The Saskatchewan government wants to ensure that what is shaping up to be a larger than average crop gets moved to market.
Yields are expected to be above average for cereal and oilseed crops despite localized issues surrounding moisture and flooding.
“Getting products to market is critical to our success and, in 2013, we saw the challenges a large crop presented shippers, railways and ports,” said Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart.
“We don’t want to see a repeat situation this year.”
The groups have been in discussions with transportation providers to ensure there is no repeat of 2013, when a bumper crop sat in grain bins for months due to a rail transportation backlog.
Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX:CP) and Canadian National Railway (TSX:CNR) were accused of making oil and other products a higher priority than grain.
READ MORE: Port of Churchill lays off staff, shuts down shipping season
But the rail companies said that wasn’t fair because frigid weather forced them to use shorter cars to ensure brakes could be used safely, which cut down on capacity.
“In early July, we wrote the federal government and the two railways to advise of a potential large crop,” Stewart said.
“We stressed the importance of ensuring the grain handling and transportation system is prepared to move this year’s crop in a timely and efficient manner.”
Stewart says if railways are serious about transporting grain they’ll hire back more employees and get equipment out of storage to get the job done.
He also said the federal government should consider “back-to-work legislation” in the event there is a strike at the Port of Prince Rupert.
READ MORE: Railways need to be ready to move a larger than normal crop: APAS
Earlier this year, the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan cautioned that the two major railways needed to be prepared to move a larger than normal crop.
With files from The Canadian Press
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