AMC Connection
Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada
Leah will present the unique role of agriculture equipment manufacturers in Canada and provide input into the Committee’s study of the manufacturing sector. The committee’s key study areas include: reviewing the causes and consequence of manufacturing job losses, reviewing ways to improve Canada’s manufacturing sector and analyzing the state of industrial innovation across Canada.
Over the coming weeks, Leah will reach out to members seeking input into the AMC presentation – your engagement is vital as we continue to focus the government on the important contributions and innovation of agriculture equipment manufacturers across Canada.
Leah Olson, president of the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada, expresses optimism about the group's lobbying push.The Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada visited the Hill last week to speak with parliamentarians about their agenda and the importance of innovation and international trade in the agri-manufacturing industry.
"The response from the government was exceptional," Leah Olson, president of AMC, said in an interview with The Lobby Monitor.
"This was an eye opening experience for a couple of political representatives...when people think about agriculture they don’t always think about agri-equipment manufacturers...Everybody that we met with was very engaged, they knew a bit about our industry and were excited about what we talked about in terms of how we help feed the world," she said.
AMC represents more than 400 manufacturers and associated suppliers across Canada, according to its website.
Its advocacy agenda hones in on agricultural innovation and international trade opportunities.
On its website, AMC describes its key function as lobbying on behalf of the agricultural manufacturing industry and "providing strong and effective advocacy for [their] membership against controversial legislation in a number areas to [their] industry, both provincially and federally."
The organization has been around for more than 40 years, but this is their first major foray into federal government relations.
AMC is registered to lobby under Jacqueline LaRocque from Compass Rose Group and among other issues, is set to lobby on agriculture, international trade, science and technology and small businesses, according its registration on the federal lobbyists’ registry. The registration has been active since Dec. 14.
Olson, who has only been president of AMC for a little over a year, comes to the table with significant experience, previously working as a chief of staff and senior policy advisor with the government of Saskatchewan, according to her LinkedIn page.
Olson mentioned that the group’s focus on fitting in with the government’s innovation agenda is "alive and well." She added that the membership looks at innovation and how it is developed with agri-equipment manufacturers in order to help serve farmers across Canada.
She noted that with the use of digital technology and electronics, it is possible to plant crops and seeds in ways that were never possible before.
"Seeders...or planters as they’re often called in Ontario...can drop the seed at the same consistent depth each and every time," she said, "and so we’re not missing out on planting opportunities [and] we’re reducing the amount of spillover of potential fertilizers."
Olson added that Canada is fortunate to have some of the best agri-equipment and manufacturers in the industry, which has helped bring in international groups to Canada and foster trade activities.
"Growing conditions in Canada are harsh. Whether it’s the lack of rain or too much rain, our terrain is not always easy for farmers," she said.
"As a result some of the best farm equipment is produced in Canada. Because if you can have the equipment make it in a Canadian setting, it can make it pretty much anywhere," Olson said.
From that perspective, she explained that manufacturers and farmers from other countries come to Canada, particularly conventions and conferences, to see how the technology is used.
"They know that we have a leading edge there. So they will offer to do ventures with us, partnerships, and so in this area, we’re pretty unique and fortunate," Olson said.
In 2015, Canada exported $1.8 billion worth of agriculture equipment and implements, this was a decrease of $203 million from the previous year, according to AMC’s website.
And those numbers could change, especially if the Trans-Pacific Partnership, to which Canada is a signatory, gets ratified.
With 65 per cent, or roughly $33.2 billion, of current agri-exports destined for TPP nations already, the elimination or reduction of tariffs and further supply chain integration should serve as impetus to spur additional demand from trading partners, the Financial Post reported Tuesday.
The Lobby Monitor reported that according to registry statistics, agriculture groups representing supply-managed industries, automotive manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies were among the most active lobbying International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland, all of which had stake in the most headline-grabbing provisions of the TPP.
And as far as presenting the group’s members and its agenda to various MPs, Olson said "that was the assurance I got at these meetings...we can facilitate and pull together some of our membership to be at the table to explain to them how innovation is at work in their facilities...and so moving forward we’ll be engaged more than we have been in the past."
- with files from Alyssa O’Dell
Call for Photos
Would you like to see your company’s photos featured in on AMC's new website or in a future article? In an effort to enhance our communications, AMC is asking for your help in providing images that are a reflection of our membership and industry that can be used in future issues of AMC's monthly electronic newsletter, Implement Success magazine, and on the AMC website. If you wish to submit a photo please email your high resolution image with a short description to April Jackman, at april@a-m-c.ca.
