Cost of competition

Because Canadian growers adhere to strict food quality standards and labour laws, as well as environmental policies like carbon pricing, their costs of production are often higher than in other countries. Due to these advantageous production costs, other countries are often able to enter our market at lower prices, forcing Canadian growers to absorb the costs on increasingly lower margins for their produce. While our sector promotes competition and free trade, we value the opportunity to provide fresh, safe produce to Canadians without having to depend on imports.

CHC's position

• The Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) urges the government to consider rising costs of production that Canadian fruit and vegetable growers must absorb themselves. Because of unfair competition from other countries, producers cannot offset these increased costs to consumers.

Current advocacy activities

• CHC continues to represent the interests of fruit and vegetable growers and to look for ways to help growers manage increasing costs due to new regulations and policies.

Previous advocacy activities

• In July 2017, CHC identified the high relative costs for Canadian growers, in such areas as labour and the environment, in its submissions to government on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the potential China Free Trade Agreement.
• In January 2017, CHC met with key advisors to the Minister of the Environment to discuss carbon pricing policy and unfair competition from growers in other countries.