(File photo by Dave Bedard)

CTA to bump up Prairie grain freight cost index

Fuel and infrastructure improvements are expected to push up the cost of railroading and, in turn, the index guiding how much money Canada’s big two railways get to keep from hauling Prairie grain in the next crop year. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) on Wednesday announced it will set the volume-related composite price index (VRCPI) […] Read more

(LOP.parl.ca)

Senate hands back transport bill, with changes

Federal legislation sought by farm groups wanting improvements to rail service for the grain sector is on its way back from the Senate to the House of Commons. Senators on Thursday afternoon passed Bill C-49, the Transportation Modernization Act, on third reading — but with several amendments proposed Wednesday by the standing Senate committee on […] Read more

CN trains in Vancouver. (CN.ca)

CN, CP roll over revenue caps for 2016-17

Canada’s big two railways have both overshot the maximum revenue they’re allowed to keep for ferrying the 2016-17 grain crop off the Prairies. The Canadian Transportation Agency on Thursday issued its annual determination of how much, if any, revenue Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) made over their maximum grain revenue entitlements […] Read more

(CN.ca)

Early reviews positive for grain transportation bill

Long-awaited amendments to the Canada Transportation Act that Prairie grain farmers and shippers hope will result in better rail service were tabled Tuesday in the House of Commons. At press time Tuesday farm organization and grain company officials were still assessing Bill C-49, which also deals with other transportation issues, including air travel. At first […] Read more

(CN.ca)

Ottawa to keep revenue cap on grain shipments by rail

Ottawa | Reuters — The Canadian government introduced draft legislation on grain transportation on Tuesday that would keep in place a revenue cap on western grain that railways haul for export. The grain revenue cap, or “maximum revenue entitlement” (MRE), has been in place since 2000 and is intended to balance the market power of […] Read more



(CPR.ca)

Saskatchewan presses for rail interswitching, revenue cap

Farm stakeholder groups and Prairie provincial agriculture ministers got their chance Thursday to bring their concerns about grain transportation by rail to the federal minister responsible. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay held a roundtable meeting with grain sector representatives Thursday in Saskatoon, and met also with the Prairies’ agriculture ministers. […] Read more



(CWB photo)

Red pens come out for postmortem report on CWB era

A researcher working for a group calling for the return of single desk marketing misinterpreted data in former Canadian Wheat Board annual reports to conclude the board paid lower rates for shipping grain. Several sources, including a former Canadian Wheat Board director, say University of Saskatchewan Ph.D. candidate Laura Larsen used an inaccurate comparison in […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Debate: Sask. ag leaders seek rail response

If there’s one thing all Saskatchewan’s political parties can agree on, it’s that the current rail system isn’t working for grain producers — but there’s less consensus on the solutions. Transportation is the single most important issue facing grain growers in Saskatchewan right now, said Cathy Sproule, the provincial New Democrats’ ag critic, during an […] Read more