By Alice McFarlane

Fertilizer industry wants action to resolve the Port of Montreal strike

Apr 23, 2021 | 4:54 PM

The Canadian fertilizer industry wants the Prime Minister to intervene and implement back-to-work legislation to end the Port of Montreal strike.

Fertilizer Canada said it is important to keep fertilizer moving.

President and CEO Karen Proud said hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fertilizer enter Canada through the Port of Montreal. She said these products are destined for farms and if the strike happens, up to one million acres in Eastern Canada may go unfertilized just next week.

“As Canada continues to fight COVID-19, our citizens need a food supply that they can count on,” Proud said in a media release. “Any strike will mean that essential fertilizer products cannot reach farmers. This strike threatens food security at a critical juncture.”

Proud said product cannot be simply rerouted as nearby ports do not have the necessary capacity to deal with the sudden influx, nor is the railroad infrastructure equipped to move that amount of goods.

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She said there are no alternatives to fertilizing crops for farmers. If they do not have fertilizer product, the yields for this year and the next will be significantly reduced.

She went on to say inaction by the government during the union’s strike in August 2020 resulted in an economic loss of $600 million.

Proud added once this issue is resolved, the government must implement a long-term action plan to prevent future labour disputes in services that are essential to Canada’s food chain.

Fertilizer Canada represents the manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and sulphur fertilizers.

The fertilizer industry adds $23 billion annually to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product and supports over 76,000 jobs.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW