Bill C-280, the Financial Protection for Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Farmers Act, was introduced by Member of Parliament Scot Davidson in the House of Commons back in June. This important piece of legislation would establish a critical financial protection mechanism for fresh produce sellers in Canada in the case of buyer bankruptcy, which would also open the door for the United States to reinstate preferential access for Canadian sellers to protection under the U.S. Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
This Bill which would amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to establish a deemed trust for fresh produce sellers, ensuring that they have priority access to an insolvent buyer’s assets related to the sale of fresh produce, will be up for debate in the House of Commons this fall. FVGC and CPMA have been busy preparing advocacy documents for all fresh produce industry members so that they are equipped to reach out to their Members of Parliament and urge them to support this important legislation. Visit the dedicated site: protectproducesales.ca to see how you can help!
