March 2026

Hotel Saskatchewan hosts 2026 CAAR Connect Convention

Mark your calendars for the 2026 CAAR Connect Convention! CAAR’s annual convention will take place at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina from November 17 to 19, 2026.

Stay tuned for more information this spring!

CAAR in Action

February was a busy month at CAAR with a number of agriculture industry events taking place across the country. Executive Director Myrna Grahn attended the CropConnect Conference 2026 in Winnipeg on February 11 and 12, meeting with members and connecting with others in the agriculture industry in Manitoba. The conference, which was focused on agronomy, was well attended and highlighted the increasing challenges with herbicide-resistant weeds like kochia and waterhemp on the Prairies.

Last week, Myrna was in Ottawa for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture’s (CFA) Annual General Meeting, an important forum to engage with the industry. Myrna spent two days learning from exceptional speakers, participating in roundtable discussions, and representing the ag retail perspective in multiple conversations at CFA’s AGM. Thank you to the CFA for bringing Canadian agriculture together. Agriculture is the backbone of Canada and ag retail is a critical part of that equation.

CAAR board chair Stu Rasmussen joined Myrna in Ottawa last Thursday to meet with Fertilizer Canada to discuss mutually beneficial initiatives and opportunities to collaborate on issues. The meeting was very productive to strengthen the relationship between the two organizations. CAAR looks forward to working with Fertilizer Canada on issues of importance to ag retailers.

While in Ottawa, CAAR also met with CropLife Canada’s President and CEO, Pierre Petelle, to discuss the important advocacy work that organization is doing to highlight the need for red tape reduction when it comes to regulations. Senator Todd Lewis also met with CAAR to discuss the ag retail sector and its impact on the Canadian economy.

This week, Myrna is in Washington, DC meeting with the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA), which represents the interests of agricultural retailers and distributors across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues. Every March, the ARA hosts a fly-in event, where it brings its members to Washington to meet with policy makers and government officials on Capitol Hill. Myrna is attending the event as an observer to learn from ag retail’s U.S. counterparts and bring shared learnings back to CAAR.

Later this month, Myrna will be attending the 2026 Canadian Crops Convention in Toronto, speaking to AgLink’s members in Calgary about CAAR and listening to their feedback as key stakeholder members.

Myrna and the Telus Ag team at

CFA AGM in Ottawa

Myrna with Senator Todd Lewis

CAAR board member Brian Cummings with Peter Mansbridge at CropConnect

Join a CAAR committee!

Interested in getting involved and helping to further the ag retail industry in Canada? Join one of CAAR’s committees and share your insights and industry experience.

1. Advocacy Committee (Chair – Tim Dietz)

2. Communications Committee (Chair – Kevin Genest)

3. Membership/Value Committee (Chair – Luke Walker)

4. Marketing & Advertising Committee (Chair – Eric Gregory)

5. Training Committee (Chair – Marc Davy)

Learn more about CAAR committees here and contact Dianna Sveinson to get involved.

Next CAAR Connect session: March 5

Be Loyal To Your Soil: Soil Health Indicators for Prairie Cropping Systems

Develop a clearer understanding of soil health indicators for Prairie cropping systems and gain confidence in interpreting soil health data. Join us for the next CAAR Connect session this Thursday, March 5 from 12:00–1:00 pm CST featuring Dr. Stephen Crittenden, Research Scientist in Soil Health and Nutrient Management with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Brandon.

Soil health supports crop productivity, yet many farmers and ag-retail professionals remain uncertain about how to interpret soil health information and how management practices influence soil health outcomes. This session will define soil health, provide an overview of how soil health information and indicators are currently being delivered, share insights from ongoing research, and highlight common pitfalls to avoid when interpreting soil health data.

