Resolution

WHEREAS Agricultural producers and rural communities are heavily dependent on rail and port infrastructure to transport annual production to export markets;  

WHEREAS Canada’s existing export infrastructure is equipped to handle an estimated 40 to 45 million tonnes per year while exportable supplies of western grain have exceeded 45 million tonnes in four of the last five years; 

WHEREAS Production forecasts suggest Canadian producers will continue to increase production by 500,000 tonnes annually;  

WHEREAS The hundreds of millions of dollars of federal funding earmarked for building trade corridors needs to be accelerated in order to ensure export capacity can keep pace with increasing production trends; 

BE IT RESOLVED That APAS advocate for the Government of Canada to accelerate its federal growth strategy and public/private investment plans for rail transportation and port handling infrastructure to increase export capacity at a rate that accommodates increasing production forecasts.