As the national railway system has been overwhelmed by a record grain harvest (25% larger than the previous record) and increased oil and gas shipments from Alberta, feed mills in the Fraser Valley are scrambling to secure railcars of feed grain to local farms. According to the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, the problem has been exacerbated by the fact that the export-grain market is more lucrative than feed grain, which has led firms to prioritize export grain at the expense of feed grain.
“The feed millers have had extreme difficulties getting railcars (of feed grain) into the Fraser Valley lately,” said Bob Dornan, secretary manager of the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC), B.C. division. “We’re at the end of the pipeline for grain delivery, and the cars just aren’t coming.”
In a Dec. 20 letter to several B.C. farm groups, the ANAC outlined its efforts to urge CP and CN Rail to ensure feed-grain shipments to the Fraser Valley, warning of "potential feed supply curtailments."
"We believe railcar allocation priority is an urgent and critical issue threatening our industry," according to the letter.
According to the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture website, there are about 1.7 million commercial-laying birds in the Fraser Valley, as well as 79 million broiler chickens. The majority of them depend on grain mixes that are milled locally from grain that originates in the Prairies.
Fraser Valley farmers could face grain shortages in the coming days, impacting the welfare of millions of local chickens, cows and pigs.
And feed mills aren’t the only companies begging Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Rail for increased grain shipments. According to the Port Metro Vancouver harbor, 17 bulk carriers were waiting for export grain last Thursday (Jan. 9) and grain exporters and terminals are paying millions in penalties for making the ships wait.