SAVE THE DATE: 2016 Annual AMC Convention will take place November 30 – December 2 at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, AB.
Energy and Fertilizer Sectors Set to Bounce Back in 2017
SASKATOON, SK--(Marketwired - May 04, 2016) - Saskatchewan's export situation will improve dramatically from this year to next, according to Export Development Canada's (EDC) semi-annual Global Export Forecast. Continued challenges in the energy and fertilizer sectors will cause the province's overall exports to shrink by three per cent this year, but growth returns in force in 2017 to the tune of eight per cent, thanks to partial recovery in the energy sector and a strong performance by the agri-food sector.
Once again, Saskatchewan is Canada's leading province when it comes to agri-food exports. EDC forecasts that the sector, which accounts for nearly half of the province's exports, will grow by three per cent this year, and six per cent in 2017.
"Saskatchewan's oil seeds and pulses exports will remain very strong over the next two years due to a lower Canadian dollar, higher prices, and continued demand from emerging markets," said Peter Hall, EDC's Chief Economist.
"China and India both have a rapidly-growing middle class with consumers that are hungry for the world-class quality of Saskatchewan's agri-food products. We're starting to see the impact of that demand now, but in our view this is only the tip of the iceberg."
Energy sector exports are expected to grow by 19 per cent in 2017, rebounding from a 17 per cent drop-off this year. Accounting for almost one-quarter of the province's exports, the energy sector is having a significant negative impact on the province's overall export forecast in 2016. An about-face in the sector next year will likewise help to drive overall exports back to healthy growth levels.
Similar trends will be seen in the province's fertilizer sector, which accounts for roughly three-quarters of Canada's international fertilizer shipments. Saskatchewan's potash exports will feel the impact of declining prices and global over-supply, declining five per cent this year, but managing three per cent growth in 2017.
"There was no avoiding what happened with energy last year and the further impact that decline is having this year, but better times are on the horizon for Saskatchewan exports," said Hall. "We think that now is the time for Saskatchewan exporters to plan for and capitalize on global opportunities. Growth is coming, it's a matter of being well-positioned when it arrives."
Mr. Hall is discussing Saskatchewan's export prospects -- and those of the rest of Canada -- with local business people today at the Radisson Hotel in Saskatoon. The event is being held in partnership with the Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP).
Over the next month, Hall will travel across Canada for EDC's Let's Talk Exports tour, which offers insights on the current global economy and explores how economic trends will impact Canadian exporters.
Visit EDC's Global Export Forecast: Spring 2016 to learn more.
About EDC
EDC is Canada's trade finance agency, providing financing and insurance solutions locally and around the world to help Canadian companies of any size respond to international business opportunities. As a profitable Crown corporation that operates on commercial principles, EDC works together with private- and public-sector financial institutions to create greater capacity for Canadian companies to engage in trade and investment.
Some of its services include the Export Guarantee Program to help exporters access more financing, direct financing in support of contracts and direct investment abroad, Foreign Exchange Facility Guarantees to help exporters manage foreign exchange risk, and Political Risk Insurance that can cover up to 90 per cent of losses from political risks in foreign markets.
EDC's economics team includes some of Canada's leading trade experts, who share their knowledge freely with Canadian companies looking to grow their international sales and help them manage the associated market risks. Its semi-annual Global Economic Forecast addresses the latest global export conditions, including providing perspectives on leading economic trends and export strategies to help Canadian companies of all sizes maximize their export growth. The forecast also analyzes a range of risks for which exporters should be prepared.
For more information about how EDC can help your company, visit www.edc.ca.
Contact Information
Spokesperson
Simon Forsyth
Export Development Canada
(613) 598-3852
siforsyth@edc.ca
Innovations will be featured at Ag in Motion with the support of the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada.
Friday May 6, 2016 - With less than three months left until the 2nd annual Ag in Motion opens, the Ag in Motion team is pleased to announce a new focus on agricultural innovations as part of exhibitors’ overall experience when attending the show this July – the brand new Ag in Motion Innovations Program.
This new Ag in Motion Innovations Program will showcase new concepts in agriculture production as well as new products or services being launched to the market at the show. The Ag in Motion Innovations Program will give exhibiting companies and organizations the chance to enter in one of three categories: Innovations in crop technology, innovations in equipment technology or innovations in agribusiness services.
From July 19th to 21st, farmers will be able to learn about each of the innovations in a central hub located in the Innovations Program tent with ongoing displays as well as live presentations. These farmer and expert scores will be used to determine award winners for the Innovations Program to be announced at the Agricultural Manufacturers of Canada Annual Convention on November 30th.
