Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz, finally responded to Canadian farmers today ordering Canada’s two railways to move a minimum of 5,500 train cars of grain to market each, weekly, or face fines of $100,000 a day.
Farmers say they’re facing $4 billion dollars in losses for a banner crop of 76 million tonnes of wheat. For over a month farmers have been demanding action to get their crop to market. Many have watched prices drop as their 2013 harvest sits in bins. Other farmers can’t pay for seed in preparation for this year’s crop And there are reports that 50 ships are waiting in Vancouver’s harbour to be loaded with grain.
CN and CP railways blame the severely cold winter for the backlog. In order for train brakes to work in the cold, fewer cars can be pulled. But shipments of oil are also to blame. In the last five years, oil by rail shipments have increased from 6,000 train carloads in 2009 to an estimated 14.000 this year.
Lisa Raitt said Canada’s reputation as a “reliable grain producer” is at stake if the rail companies do not comply.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.