CFA in Action - Ag Leaders Debate Tomorrow, CFA Responds to CRTC...

If you have anything you would like to include in the CFA in Action, please let us know by noon the Friday before each update. Please send your information to [email protected].

We ask that you further distribute these briefs to your membership.

Ag Leaders Debate Takes Place Tomorrow!

Don't forget - the agriculture industry gets its time in the election spotlight tomorrow when the Canadian Federation of Agriculture hosts the National Agriculture Leaders Debate. The debate will highlight issues facing Canadian farmers and provide an opportunity for each party to outline its platform positions as they pertain to Canada's farm and food future.

The debate takes place Wednesday, September 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (EDT) at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel (the Laurier Room) in Ottawa.

Participants:

- Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Hon. Gerry Ritz

- Malcolm Allen, NDP Agriculture Critic

- Mark Eyking, Liberal Agriculture Critic

- Yves Lessard, Bloc Québécois candidate for Beloeil-Chambly

- Andrew West, Green Party candidate for Kanata-Carleton

The debate will be moderated by Andrew Campbell - a f armer, initiator of #farm365, and owner of Fresh Air Media.

CFA is also pleased to announce that it has partnered with Glacier Farm Media for this debate. Visit the Glacier Farm Media online network for coverage following the debate.

A live webcast will be available on the CFA website . Don't forget to follow the debate on Twitter and share your thoughts about the discussions using the hashtag #AgDebate .

World Egg Day is October 9!

When it comes to nutrition and versatility, eggs are a perfect food. And, our farmers work hard to produce high-quality eggs, and give back to our communities through partnerships with food banks and school breakfast programs. These are just a few of the many reasons why, this World Egg Day on October 9, we're sharing why we're #Thankful4Eggs! Celebrate with Egg Farmers of Canada and people around the world by tweeting why you're thankful for eggs using the hashtag #Thankful4Eggs.

Deadline Approaching for GROU Nominations

CFA is accepting nominations of pesticide products to consider for the Grower Request Own Use Program (GROU) until Friday, October 9.

The GROU program allows producers to import pesticide products from the U.S. provided the product is also available in Canada and chemically identical, past the exclusive use period and manufactured by the same company. This program is especially useful for products which remain much cheaper in the U.S. than in Canada.

The CFA hosts a page with a list of products that were nominated in previous years but were found to be ineligible. The current list of GROU products can be found here.

For more information or to nominate a product for the GROU program in the 2016 growing season, please contact Drew Black, CFA Director of Environment and Science Policy, at [email protected].

CSTA Launches Crop Variety Registration Database

In late August, the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) launched the new Crop Varieties Registered in Canada and Plant Breeders' Rights Status database. This tool was created by the CSTA with the assistance of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Variety Registration Office and the Plant Breeders' Rights Office. It aims to assist seed sector stakeholders to easily identify PBR protection on crop varieties registered for sale in Canada. The database can be accessed from the Library of the Canadian Seed Trade Association. You can read CSTA's industry notice here.

Users can search specifically by crop kind, variety name, and by the type of PBR protection, or they can view the full database. The type of PBR protection is indicated by two certification marks: UPOV 1978 or UPOV 1991.

CFA Responds to CRTC on Rural Broadband Access

On September 21, CFA provided a submission in response to requests for information from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to inform their ongoing review of basic telecommunication services. CFA provided evidence, based on information from members and a recent survey conducted by the OFA, to illustrate continued disparities between urban and rural business internet servicing costs, ongoing reliability issues facing many rural residents, and challenges posed by overly-restrictive monthly data allowances in many regions across Canada.

This response supports CFA's initial submission, highlighting many of the challenges Canadian producers face in accessing reliable internet access, the limited availability of broadband internet in many rural areas. CFA continues to push for enhanced wireless internet connectivity, further investment in expansion of rural broadband internet services across Canada, as well as improved competition to reduce existing price disparities and improve overall rural internet service offerings. For more information on this review and CFA's submissions, please contact Scott Ross at [email protected].

"Towards a Canadian Energy and Environment Strategy"

The Conference Board of Canada held an invitation only event in Ottawa on September 23 and 24 entitled " Towards a Canadian Energy and Environment Strategy." This conference aimed to build the consensus on whether such a strategy is needed to address the environmental concerns - and specifically the greenhouse gas emissions - with Canada's energy sector. This was framed within a context of the sector losing its social license and lack of confidence with federal regulators. While there was some mention of agricultural products being used for fuel, the focus was squarely upon Canada's oilsands sector and electricity generation. Conference participants agreed that any national strategy needed to be jointly advanced and developed by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, industry and non-profit organizations.

For more information on this conference, please contact Drew Black at [email protected].

AgriInvest Survey for Producers

Are you a producer who wants a better AgriInvest program? One with higher matching contributions that that allows you to better manage risk and invest in your farm? If yes, then the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and its member organizations need your help. Fill out this survey , it will only take three to five minutes, and help us get the information we need to design a better AgriInvest program.

National 4R Nutrient Stewardship Survey

Fertilizer Canada, in partnership with Farm Management Canada, invites your participation in an online survey exploring nutrient stewardship practices on Canadian farms, and the tools and information necessary to increase awareness and adoption of stewardship practices.

Today's farmers live in a world of increasing pressure to produce while managing environmental, social and economic pressures. Environmental concerns and increased food demand especially, are creating challenges farmers have never seen before. Fertilizer is a component of sustainable crop production systems, and a vital part of farm management. Farmers require the information, resources and tools to efficiently utilize these and other soil nutrients to continue to produce food in an economic, environmental and socially-sustainable manner.

To take the National 4R Nutrient Stewardship Survey (which should only take about 15 minutes), please click here. The survey is open until November 1, 2015. More details about the survey can be found here .

GrowCanada Conference

Registration is now open for this year's GrowCanada conference, taking place December 1 - 3 in Calgary. The GrowCanada conference is the country's premier agricultural event, providing a platform to connect with industry leaders from across Canada, explore cutting edge insight and build a stronger and more vibrant Canadian agricultural sector that ultimately contributes to a better world.

Information about this year's program and registration details can be found here.