The LineUp
The LineUp content hub features the latest releases and articles as they are distributed by Newsline, and it serves as a central location for the agriculture sector and media professionals to stay informed and up to date.
Budget 2025 Provides Clarity for Canadian Grain Farmers but Raises Concerns for Competitiveness
Nov. 4, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) responded to targeted wins for grain farmers in Budget 2025, including the permanent reversal of the capital gains tax increase, but cautioned that other measures could undermine farm competitiveness. “Budget 2025 acknowledged the impact that the capital gains tax increase would have had on family-run grain farms across Canada by permanently reversing it,” began Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “This will ensure that family farms can continue their succession planning with certainty and that the next generation of farmers does not pay millions of dollars more in taxes.” The budget also allocated significant sums towards trade diversification, including in response to the challenges that growers are currently facing due to Chinese tariffs on canola and peas. This includes the creation of a Strategic Exports Office and funds for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to modernize trade tools and secure market access. “I’m seeing first-hand how trade uncertainty is impacting grain farmers across the country,” said Scott Hepworth, Chair of Grain Growers of Canada and a grain farmer from Saskatchewan. “With challenges in the U.S. and tariffs in China, producers are under real pressure. The new investments in digital export …
Swine Innovation Porc Announces New Chair
Oct. 14, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) is pleased to announce that Mark Ferguson was elected as Chair of the organization on September 25, 2025. “I am honoured to be elected as Chair of SIP,” said Ferguson. “I look forward to working with our members and partners towards our shared vision of ensuring long-term profitable pork production through collaborative research and innovation.” Ferguson brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. As General Manager of SaskPork, based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he has been instrumental in advancing numerous industry growth initiatives. He grew up on a family farm near Edgeley, Saskatchewan, and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Prairie Swine Centre. “The value SIP provides by bringing producer groups and industry partners together across Canada for coordinated research is key to our sector’s success.” added Ferguson. “By advancing science-based solutions SIP is helping the Canadian pork sector build on its strengths.” Ferguson joins René Roy (Vice-Chair) and Jorge Correa (Treasurer) on the SIP Board of Director’s Executive team. He succeeds outgoing Chair Arno Schober, who led the Board since 2021. “We are pleased to welcome Mark as Chair as we continue …
CBRC commits $1.8 million to CDC barley breeding activities
Sept. 24, 2025 (Saskatoon, SK) – The Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC) announced today it will provide $1.8 million in funding over three years to the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), to extend the core breeding agreement and support the development of varieties with improved agronomics, disease resistance and end-use quality. The CBRC is a collaboration between the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission (SaskBarley), Alberta Grains and Manitoba Crop Alliance. “The keys to past success within the CDC barley breeding program have been the skilled staff, our in-house malt and molecular marker labs and the ability to evaluate large numbers of breeding lines. This CBRC funding will support these pillars moving forward,” says Curtis Pozniak, Director of the Crop Development Centre. “This renewed investment ensures Western Canadian farmers can expect new barley varieties from a world-class program, keeping barley competitive with improved yield and agronomic benefits,” says CBRC Chair Cody Glenn (who also Chairs SaskBarley). “The CDC is uniquely positioned to deliver effective results for Western Canadian agriculture. This funding extension will allow the program to continue delivering improved varieties and capitalize on new opportunities.” Leaders from CBRC’s member organizations echoed this sentiment, highlighting the practical benefits for farmers. …
Major projects list incomplete without the Port of Vancouver, says GGC
Sept. 11, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) warns that the federal government’s major projects list remains incomplete without the inclusion of urgent upgrades required at the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port and the country’s most critical trade chokepoint. Connecting the Canadian economy to the fast-growing Indo-Pacific region, the Port of Vancouver is essential to Canada’s economic growth and prosperity. More than 50% of the grain grown in Canada is exported through the port, accounting for $35 million in daily exports of grain and grain products. Yet the infrastructure that underpins this trade, such as the Second Narrows Rail Bridge and New Westminster Rail Bridge, built in 1969 and 1904 respectively, are chokepoints at capacity with no redundancy if they fail. GGC is calling on the Government of Canada and the Major Projects Office to designate the Port of Vancouver and its connecting rail infrastructure as a project of national significance to secure trade, protect economic growth, and maintain Canada’s reputation as a reliable supplier of essential products to the world. Unless critical trade-enabling infrastructure is prioritized, GGC says, Canada’s nation-building agenda will remain incomplete and fall short of its economic potential. -30- About Grain Growers …
