Canada deregulates agriculture to reduce the impact of tariffs

On March 18, agriculture minister Kody Blois announced that one of his key priorities is” enabling a competitive advantage and (a) level playing field for Canadian agricultural products.”

Blois backed those words with actions to change Canadian Food Inspection Agency regulations. The proposals could cut the regulatory burden for farmers and agri-food processors, including plans to speed up approvals for alternative sources of feed.

“This measure will alleviate the burden of tariffs on animal feed producers by increasing the number of approved feed ingredients from within Canada or from other countries,” Blois said.

Too focused on ‘sticks’
Any reduction in paperwork or improvement in approval times is welcome news in Canada’s feed sector. Last year, the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC) said the federal government has been too focused on regulatory “sticks.”

For instance, red tape prevents feed formulators from using feed additives that are available in the United States and Europe.

“We need the right (regulatory system) and policies in place to allow the feed industry to innovate,” Melissa Dumont, ANAC executive director, said last June.

ANAC is just one of many industry groups that have lobbied against the regulatory burden on agriculture.

There are dozens of examples, but producers and industry representatives have loudly complained about the federal carbon tax, the paperwork and time required to hire a temporary foreign worker and federal plans to “transform” the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and how it oversees pesticides.

“The PMRA’s current direction threatens to cripple the regulatory system and drive innovation out of Canada, without any benefits for health and environmental protection,” says a CropLife Canada letter sent in January to the deputy health minister.

Tyler McCann, managing director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, said Blois’ March 18 announcement about the CFIA may represent a real shift in Ottawa.

“It commits to action…. It makes competitiveness a priority,” McCann said on X.

“The biggest impact may be the signal sent to the bureaucracy that the old way of doing things is over. This should have ripple effects.”

Blois pledges to cut red tape
In his statement, Blois suggested that things have changed.

“We will continue to use all available measures to reduce red tape, streamline our processes, modernize our regulations.”

In addition to speeding up approvals for alternative sources of feed, the ag minister wants to reduce other CFIA regulations:

Explore the idea of increasing the maximum slaughter age for feeder calves from 36 to 40 weeks.
Examine removing unnecessary or outdated labelling requirements for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Harmonize Canada’s BSE enhanced feed ban regulations with the United States.
The last one is a significant cost for Canada’s beef sector. Canada bans certain animal tissues, known as specified risk material (SRM).

The enhanced feed ban regulations are intended to ensure that SRM, which has been excluded from the human food supply since July 2003, is also excluded from animal feed, pet food and fertilizers, says the CFIA website.

“Removing specified risk materials (SRM) is costly and puts Canada’s beef industry at an economic disadvantage,” Canadian Cattle Association past-president Nathan Phinney told Glacier FarmMedia.

“The costs of the Canadian SRM regulations place a significant burden on our industry, costing approximately $31.7 million annually.”

Tags: Canada, compound feed