By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

GGC chair frustrated over anti-dumping probe by China over canola sales

Sep 5, 2024 | 3:19 PM

Grain Growers of Canada chair and Valhalla farmer Andre Harpe says he feels frustration over recent news of an anti -dumping probe by China over canola sales.

“It wasn’t too many weeks ago that we were busy trying to get our product to rail and now we’re finding out that now that we can actually get it to the port, one of our biggest customers may no longer be buying it.”

“We’ll have to see what happens, but it is very, very frustrating.”

Harpe says Canada grows “a very good quality product” that is not being dumped into China.

“It’s one of those things that I think they’ve come up with something.”

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“Canada is a very rules-based country. We follow the World Trade Organization rules when it comes to marketing and trading. I’m sure (if) they were to look into it, that’s what they are going to find.”

Harpe says canola prices fell by $1 per bushel from Monday to Tuesday. Harpe says the “market has reacted very, very strongly to this.”

“It’s not good for farmers. I hear all over the place (that) yields aren’t what they’ve expected and then to be hit again with a drop in the price of our canola … it’s devastating actually.”

“Our expenses haven’t gone down. It’s not good news.”

Harpe adds it is still early times for this issue.

“But I think we have to see what China is going to do, but I do know the federal government (and) some of the organizations that represent canola are starting to work on this and just see what they can do to make this into a better situation.”

Harpe is also on the board of directors for Alberta Canola. He says the groups he is with will be encouraging the federal government to take this seriously and do whatever it can to help.

He adds it seems like agriculture is always the first sector to take a hit when trade disputes come up between countries.