Did We Mention It’s Free?
Registration is now open until July 6thand is completely free for any Ag in Motion exhibitor to participate. Registration includes on-site displays, listings in the Official Show Guide, mentions in the special end-of-year edition of the Western Producer and exclusive advertising specials to complement the articles. Innovation Program application forms and more information can be found by visiting the Ag in Motion website or contacting Show Director Rob O’Connor at roconnor@aginmotion.ca and 306-550-4890.
Canada’s Farm Progress Show is the premiere international agribusiness marketplace featuring the latest in farm equipment, technology, products, services and practices in dryland farming. But are you taking advantage of the Export Opportunities at the Show? We have an International Business Centre that is second to none. Here we partner with federal and provincial agencies to ensure that proactive companies such as yours have every possible opportunity to initiate or expand export trade with customers in countries throughout the world.This is a service centre with all the amenities – designed to facilitate world trade for Canadian companies. You DO NOT require a booth space at the show to have a presence with an Exporter Membership.
International Business Reception – Tuesday, June 14th - . This year’s reception on Tuesday evening features premium Canadian food products and entertainment and is lining up to be one of the finest we’ve ever thrown!Don’t miss it.
Two tickets come with your Exporter Membership.
Business 2 Business meetings – Wednesday, June 15th
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting networking activities at the Farm Show this year.
Incoming Buyer’s Program
Travel Subsidy program is available to your potential international buyers. We will pay up to $1500 per person to attend the show. Take advantage of this program and invite your clients to CFPS.
Knowledgeable Partners Help You Expand Your Export Program
Brokers, financial institutions and others are in the Centre to assist you with your specific needs.
Hospitality Services
Join us each morning for breakfast and bring your guests back at lunch for a quick bite in the quiet, air-conditioned comfort of the International Business Centre. Each Exporter Membership entitles your company to two breakfasts and luncheons per day.
We welcome your comments. Contact Lee-Anne Oltean, International Business Centre Coordinator at phone (306) 781-9263, fax (306)781-9396, or e-mail loltean@evrazplace.com for additional program information
Air China Cargo: Mainland China-Edmonton-USA Air Link
Anyone who’s spent time at Edmonton International Airport (EIA) recently has likely noticed the new airline liveries (paint jobs) lining its gates. In the last two years, some incredible new international carriers, like Icelandair and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, have started serving routes to fly passengers between Edmonton and Europe.
More recently, and in a different air service vein, Air China Cargo (ACC) began Canada’s first scheduled freighter service to mainland China – in Edmonton. The route runs three times weekly, between Shanghai, Edmonton and Dallas-Fort Worth, and to Tianjin-Beijing. This vital route connects three powerhouse countries, and in the aviation world, this is a huge deal.
For people in Western Canada, this new route introduces previously untapped markets for shipping goods. Direct access to mainland China on the Boeing 777 freighter provides Western Canadian manufacturers and producers a faster route to one of the world’s largest economies.
Edmonton International Airport now has direct air cargo delivery to and from Europe, the US and Asia and truck connections to anywhere in Western Canada within 24 hours. This will enable Albertan and northwestern Canadian businesses to reach any customer or supplier in hours instead of days or weeks. The service will bring many consumer goods like smart phones, tablets, audio/visual components, fashion merchandise and many other retail products to Edmonton from China. On the return voyage, agricultural products are high on the list of goods heading to China. The other leg of the journey, between Edmonton and Dallas-Fort Worth, is a prime route for energy sector equipment.
For more information, please visit www.flyeia.com.
Complete the EIA Cargo Survey and be Eligible for Great Prizes
To help Edmonton International Airport (EIA) understand your cargo needs, improve services and consider new route options,Please take 10 minutes and describe your air cargo shipping interests. In return for this valuable information and time, all respondents will be entered into a draw for exciting prizes.
In the past few years, EIA and its partners have built in excess of $100 million in airport infrastructure and facilities in order to develop new cargo services. Amsterdam, Shanghai and Tianjin are leading cargo airport gateways which expand Alberta's supply chains to/from Asia, EU, Africa, Middle East and South America. Combined, the new and existing air carrier options at EIA improve air cargo supply chain efficiencies around the world.
For next steps, EIA needs more input through the survey below. After completing the survey, you will be entered for your chance to win the following prizes:
·A return flight for two from Edmonton to Amsterdam with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
·A return flight for two from Edmonton to Seattle with Delta Air Lines
·20 prizes of a $100 gift certificate for HALO Bar and Bistro at Renaissance Edmonton Airport Hotel
www.flyeia.com/cargoinfosurvey
"Radials are a must," says founder Dennis Nuhn at the company’s headquarters in Sebringville, Ontario. "What’s most important to us is reliability; flotation: a big, soft footprint; and long tire life. The Alliance tire delivers all that."
