SaskBarley is a member of Cereals Canada, a national, not-for-profit organization that supports the Canadian cereal grains value chain—including farmers, exporters, processors, and global customers—through advocacy, technical expertise, and market development. Headquartered in Winnipeg, it operates six specialized labs and provides training, research, and support to promote Canadian wheat, barley, and oats. The organization works to ensure market access, uphold quality standards, and foster sustainability. With initiatives like the Canadian Wheat Nutrition Initiative and the Habitat-Friendly Winter Wheat Ecolabel, it also boosts domestic demand. Looking ahead, Cereals Canada plans to launch the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange (Gate), a cutting-edge facility to advance innovation and maintain Canada’s leadership in global grain markets.
Cereals Canada supports barley growers by protecting key markets, monitoring MRLs, and advocating on trade policy and market access. Despite market uncertainties, Canadian cereals maintained broad market access with no new trade barriers beyond existing tariff issues. This outcome is a direct result of the proactive efforts of the Cereals Canada team.
Market Access: The United States
Throughout the spring in 2025, Cereals Canada engaged with Canadian government officials on the imposed U.S. tariffs. Cereals Canada will continue to stay in regular communication with the federal government and stakeholders to actively support efforts to ensure that Canada remains a reliable supplier of wheat, barley, and oats to the U.S.
The U.S. is Canada’s fifth largest market for non-durum wheat, fourth largest market for durum wheat, second largest market for barley, and largest market for oats.
As a Canadian agri-food leader, Cereals Canada traveled to Washington, DC as part of a delegation to highlight the vital role that Canada-U.S. trade plays in supporting farm incomes, creating processing jobs, and keeping food affordable across North America.
PMRA Advocacy
Cereals Canada advocates for the entire cereals sector, including barley, when responding to consultations, proposals and initiatives relating to pesticide regulation through Health Canada and the Pest Management Regulatory agency (PMRA). One example was the successful delay in publication of the Regulations Amending the Pest Control Products Fees and Charges Regulations (Annual Charge) in Canada Gazette, Part I.
Monthly Monitoring Activities of MRLs Impacting Barley
Cereals Canada conducts monthly monitoring activities on changing MRLs in target markets for wheat, barley, and oats. In 2024, Cereals Canada monitored over 900 pesticides and single commodity MRLs. Timely investigation and communication of MRL changes support a proactive approach to help safeguard Canada’s reputation for high-quality, safe grain exports.
Cereals Canada was notified on March 21, 2025, that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) will be delaying the publication of the proposed amendments to the Pest Control Products Fees and Charges (the fees proposal) in Canada Gazette, Part II, to consider feedback on this proposal and engage in additional discussions. This pause is strongly supported by stakeholders and industry, including Canada Grains Council and CropLife Canada, who have been valuable partners on this file.
In December 2024, the PMRA published their latest fees proposal, in the Canada Gazette, Part I, which would increase the annual charge paid by registrants to register pest control products. Cereals Canada provided a response to this consultation in early 2025, to ultimately formally request its withdrawal. While understanding the need to review and update Canada’s fee structure, the magnitude of the proposed fee increase and the overall framework of the proposal could negatively impact access to critical pest control innovation, increase costs for growers, and ultimately harm the sector’s productivity, profitability, and competitiveness.
The proposed fee increases projected a significant revenue increase for the government, lacking transparency regarding how the additional funds will be used to enhance PMRA’s core functions, particularly post-market activities and pesticide re-evaluations. The increased fees could discourage the registration of essential pest management tools, hindering innovation and placing additional financial burdens on Canadian agricultural producers. The request also emphasized that the PMRA fee structure should consider the smaller size of the Canadian pesticide market compared to the U.S., and that simple comparisons between the two markets are disparate.
Cereals Canada was also signatory on a letter submitted by the Field Crops Roundtable to Ministers Holland and MacAulay, regarding concerns with PMRA’s initiatives. The letter requested a pause on activities related to continuous improvement (formerly the Transformation Agenda) and specifically mentioned the Regulations amending the Pest Control Products Fee and Charges, in alignment with pausing this decision and publication.
Sustainability
Cereals Canada released four sustainability reports last year, including one on barley which compares Canadian production systems to Australia and France. Canadian barley growers manage nutrient applications to maximize food production and minimize losses, efficiently utilize water resources to grow their crops, and adopt conservation management practices that minimize soil erosion and protect soil health. Barley is a stress tolerant crop that has substantial potential to address sustainability challenges.
Keep it Clean provides growers and crop advisers with resources for growing market-ready crops. This includes providing timely updates on potential market risks and resources for on-farm practices to ensure crops meet the standards of domestic and export customers.
In partnership with SaskBarley, Cereals Canada offers Combine to Customer, a three-day, hands-on program that connects farmers to global customers of Canadian cereals. Attendees gain a better understanding of what happens when the grain leaves their farms, insight into what global customers are looking for when purchasing Canadian cereals, and awareness of where there may be new opportunities for their product.
Visit www.combinetocustomer.ca to learn more and submit your information to be nominated to attend an upcoming session.
