Tester to Canadian Minister: Montana Farmers Deserve a Fair Market

Senator Jon Tester continued to protect family farmers against unfair Canadian trade practices that deny Montana wheat growers a fair price.
In a letter to newly appointed Canadian Minister of Agriculture, Tester urged Canada’s new administration to make Canada’s grain regulations more equitable for American grown wheat. Tester highlighted the fact that current policies unfairly allow Canadian grain buyers to pay Montana wheat growers significantly less than Canadian wheat growers for the same product.

“I remain concerned about Canada’s wheat grading system and its effect on agricultural trade between our nations,” Tester wrote.  “I know Montanans stand ready to work with Canada to strengthen our mutually beneficial exchange of agricultural goods, and I believe both sides stand to benefit from a direct discussion on grading and trading grain.”

Currently, Canadian law forces American wheat to be automatically downgraded to the lowest quality of designation known as “feed wheat” when exported to Canada without considering its variety or overall quality. The United States does not have similar restrictions on Canadian wheat imports which are graded by the same standards as locally grown wheat.