April 2026

REMINDER: Extension to compliance promotion period for bulk fertilizers

In recognition of ongoing dialogue with the bulk fertilizer sector, the CFIA has further extended the compliance promotion period for bulk fertilizers until July 31, 2027.

This extension allows additional time for discussion with industry on developing a path to compliant labelling.

Read the industry notice here.

CAAR in Action

March was another busy month for CAAR. Members participated in four CAAR Connect sessions through the month with speakers from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada talking about agronomy, diseases and soil health.

CAAR Executive Director Myrna Grahn kicked off the month in Washington, DC, where she was invited to participate in the 2026 Agricultural Retailers Association's (ARA) Winter Board Meeting and Fly-In. Myrna attended eight Congressional meetings, while more than 100 ARA members attended 135 meetings on Capitol Hill to advocate for ARA’s 2026 policy priorities including modern agricultural crop production technologies, pro-growth economic policies - energy, labour and trade, transportation and supply chain challenges and the passing of the Farm Bill 2.0.

From March 10 to 12, Myrna attended the Canadian Crops Convention, the annual conference put on by the Canola Council of Canada and the Canada Grains Council in Toronto. Much of the program and discussion was focused on tariffs and the impact on the global economy.

In Calgary, Myrna attended AgLink's annual shareholder meeting and made a presentation about CAAR and what has been achieved in the last year. Feedback from AgLink members was very positive with many noting the progress that CAAR has made to rebuild and reposition the organization and improve communication with members.

At the end of March, Myrna attended the Prairie Certified Crop Adviser Board's meeting in Brandon, Manitoba.

The Certified Crop Adviser Program (CCA) is one of the professional certification programs offered by the American Society of Agronomy (ASA). It is a voluntary program providing a base level of standard through testing, and raising that standard through continuing education. Myrna sits on the board of Prairie CCA representing CAAR to share the ag retail perspective and provide CEU credits through its training partnership.

Prairie CCA also hosted the first-ever student agronomy challenge at Assiniboine College to help prepare students to take their CCA exams. At the event, Ray Redfern received the Honorary Lifetime Prairie Certified Crop Advisor Award for his significant contributions and support of the ag industry. Myrna closed out of the month of March attending the Grow our People Summit focused on Grit, Grace and Goals for ag women in leadership roles.

Next week, CAAR's Board of Directors will be in Winnipeg for a two-day board meeting. While in Winnipeg, Chair Stu Rasmussen and Myrna will be meeting with some of CAAR's corporate members to discuss the issues that are important to their businesses and how CAAR can provide support and value to its members.

Myrna and Tip O'Neill, President of IRM, and Brooke McMullin, IRM Vice President, in Washington, DC.

Myrna with ARA's Daren Coppock on Capitol Hill.

CAAR board member Eric Gregory with Myrna and

Erik Dyck, CEO of Brett Young Seeds, at the

Canadian Crops Convention.

CropLife Canada CEO Pierre Petelle with Myrna and

Dan Wright, CEO of Seeds Canada, in Toronto.

Ray Redfern and David McKercher, Chair of Prairie CCA.

PMRA name change

Effective April 1, 2026, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) will join the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch (HECSB) and will operate as the Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD) within that Branch. What does this mean for the regulation of pesticides and its stakeholders?

The organization’s mandate and authorities remain unchanged. PRD (formerly PMRA) will continue to deliver its core regulatory responsibilities under the Pest Control Products Act, including the evaluation, registration, and re-evaluation of pest control products.
Day to day operations and service standards are expected to continue as usual. Stakeholders should not experience disruption to ongoing files, submissions, or engagement activities.
The change is administrative in nature. Joining HECSB is intended to gain economies of scale around corporate and policy activities and will strengthen alignment with related environmental and consumer safety programs while maintaining PRD’s core scientific and regulatory integrity.

Over the coming months, you can expect to see updates to how the organization appears on Health Canada websites or in official materials to reflect this change.

Next CAAR Connect session: April 9

Reducing Nitrogen Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Potato Systems Without Sacrificing Yield

Join the next CAAR Connect Session on Thursday, April 9 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. CDT with Judith Nyiraneza, Research Scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Reducing nitrogen use while maintaining productivity is an important priority for potato growers and the ag retail professionals who support them. This session will explore how crop rotation strategies and nitrogen fertilizer management can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in potato systems without sacrificing yield.

Attendees will learn how reducing nitrogen fertilizer application rates by 25 percent maintained potato yields across study sites while significantly lowering nitrous oxide emissions. The session will also compare conventional urea and enhanced efficiency fertilizers such as super urea and examine how fertilizer choice influences emission reductions.

The role of crop rotation in supporting nitrogen use efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also be discussed. Findings from multiple rotation systems will highlight how management decisions can support both environmental stewardship and crop performance in potato production systems. Practical nitrogen management strategies relevant to ag retailers, agronomists, and CCAs working with potato growers will be shared, providing insights that can support informed fertilizer recommendations and sustainability outcomes.

Meet the speaker:

Dr. Judith Nyiraneza holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Sciences, a Master of Science in Soil and Crop Sciences, and a PhD in Soil and Environment. Her research focuses on evaluating how regenerative soil management practices—including nurse crops, summer and winter cover crops, and both conventional and alternative soil amendments—affect soil health, crop performance, and carbon and nitrogen cycling in potato-based production systems. In recognition of her contributions to the sector, she was named one of the 2023 Influential Women in Canadian Agriculture and was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Soil Science in 2024.

