CAAR represents agri-retailers in important discussions with Fertilizer Canada.

Part of CAAR’s mandate is to protect the rights and practices of Canada’s agri-retailers, and some of their most recent successes in this arena have come from working with Fertilizer Canada.

As a member of Fertilizer Canada’s Fertilizer Safety and Security Council, CAAR provided feedback and recommendations on behalf of agri-retailers on some crucial updates and regulations that will affect the sector.

“Fertilizer Canada continues to uphold robust industry standards in order to maintain Canada’s reputation as a world leader in fertilizer safety,” says Giulia Brutesco, senior director of industry standards at Fertilizer Canada.

Brutesco notes that CAAR has provided very valuable considerations to Fertilizer Canada initiatives.

“We need stringent safety requirements to protect employees, farmers and Canadians, however, they have to be practical in the field,” she says. “So having CAAR’s input was critical.”

CAAR has helped Fertilizer Canada to diversify the contributors to its Ammonia Code of Practice working group, a group tasked with discussing the practical considerations of safety practices. CAAR recently facilitated the addition of two CAAR member companies to the working group.

“In the past, the members of the technical committee have been predominantly product manufacturers and large retailers,” says Brutesco. “We now have a very good balance, and CAAR was integral to ensuring this.”

CAAR also contributed significantly to the discussion surrounding changes to the Anhydrous Ammonia Code of Practice.

To ensure the responsible use of fertilizer products, Fertilizer Canada developed the Ammonia Code of Practice to provide uniform safety and security practices for the handling and storage of anhydrous ammonia at agri-retail facilities in Canada. To receive product, all anhydrous ammonia agri-retail sites must be fully compliant with the requirements of the Code. An update to this Code of Practice reinforced the importance of on-farm nurse wagon safety and emergency shut-off capabilities in the unlikely event of a release.

The updated Code, released by Fertilizer Canada in July 2016, will come into effect in Canada on January 1, 2017. The revisions were introduced after extensive discussions with industry stakeholders – including CAAR, who represented the interests of Canada’s agri-retailers.

“CAAR provided some very substantive submissions,” says Brutesco. “They provided a lot of good insight as to how the proposed changes would affect the retailer in either a positive or negative manner.”

“The safety of Canadian agri-retailers, and all Canadians, is our shared priority. That’s what makes this partnership so strong,” says Delaney Ross Burtnack, President and CEO of CAAR. “CAAR was able to propose amendments to the Code of Practice which highlights this important priority.”

“CAAR is looking out for the safety of their members, which is exactly what we need,” says Brutesco. “They have been a great part of providing feedback and data that is specific
to retailers.”

The Code will continue to be revisited at least every five years, and Fertilizer Canada will address other concerns involving the fertilizer industry as they are brought into consideration.

CAAR looks forward to their continued contributions to Fertilizer Canada and other fertilizer safety initiatives, protecting their members’ ability to operate, and providing a voice for agri-retailers across Canada.

Click here to view the Anhydrous Ammonia Code of Practice update.

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