Learn the latest on gene editing in pigs with Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam
Swine Innovation Porc hosting webinar with leading expert in animal genomics and biotechnology Aug. 28, 2025 (Ottawa, Ont.) – Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) is pleased to announce that their latest webinar, a “Global Overview of Gene Editing in Pigs” with Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, will be taking place on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET. “Advances in gene editing are at the forefront of the conversation when it comes to modern agriculture,” explained SIP General Manager, Daniel Ramage. “Through this webinar, Dr. Van Eenennaam will highlight global research breakthroughs and explore how the regulatory landscape is shaping this important technology for our producers.” Van Eenennaam is a Distinguished Professor of Cooperative Extension in the field of animal genomics and biotechnology in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, where she has been a member of the faculty for over 20 years. Her research and outreach program focuses on the use of animal genomics and biotechnology in livestock production systems. “I am excited to be able share insights into the world of gene editing and the impact that it has on modern agriculture,” added Dr. Van Eenennaam. “Through my presentation, producers will be able to …
GGC Summer Tour to Bring Farmer Voices to the Forefront of Federal Policy
OTTAWA, August 11, 2025 – As policy pressures mount across the grain sector, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is touring the Prairies to hear directly from producers and bring their concerns directly to Members of Parliament and back to Ottawa. From August 11 to 14, GGC Executive Director Kyle Larkin will be visiting grain farms across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, joined by local Members of Parliament. The GGC Summer Tour will spotlight the real-world impact of federal decisions on grain farming including trade uncertainty, the capital gains tax increase and decreasing research funding. Larkin will be available for media interviews to highlight challenges facing grain producers and the policy changes needed to support their immediate and long-term success. Who: Kyle Larkin, Executive Director, Grain Growers of Canada; Members of Parliament; Grain Growers of Canada members What: Grain Growers of Canada Summer Tour – Crop tours and meetings with MPs When and Where: Why: With harvest approaching and policy and trade uncertainty continuing to disrupt the grain sector, GGC is working to bring the realities of grain farms directly to Ottawa. Ahead of the fall parliamentary session, the Summer Tour will connect GGC with producers and local MPs to ensure federal …
Grain Growers of Canada Announces New Executive
July 31, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is pleased to announce its newly elected executive, representing a strong and united voice for grain farmers across the country. Scott Hepworth, a grain farmer from Assiniboia, Saskatchewan and Director with the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, has been elected Chair of GGC. With deep roots in prairie agriculture and a strong background in policy advocacy, Hepworth brings steady leadership and a clear vision to the role during a critical time for the sector. Joining him on the executive are Sally Parsonage, a grain farmer from Baldur, Manitoba and Vice Chair of Manitoba Crop Alliance, as 1st Vice Chair, and Daryl Fransoo, a grain farmer from Glaslyn, Saskatchewan and the Chair of the Wheat Growers Association, as 2nd Vice Chair. Together, they bring strong governance experience and a clear understanding of the policy environment shaping Canadian grain production. “We are proud to welcome our new executive, whose leadership brings valuable experience and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing grain farmers,” said Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “With Scott, Sally, and Daryl’s leadership in these roles, GGC is well positioned to advance short-term and long-term policy solutions that …
Parliament Leaves Grain Farmers Behind by Passing Bill C-202
June 18, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) – Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is disappointed in Parliament’s decision to pass Bill C-202 without the thorough review and scrutiny required by parliamentarians, without consideration of its impact on international trade, and without regard for Canada’s export-oriented grain sector. The legislation, which amends the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act to prohibit the inclusion of supply-managed goods in future trade negotiations, poses serious risks to the livelihoods of Canada’s 70,000 grain farmers, who export more than 70% of what they grow. “Despite the government’s stated commitment to growing Canada’s economy and expanding international trade, the first bill passed by the 45th Parliament restricts our trade negotiators’ ability to secure the best possible deals for Canadians,” said Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “This legislation received unanimous consent from Members of Parliament without consulting with the Canadians it impacts the most, forcing the Senate to fast-track a flawed bill.” Grain farmers, who rely on predictable, rules-based trade, export wheat, barley, canola, pulses, and other commodities to more than 160 countries, generating over $45 billion in export value each year. Bill C-202 now stands to undermine Canada’s ability to pursue and safeguard new and …