New program: CAAR Ag Retail Management Certificate

Develop leadership capability and advance your future in ag retail

The CAAR Ag Retail Management Certificate is a professional development program designed to prepare experienced ag retail professionals for greater leadership responsibility within their organizations.

Delivered by industry and subject matter experts, the program strengthens leadership capability, communication effectiveness, business decision-making, and operational confidence in a practical and applied learning environment. Participants develop the skills to lead teams, manage resources effectively, strengthen customer relationships, and represent their organizations with professionalism across the ag retail sector.

The program is intended for professionals with five or more years of experience who are preparing for supervisory, management, or team leadership roles. Courses include communication skills, customer relationship strategy, effective financial management, personal and professional brand development, HR management in agriculture, leadership for mental health in the workplace and networking.

To learn more contact Lisa Siragusa, Member Relations & Training Manager at lisa@caar.org.

2026-27 membership campaign

It’s that time of year again! Whether you are renewing your membership or joining CAAR, we invite you to be part of our organization for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, 2027. Your investment in our organization is critical to the success of our industry and the future of ag retail in Canada.

The 2025-26 membership year was one of continued growth and celebration. CAAR marked its 30^th anniversary in 2025, celebrating three decades of representing ag retailers in Canada. With renewed energy and excitement, we are moving forward and continuing to strengthen our position as the voice of ag retail in Canada.

To renew your CAAR membership, log in to CAAR's Member365 portal here. Complete your membership application or renewal by June 30, 2026 to stay connected with CAAR. If you need assistance accessing your Member365 account or have any questions, contact Lisa Siragusa at lisa@caar.org.

Seeds Canada: Help guard seed innovation

Everyone has a part to play in protecting the promising future of Canadian agriculture by helping to encourage seed innovation. We all benefit from innovation with new seed varieties that deliver higher yields, better performance and quality. When seed retailers can offer the best possible products to their farm customers, everyone wins.

Unfortunately, the industry continues to see illegal seed transactions taking place. But you can help protect intellectual property by reporting suspicious seed activity. Call 1-833-533-6200 or click here.

When filing a report with Seeds Canada, provide as much specific detail as possible regarding the potential infringement. All fields are required unless otherwise indicated. All reports are confidential.

What does suspicious activity look like?

Potential infringements can be:

Facebook/Kijiji/classified ads selling bin-run seed
Buying bin-run seed
Ads for bin-run seed with the variety identified (Seeds Act violation)
Coffee shop chatter of a neighbour selling seed
Stewardship/contract infringement

Member Spotlight

CAAR would like to highlight one of our new retail members for the 2025 – 2026 year - Nutrien Ag Solutions, the retail division of Nutrien Ltd. and a leading global provider of crop inputs and services.

The Nutrien Ag Solutions team strives to help growers achieve the highest yields with a wide selection of products, including their proprietary brands: Loveland Products®, Inc., and Proven® Seed. Jesse Hamonic serves as the Vice President and Country Head for Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Canada Retail operations. With over 200 locations across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Canada team is well-positioned to deliver localized, farmer-focused agronomic solutions across the Prairies.

“Our goal as the Nutrien Ag Solutions Canada team is to be the most farmer-centric agronomic solutions provider in the industry,” says Hamonic. “That means engaging in conversations with people in every sector of agriculture and making sure that the farmer’s needs are always top priority. CAAR not only gives us a space to have those conversations but is also a trusted voice in elevating and protecting the farmer’s best interest.”

While Nutrien Ag Solutions has a global footprint, the team actively pursues opportunities to give back to their local Canadian communities. The team hosted the Hometown Yield Challenge in 2024 and 2025, donating over $100,000 to local community organizations chosen by the winning growers. Hamonic has also represented Nutrien Ag Solutions as a participant in STARS Air Ambulance’s Manitoba Rescue on the River in 2024, where he and his fellow Rescue on the River participants raised $350,000 for the emergency service.

With more than 1,200 employees making up the Nutrien Ag Solutions Canada network, there’s no shortage of expertise available to Canadian growers. The services offered by the Nutrien Ag Solutions team span each step of the growing cycle, including financial services, seed offerings through their proprietary Proven Seed portfolio, agronomic advice through their Agronomic Innovation Management team, as well as innovative plant nutrition, adjuvants, seed treatment, and crop protection products options through their Loveland Products shelf.

CAAR values our retail members and is pleased to welcome new members like Nutrien Ag Solutions. Tim Dietz, General Manager of the South Saskatchewan Division for Nutrien Ag Solutions recently joined the CAAR board and has taken on the role of Advocacy Committee Chair.

Use of pesticides in agriculture

Information from Health Canada

Health Canada's Pesticide Compliance Program (PCP) is responsible for promoting, monitoring, and enforcing the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). Click here for a summary of federal regulatory requirements for pesticide use in agriculture.

This updated version outlines recent regulatory changes and introduces new compliance promotion fact sheets developed to raise awareness of roles, responsibilities, and obligations under the PCPA. It also includes a new section with information specific to greenhouse operations.

Youth and Employment Skills Program

Agriculture and Agri-food Canada recently announced a new program aimed at providing funding to employers in agriculture and agri-food sectors to cover a portion of wages for youth (between 15 - 30 years old), which provide skill building opportunities. The intake period runs from March 5 to May 4, 2026. Please review the program guide for more information.