By Myrna Grahn

I am not sure where the month of March went! CAAR has been going full steam ahead on issues that relate to the Canadian economy and our three pillars of Educate, Advocate and Unite.

• We attended many member engagement sessions and meetings about Canada–U.S. trade relations and the impacts of tariffs, including two AAFC roundtables.

• Your board chair, Stu Rasmussen, will be speaking at the APAS Ag Summit in Saskatoon – his topic is, “Analyzing how international trade policies affect farm inputs and the agricultural supply chain.”

• I travelled to Regina to speak at the “Navigating the Future Today” – Crops and Irrigation Branch Conference hosted by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture. We talked about how CAAR can work with them on their 4-R Nutrient Committee, changes to the regulations on the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), AKA drones, and Agrichemical Warehousing Standards Association (AWSA) guidelines in Saskatchewan.

• As part of our focus on member outreach and relevancy, I have met with several ag retailers from independents to the larger line companies between Winnipeg and Regina to learn more about what they need from their industry association and what they value from their membership. Stu, Tracey and I had the opportunity to meet with a few of our current and former members located in Winnipeg to engage in similar conversations. What a valuable week we had – we heard many ideas, received advice and feedback and also opportunities for growth. All these insights will be shared with our board at our upcoming strategic planning session in April.

• CAAR is a member of the Fertilizer and Supplement Advisory Committee (FSAC). Stan Loewen, chair of CAAR’s Advocacy Committee, and I attended meetings on the development of Efficacy Standards and Guidelines of Biostimulants in Canada. More information is forthcoming, but we want you to know that there are discussions happening about standardizing methodology and conversations across Canada about standards for the efficacy of biostimulants. Stay tuned for more.

• I attended session hosted by Seeds Canda and the international seed sector leaders, sharing how intellectual property (IP) rights. IP, like plant breeders rights, are necessary to maintain a strong and steady stream of innovation supported by investment.

• The CAAR Connect Session this month featured Paul Enwerekowe, the director, Regulatory Affairs at Chemistry of CropLife Canada, who explored the importance of collaboration within the agricultural sector to shape policies that promote innovation, sustainability and growth. As the agricultural landscape rapidly evolves, it’s increasingly crucial for all stakeholders to come together and ensure that policies and regulations are designed to support, rather than hinder, the sector’s full potential. The session also highlighted the Advancing Agriculture’s “Hit Pause on PMRA Transformation,” – read more about the campaign here.