Update on Fall Harvest 2022
Ensure the voice of the Canadian produce sector is heard in Ottawa!
From November 14-16, 2022, CPMA and FVGC will hold the annual Fall Harvest advocacy event in Ottawa.
Fall Harvest 2022 will provide attendees with all the familiar elements of our in-person events, including issue overviews, team gatherings, meetings with key officials, an evening reception, and a featured speaker during our industry training session.
These meetings are proven to work. Recent advocacy efforts in Ottawa have created change in the following areas:
- Bill C-280, the Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act, was introduced in the House of Commons, with three of the four major political parties expressing their support for establishing a financial protection mechanism for Canadian produce sellers.
- Transport Canada announced the creation of a Supply Chain Task Force to address ongoing supply chain disruptions.
- Discussions with senior leadership at CFIA led to the establishment of a Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Industry – CFIA Technical Working Group, a new forum to address issues of impact on the industry.
- CPMA has worked with the Government of Canada to put COVID-19 protocols in place to allow foreign workers to continue to come to Canada and to provide financial support for employers during the quarantine period.
- Several of FVGC and CPMA’s recommendations have been included in reports of the House of Commons Standing Committees, including the Finance and Agriculture and Agri-food Committees, and have been reflected in federal budgets.
If you have any questions about Fall Harvest 2022, please do not hesitate to reach out to Shannon Sommerauer at CPMA (ssommerauer@cpma.ca) or Robyn McKee at FVGC (rmckee@fvgc.ca). Learn more and register for Fall Harvest 2022
[Excerpt from: CPMA Member Bulletin September 13, 2022]
Support for Bill C-280: Amending the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
In anticipation of Fall Harvest (November 14-16), The OPMA, CPMA, QPMA and other associations in the fresh produce industry reported that they would be sending a joint letter to all MPs last month in support of Bill C-280.
What is Bill C-280?
Bill C-280 is a proposed Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (deemed trust – perishable fruits and vegetables). Short title: Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act. Learn more at https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-280
Bill C-280 would establish a critical financial protection mechanism for fresh produce sellers in Canada to help secure payment in the case of a buyer bankruptcy, in the form of a deemed trust that would operate similarly to the successful PACA model in the U.S. Creating a deemed trust would not impose any additional cost to government, but would help to ensure that fresh produce sellers can continue to support local economies across the country and to provide Canadians with our safe, nutritious fruit and vegetable products.