoman, said in the release. “These meetings position our industry to succeed, as a result of our continued engagements.”

Industry members met with members of the House of Commons and the Senate, and others, including Neil Ellis, Parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture and agri-food; John Barlow, vice chairman of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and representatives of minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food office, the office of the minister of health, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

“We are proud of the positive relationships we have formed with numerous Members of Parliament, Senators, other Parliamentarians and government officials, and we value the opportunity to meet with them on occasions such as our Farm to Plate event, in order to further collaborate to advance our sector,” CPMA President Ron Lemaire said in the release.

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