We are excited to announce the appointment of Myrna Grahn as the new Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers (CAAR).

With 2024 upon us, the agriculture trade show and seminar season is now in full swing.

Why do agricultural associations exist?

At the Sustainability of Canadian Agriculture Conference 2023, hosted by University of Manitoba’s National Centre for Livestock and the Environment and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in March, Henry Janzen, Honorary Research Associate, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta stated that the possibility of net-zero GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions from production agriculture as highly unlikely because of too much leakage.

The business environment is changing for Canadian agribusiness, and so too membership associations are being driven to change to accommodate members. Agribusinesses are increasingly beginning to scrutinize which associations they choose to be part of and support. This has more to do with their time constraints and value added, rather than annual dues and participation costs. Selection of membership associations is now more based on alignment with members’ strategic goals and representation and support of the ag industry.

Growing with marketing campaigns of agriculture food products in Canada and internationally is the increased utilization of fear as a marketing weapon. Statements of non-GMO, grass fed only, organic and antibiotic-free create doubt and fear in the minds of the consumer. Are the products I purchase and consume less nutritious or harmful to our families?

January 2022 appears to be the groundhog month of January 2021. COVID-19 continues to disrupt our personal lives, businesses and logistics, and divide the nation politically.

The past 3 months have been exceptionally busy months for the CAAR organization. We continue to evolve, and Members will begin to experience the changes in 2021.

Many issues of 2020 carried over into 2021, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ag industry has met the challenge with reliance and must remain diligent through 2021.

Many of the issues people working in Canadian agriculture faced for the majority of 2020 will continue for at least the next six to nine months. Social distancing and limitations on face-to-face business activities will continue until most citizens that seek to be vaccinated have successfully done so.

The past 10 months have focused heavily on the COVID-19 virus and its impact on the Canadian and global economies. What you may not be aware of are the numerous federal regulations that have been updated or in the process of being updated that directly impact the business of Canadian agriculture.

There is a major disparity in the access to Canadian telecommunications and internet services between urban and rural communities.

As business leaders of small to large ag corporations, what can we do to support employees and customers?

CAAR has completed year one of its long-term strategic plan, developed in fall 2018 to guide the association’s focus and direction. As we prepare to embark on the next phase of our long-term strategy, we also enter a new decade of supporting agri-retailers influencing world class food production.

What many unfamiliar with Canadian agriculture production fail to recognize is the scope of annual purchases farmers undertake to grow major crops. These purchases significantly contribute to the regional, provincial and national economies of Canada.

At the time of writing this article, weather continues to impact progress on a harvest that has seen its ups and downs.

2019 is a year we won’t soon forget. With the majority of the crop yet to be harvested, farmers and ag retailers continue to prevail, moving forward with the challenges they can only manage but not control.

“Business Intelligence” is one of the key strategic pillars that CAAR recognized as vital for its membership. CAAR is embarking on its first major undertaking toward developing this pillar by helping to facilitate the 2019 Canadian Precision Agriculture Dealership Survey, developed in partnership between the University of Guelph and Purdue University with input from CAAR.

When a customer looks to you, their retailer, as a trusted resource, opportunities are created to build a relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties. You help them, and they help you.

Ag retailers play a critical role in Canadian agriculture production, and a retailer’s level of influence with farm managers will continue to evolve as technology becomes more integrated with farm operations.

It’s time to reflect on the past 10 months I’ve spent serving as Executive Director for the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers.

CAAR’s Board of Directors has recently completed a strategic planning session, resulting in a long-term, three-year strategy for the association that provides clear, constructive direction and that speaks to the goals, focus and purpose of CAAR through to 2022.

Many regions throughout the country are preparing for harvest or have already begun, and while some may view this as the end of the current crop season, I view it as the beginning of next year’s crop-planning cycle. 

It’s been a fast paced couple of months since I joined the CAAR team in January. Already, the 2018 CAAR Conference has been successfully completed, while other areas of focus, such as the negotiations with Transport Canada regarding anhydrous ammonia nurse tanks, continue at the time of writing.

Supporting agriculture will stimulate Canada’s economic recovery.