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Jeff Nielsen, President, Grain Growers of Canada CELEBRATING CANADIAN GRAIN WEEK IN OTTAWA GRAIN GROWERS This spring, I was pleased to join GGC members in O awa as we hosted the inaugural Na onal Grain Week. Focused on federal advocacy, we spent a busy three days engaging with decision makers on many levels and from many departments talking about the policy issues that ma er to today's grain farmers. Our theme for Grain Week was "Innova ng to $75 Billion in Agri- food Exports" and we made sure to incorporate that idea into all messaging. The current federal government has placed a strong focus on innova on, and we all know that agriculture fits perfectly into the innova on sphere. The announcement earlier this year that the Protein Industries Supercluster would receive funding is great news for the pulse industry, and the fact that the proposal was selected among non-ag applica ons is a clear indica on of the real growth poten al of agriculture as a whole. I am sure I speak for all of my colleagues when I say that I le O awa exhausted. Divided into three teams, we held 37 government mee ngs with MPs, Senators, and staff from the Prime Minister's Office, the Office of the Leader of the Opposi on, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Transport Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), Employment and Social Development Canada, and Finance Canada. As a result, we were able to have substan ve discussions on a wide variety of topics all around the future prosperity of grain farming in Canada. From the perspec ve of pulses, we had the opportunity to discuss the India tariff and fumiga on issues with elected officials as well as the Market Access Secretariat (MAS) at AAFC. These discussions were enlightening and it was encouraging to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work that is being done to resolve our trade barriers. We have strong allies in government who understand how crucial it is to keep markets open. While no one can promise a speedy resolu on, it was par cularly interes ng to hear how the MAS ranks trade issues and just how many hundreds are being monitored or addressed at any one me. The quick passage of an amended Bill C-49, the Transporta on Moderniza on Act, was a top priority as well, and GGC has long advocated for the inclusion of soybeans in the Maximum Revenue En tlement. We urged the government to ensure that the bill that has since been passed is in place by August 1. On the more social side, GGC hosted a well-a ended Parliamentary recep on on Tuesday night. We welcomed about 100 guests including MPs, staff and industry. Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay delivered well-received remarks, and I am always pleased to see how well the Minister engages with his cri cs from the Conserva ve Party and the NDP. The success of agriculture is a non-par san issue and we will need all par es to work together to achieve our poten al. On the horizon, GGC is focused on seeing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ra fied in Parliament as soon as possible. We have stressed that it is crucial that Canada is part of the first wave of signatories and I think the government is ge ng the message. I hope that my next update to you will celebrate ra fica on. I wish all of you the best for a safe and produc ve Plant 2018 and thank you for your hard work to ensure a strong Canadian grain industry. Jeff Nielsen, President, Grain Growers of Canada 2 8

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