Canadia Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay says he has no immediate solution for getting Canadian grain moving again as farmers begin planning for spring seeding according to a report at CTVNews.ca.
"It's been an ongoing and unfortunate issue," MacAulay said at an event in Calgary. "I've been in contact with the railways a number of times. They are in contact with me quite regularly. Is everything fixed? No."
Canadian National and Canadian Pacific have said they have faced challenges due to a larger-than-expected grain crop and extreme winter weather.
A source of frustration for MacAulay and many producers is Bill C-49, which would amend the Canada Transportation Act to improve public reporting by railways and to allow for financial penalties if they failed to deliver rail cars on time. It's been stalled in the Senate since last fall.
"We want to get the bill passed through the Senate, and that the government of Canada and the railways invest in the transportation system."
Earlier this month, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called it mind-boggling that grain shipments have been delayed again by rail backlogs for the second time in four years.
"Our reputation, Saskatchewan's reputation and Canada's reputation as a reliable supplier of commodities, as a trustworthy business partner is being damaged," Moe said.
Read the full report at CTVNews.ca.
