Communicate with government officials and Parliamentarians on the importance of maintaining the Canada-US Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA) and treating perishable fruit and vegetable products as a distinct priority during trade disruptions by strengthening safeguards, competitiveness supports, domestic processing capacity, and market stabilization tools. Communicate with government and Parliamentarians the importance of protecting labour stability for fruit and vegetable production by preserving and strengthening the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), improving labour compliance inspection practices, and investing in rural infrastructure. Communicate with government officials and Parliamentarians the importance of modernizing Business Risk Management programs to include mitigation measures and deliver timely support for fruit and vegetable growers facing extreme weather, pests, diseases, and other emergencies. Communicate with government officials and Parliamentarians the importance of timely access to effective crop protection tools by ensuring the governments commitment to consider food security in Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Pesticides Regulatory Directorate (PRD) decisions is implemented in a practical, transparent manner. Communicate with government officials the important contribution of Canadian fruit and vegetable growers across the country in terms of their contribution to Canadian food security, the national economy and rural communities.
AAFC – Next Policy Framework -- ensuring that the federal government's next agriculture framework represents the needs and interests of edible horticultural growers Canada's National Food Security Strategy -- ensuring that the strategy represents the interests of edible horticulture growers. Competition in the grocery sector -- discussions related to improving the environment for increased competition in Canada's grocery sector Engagement with the federal government on issues affecting the secure, stable and competitive supply of fertilizer critical to agricultural production. Government of Canada – Red tape reduction / regulatory and administrative burden EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA – Temporary Foreign Worker Program and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, in respect of ensuring reliable access to seasonal labour for horticulture. GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA – CUSMA and trade disputes (including tariff and non-tariff barriers), in respect of maintaining predictable market access for Canadian fresh fruit and vegetables. ECCC – carbon pricing and climate policy, in respect of competitiveness impacts on horticulture (including production, plastic, water). CFIA – Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations (SFCR), in respect of fresh produce food safety and compliance requirements. CBSA – border processes affecting fresh produce, facilitating efficient and fair import/export movement of perishable goods. HEALTH CANADA / PMRA – Pest Control Products Act, including registrations, re-evaluations, Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) and international harmonization in respect of access to crop protection tools for horticulture. AAFC / Heath Canada (PRD) – Minor Use / grower-requested access pathways (e.g., minor use and own-use import pathways), in respect of timely access to pest management solutions. FINANCE CANADA – federal budget measures affecting horticulture competitiveness and program funding, in respect of adequate resourcing for sector priorities. AAFC – Business Risk Management programs (AgriStability, AgriInvest, AgriRecovery, AgriRisk), in respect of responsiveness to horticulture production risk. IRCC – Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and immigration policies related to temporary foreign agricultural workers, in respect of program integrity and workable pathways for employers and workers. CFIA – Organic regime and U.S.–Canada Organic Equivalency Arrangement, in respect of facilitating compliant trade in organic produce. CFIA – Plant Protection Act and plant health requirements, in respect of preventing introduction/spread of pests affecting horticulture.