Participants will gain insight into key aspects of soil health assessment and interpretation, including:

What soil health is and how it is commonly measured
How soil health indicators are communicated and what they are intended to show
Current research informing soil health understanding in Prairie cropping systems
Common challenges and pitfalls that can arise when interpreting soil health information

Whether you work directly with producers, support agronomic planning, or contribute to soil and nutrient management strategies, this CAAR Connect Session will provide practical, research-informed insight to help you more confidently interpret soil health information and its relevance to Prairie farming systems.

Keep it Clean: Unregistered varieties are a no grow

Keeping it clean means considering market access at all points – from seed selection to delivery. Growing registered canola varieties is an important part of assuring our export customers that the oil and meal quality, biotech traits and disease resistance in our canola supply meets their requirements. To mitigate risk, never seed de-registered varieties or deliver seed produced from them to an elevator or grain handler.

Registered varieties also include agronomic advantages, as de-registered varieties often lack critical disease resistance genetics, such as clubroot resistance.

Let's all do our part to support the quality and integrity of our canola exports. Working together, we can mitigate risk and help keep markets open for all. Learn more .

CAAR Ag Retail Management Certificate:

A strategic investment in employee growth and leadership

Strong leadership capability is essential to organizational performance in the ag retail industry. CAAR’s new Ag Retail Management Certificate is designed to support employers in developing experienced employees who are ready to take on greater responsibility within their organization.

This certificate program prepares ag retail professionals with five or more years of industry experience to step confidently into supervisory, management, or team lead roles. Participants build practical leadership, people management, and operational capabilities that can be applied immediately in the workplace.

As the ag retail industry continues to evolve, organizations require leaders who can communicate effectively, manage people and resources, and make sound decisions in complex environments. Investing in the development of experienced employees helps reduce leadership risk, improve performance, and support long-term workforce development and succession planning.

The program blends in person, virtual, and self-directed learning, allowing employees to continue contributing to the job while developing the skills needed to lead effectively. Stay tuned as more information and registration details will be available soon!

Online training courses

Keep your team safe, certified and compliant

With the busy season approaching, ensuring your staff are properly trained is essential to protecting your people, your customers, and your business. CAAR’s online training courses are designed specifically for the ag retail environment and provide flexible, accessible learning that supports regulatory compliance and builds confidence across your team.

Available courses:

Anhydrous Ammonia – Retailer Safe Handling & TDG Certification
TDG Fundamentals – Retailer TDG Certification
Workplace Safety – WHMIS

Click here for courses and to register. For more information, contact Lisa Siragusa at training@caar.org.

Health Canada's regulatory proposal on drones

Since 2023, Health Canada has worked with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, international partners, and other federal departments to assess the health and environmental risks associated with applying pesticides by RPAS. Scientific data evaluated during this assessment indicates that the risks associated with pesticide application using RPAS are not greater than—and in some cases may be lower than—those associated with conventional aerial application methods. Based on this analysis, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is proposing a policy that would allow RPAS to be used for all pest control products currently approved for conventional aerial application, without requiring amendments to existing product labels.

Health Canada has opened a consultation period on this policy shift and is inviting public input. This consultation, which is open until March 25, 2026, aims to modernize regulations based on data suggesting drone risks are similar to or lower than conventional methods, aiming to remove barriers for farmers. The consultation period provides an opportunity for stakeholders to share their views, identify considerations, and suggest improvements. Feedback will help inform Health Canada’s final decision on this policy. To participate:

Review the Regulatory Proposal (PRO2026-01) on RPAS pesticide application
Submit comments during the public consultation period until March 25

If you require clarification on the proposed policy—such as a better technical understanding of its language and expectations—a public clarification session will be offered via webinar Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m. EST on Zoom. Information on how to register is available here.

Yesterday, CropLife Canada published the following statement on the PMRA drone consultation:

Drone application for crop protection products has the potential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Canadian farmer operations. CropLife Canada is pleased to see the Pest Management Regulatory Agency move forward with a public consultation on drone application of pesticides. This is a step toward Canada aligning its approach with those of other risk-based jurisdictions and responding to the needs of Canadian growers. At a time when Canadian agriculture is poised to deliver significant economic and food security gains for the country, CropLife Canada continues to advocate for pragmatic, risk-based approaches to regulation that enable innovation and drive competitiveness while maintaining high standards for health and safety.

