DRC’s Board and Annual General Meeting was held June 7-9, 2017 in Ottawa, Ontario. DRC reported to members and the Board on key DRC priorities including DRC’s role under the Safe Food for Canadians Act, Membership, Marketing, and Trading Assistance. The Board also reviewed and approved financial statements and previous meeting minutes. The DRC Board was pleased to welcome allied associations, Members of Parliament, Embassy representatives and industry members during the various events and meetings.
The Board met with Members of Parliament to continue to discuss and facilitate the introduction of a trust or an obligation imposed by agreement or by law similar to the U.S. deemed trust provisions included under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA). DRC Board interest on establishing a trust in Canada extends beyond trade and reciprocity with the U.S. A deemed trust would help ensure monies flow down the chain and stop the “domino effect” that often occurs when insolvency strikes anywhere in the marketing chain.
Members of the DRC Board met with the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and members of his team. While it was a positive meeting, the Board members were told that progress on the trust would have to include the involvement of the Honourable Navdeep Singh Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and his team. Canadian industry is pushing for a deemed trust, a resolution to the reciprocity dispute with the U.S. and stronger payment tools and will likely be disappointed that a Canadian trust has encountered another obstacle to overcome. While this new development is surprising, it does not change the priority of the file and the work that will continue to move it forward.
The meeting also confirmed that single entity licensing is moving forward. Membership in DRC will be the requirement under the proposed Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), replacing the former option of either a DRC membership or a License under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). A DRC membership and abiding by DRC business and trading standards will be a requirement going forward.
For more information please call or email the DRC Help Desk at:
DRC Help Desk | 613-234-0982 | [email protected]
