Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good evening to everybody. I appreciate your taking the time to listen to us this evening. I know it's been a long day, so I'll try to be as brief as I can.
Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the rail transportation issues on behalf of the Barley Council of Canada and the Western Barley Growers Association.
My name is Brian Otto. I'm the chairman of the Barley Council of Canada. I have sat on numerous boards, I have been a director with Alberta Barley, the Western Grains Research Foundation, and I am the past president of the Western Barley Growers Association. I have a mixed farming operation at Warner, Alberta, which is just north of the Montana-Alberta border. I am chairman of the Barley Council of Canada, which represents farmers from across Canada, as well as the entire supply chain for barley from the malting and brewing industry to the livestock industry.
At the Barley Council of Canada we believe the government's initiative to address the rail transportation issues is a good first step in addressing a larger problem within the system. This problem is that the rail system is simply not working efficiently for Canadian shippers. While we respect the work that's being done to make railway work, at the end of the day it's the smaller businesses, such as malt companies, that will buy smaller volumes of barley that aren't able to do business effectively under the current conditions. These businesses provide a diversity to our economy that brings significant value to all Canadians.
Our transportation issues at home are affecting our international reputation. In the coming months we need to take the united approach being suggested by the government to ensure that all commodities are represented. Canada is pro-trade. We are on the verge of signing two major international trade agreements, but we have to prove that we are reliable trading partners.
We are not here today to pit farmers against anyone. Farming is an economic driver, and we simply want to help drive the economy forward. The stakes could not be higher. The barley industry is ready for growth and prosperity. We formed a national organization across the supply chain. We brought partners together. We have buy-in from our value chain. We have the supply and the quality, but there are hurdles restricting our ability to conduct good business. Hurdles such as market access issues, falling behind our competitors on trade agreements, lack of transportation efficiencies and logistics are holding us back from maximizing our potential.
We want the grain industry to have fair and equal access under a transparent system and we want our industry to grow in conjunction with other commodities. In particular, we recognize the challenges faced by our colleagues in the forestry, potash, mining, coal, and other sectors. This is why we want a solution for transportation in Canada that's focused on a collaborative effort involving everyone in the value chain. We believe it is in Canada's national economic security interest that a competitive rail system is developed for all commodities. We also believe that the work we do for agriculture now is just as important as the ongoing debates over oil pipelines and other economic priorities.
The good news is that we never hear any complaints when we have full grain trains. But we do know that we need a more transparent system, and that we need better communication throughout the system for it to operate efficiently. Canada's national economic security depends on our ability to respond to a growing demand for our quality products. Canada's international reputation was built over time and has required significant investment from a cross-sector of stakeholders. There is mounting evidence that Canada's reputation as a reliable shipper is in jeopardy as many of our customers have started to source product from our competitors.
At least one General Mills facility in the United States is turning to Scandinavia as a result of the challenge they experienced accessing oats from our traditional suppliers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Japanese buyers who have purchased Canadian wheat for years are now turning to the United States after one of our ships sat waiting in Port Metro Vancouver for three weeks.
In addition to these issues, I'd like to focus a little bit more on what's happening to our small businesses that are affected by the rail transportation issues. Encouraging east-west access means more grain is moving along the major routes at the expense of the smaller shippers, like our malt companies that move product north and south.
Remembering the importance of our largest trading partner to the south is paramount as transportation corridors are being affected by the new legislation. It's important to encourage all shipping to all ports, not just Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Thunder Bay. Our transportation difficulties could be more manageable when we involve our shipping partners to the south.
Some of our niche shippers, malt barley shippers in particular, aren't able to get any cars to ship south. This affects our ability to do business and impacts our reputation as a country with our international customers. It's not the way to do business.
Following the example of the Barley Council of Canada, we believe everyone needs to be at the table to fix transportation in Canada, the entire value chain. By working together, I believe we can fix the problem, and by taking the time to fix the system now, we are better able to ensure our national economic security for the future for our children and grandchildren.
The Barley Council of Canada supports the proposed changes in Bill C-30 and looks forward to a more secure future for our value chain. We see the government's recent efforts as a good first step, while looking forward to a time when the system will function better for all in the future.
Thank you.