Member Spotlight: Precision Ag

Precision Ag delivers agronomy and crop input services across southeast Saskatchewan. With four full-service agronomic solutions centres in Griffin, Odessa, Carlyle and Carnduff, the 30-plus member team supports local farms with crop nutrition, crop protection, and seed solutions. Precision AG partners with its grower customers to deliver innovative, knowledgeable and customized solutions that maximize the profitability of their farm operations.

Led by Greg Gerry, Precision Ag has made an outstanding impact through their work both in the field and in the community. Their deep connection to the people they serve is evident in everything they do — from offering agronomic expertise and hands-on customer events to leading community projects that make a lasting difference.

Precision Ag has championed local initiatives such as the “Rooted in the Prairies” projects in Redvers and Creelman, generously donating time, money, and resources to keep small-town communities thriving. The “Seed It Forward” program gives back a portion of every bag sold to local causes across Carnduff, Carlyle, Griffin, and Odessa — a true example of paying success forward.

Precision Ag’s approach to customer service is equally remarkable. Every team member is trained with a foundation in agronomy to ensure consistency and confidence across all customer interactions. The owners lead by example — shoulder to shoulder with their growers, attending and hosting events, field trials, and tours that foster knowledge and relationships.

The Precision Ag team's credibility runs deep because they’re not just selling to farmers — they are farmers themselves. They understand firsthand what their customers need, and they refuse to recommend products or programs they wouldn’t use on their own land. That authenticity, combined with their innovation and community leadership, makes Precision Ag a true example of what it means to “grow connections” in every sense of the phrase.

Precision Ag was the recipient of the new 2025 Growing Connections Award, sponsored by Canterra Seeds, at the 2025 CAAR Connect Convention. Click here to learn more about Precision Ag.

CAAR's Stu Rasmussen (left) and Brent Derkatch, President and CEO, Canterra Seeds (far right) with the Precision Ag team.

Agri HR Toolkit

New HR tool for CAAR members - save 25%!

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) has developed a new HR toolkit designed specifically to support ag retail operations. The Agri HR Toolkit provides tools and templates that businesses can apply to real-world HR challenges in ag retail. The toolkit includes valuable information on recruitment, onboarding, performance management, compensation and workplace policies.

CAAR ag retail members receive 25% off an annual subscription to the Agri HR Toolkit, a practical, easy-to-use HR resource. For more information, contact Dianna at dianna@caar.org.

Discontinued pesticides - February update

Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) has shared the latest report of discontinued pesticide products with a last date of permitted sale after February 1, 2025. Products are sorted by categories*:

Domestic: p.1 to p.9
Commercial: p.10 to p.18

Consult the Health Canada Pesticide Product Information Database (Product Search Section) to confirm the registration status of any pesticide product and, if applicable, the last date on which the sale is permitted. Products discontinuations are generally driven by:

A Health Canada re-evaluation or special review decisions or
A registrant decision to discontinue the commercialization of the product for business reasons.

For more information, contact pcp-pcp@hc-sc.gc.ca .

CFIA releases "What we heard" report

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has released a “What We Heard” report following a consultation on their seed regulatory modernization document “Future-proofing Canada’s Seeds Regulations for a stronger tomorrow.” Comments received can help inform the CFIA in drafting a final policy document that will next appear in Canada Gazette I for further public comment before being formalized into law.

While improvements have been made, more work can be done to remove unnecessary burden. While Seeds Canada is leading the seed sector feedback on this process, CAAR was engaged in the consultation phase by providing our ag retail perspective.

Grow Canada Strong campaign

CropLife Canada recently launched phase two of its Grow Canada Strong campaign, which showcases the scientists behind plant science innovations. The goal of the campaign is to raise the profile of plant science innovations as key contributors to Canada’s prosperity among policymakers.

To learn more about the campaign, visit the Grow Canada Strong website.