The tremendous weight of the machinery—twin tanks containing 15,000 gallons of manure, hauling more than 120,000 pounds over the road on tight-turning, heavy tandem axles—puts tires to the test. (That’s more than 15,000 pounds per tire.) The bias tires Nuhn formerly used on his tanks—which were the biggest available at the time—often failed early due to extensive heat buildup, he says.
The Alliance 393 is engineered to reduce heat buildup on the road. At an inflation pressure of just 32 psi, each tire is rated for a load of nearly 20,000 pounds at 31 mph—plenty even for the 120,000-pound, fully loaded 15000 Quad Train. The steel belts underlying the 393’s tread improve puncture resistance and ensure a broad, flat footprint, dramatically reducing soil compaction—a key concern for manure applicators operating in wet, compaction-prone fields.
Over the past two decades, Nuhn has worked with his tire dealer to put Alliance’s line of flotation radials through tough real-world testing. Their feedback has helped Alliance develop several flotation tires that have become global leaders in performance, including some of the world’s fastest high-speed flotation tires, says Bruce Besancon, Vice President of Marketing for Alliance Tire Americas.
"The teamwork between Nuhn and Alliance is a great example of the collaboration that spurs innovation," Besancon says. "Our tires can help Dennis bring new machinery and higher performance to market. At the same time, when Dennis outlines where the next generation of machinery will be headed, we can develop new tires to help them take it there."
Nuhn says his relationship with his tire supplier has been fundamental to his role as an innovator.
"We were the first to have big floater tires on a spreader," he notes. "We started out years ago with 28L26s. When we first took them to shows, people laughed at us. Now flotation is the standard."
Unusual flotation tires are still stopping farmers and professional applicators in their tracks at trade shows, Nuhn says, including the Alliance 393 radials, with their distinctive square-shouldered block tread.
"People like the look of the square top," he notes.
And as more Nuhn 15000 Quad Trains roll across North America, owners will like the look of their bottom line as they get greater performance and productivity than ever from their massive manure tanks.
About ATG
The Alliance Tire Group (ATG) is a leader in the off-the-road tire industry. For more than 60 years, Alliance has built a reputation as a world leader in off the road and farm tire technologywith its Alliance, Galaxy and Primex brands. Today, ATG engineers and manufactures more than 2,000 different tires to help farmers, loggers, construction teams, miners, material handlers and other working people around the world tackle every job, in every condition, every day. From the industry's first all-steel radial flotation tires to the leading performance tires for skid steer machines, ATG has a tire for every challenge on the farm, logging site and jobsite. With an American-based field engineering, R&D and customer service staff, Alliance Tire is in the field daily with customers, constantly innovating new tires.
For more information on Alliance tires, visit www.atgtire.com, call toll free (800) 343-3276 or (781) 321-3910.
For more information contact:
Barry Clifford – bclifford@atgtire.com
(781/321-3910 x211)
Steve Werblow – steve@stevewerblow.com
(541/488-8610)
June 13: AMC's 24th Annual Golf Classic- June 13 at the Murray Golf Course in Regina, SK.
June 15 - 17: Canada's Farm Progress Show - Evraz Place, Regina, SK.
June 15 - 17: Farm Progress Forum - Presented by Farm Credit Canada. Located in the Canada Centre Building at Canada's Farm Progress Show. Click here for the schedule of speakers.
November 30 - December 2 - AMC Annual Convention at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary, AB.
Executive Board Members |
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 Chair Geof Gray Salford Group Inc. |
 1st Vice Chair Russ Klassen AGI |
 2nd Vice Chair Richelle Titemore S3 Enterprises Inc. |
 3rd Vice Chair Frank Capasso The CTD Group |
%20website.jpg) Treasurer Linda Turta Ram Industries |
 Past Chair Damir Gospic The CTD Group |
Directors |
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 Bill Baker Agtron Enterprises Inc. |
 Calvin Mazurenko AT Films Inc. |
 Cam Cornelsen Norstar Industries |
%20-%2020151201%20(3).jpg) Cor Lodder Walinga Inc. |
 Grant Adolph Buhler Industries Inc. |
 Greg Archibald Schulte Industries |
 Nigel Jones Seed Hawk Inc. |
 Associate Committee Chair Robert Ablamowicz Axalta Coating Systems |
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