“We share, as a sector, all the same attributes as the rest of the farming sectors from genetics to raising animals in pens and dealing with animal welfare issues and animal health issues,” said Tim Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.

WHY IT MATTERS: The aquaculture industry says demand is there for Canadian seafood but without sufficient support, its seeing more imported product moving into grocery stores.

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and seven provincial aquaculture organizations wrote a letter to the federal, provincial and territorial governments. They called on them to use Canada’s Next Policy Framework for Agriculture to help their sector grow — and to class the industry under Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC).

“Our lead department has been the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is a habitat protection and fisheries management department. They deal with the wild capture sector,” Kennedy said.

Aquaculture is the farming of fish and seafood.

Aquaculture as agriculture for growth

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans isn’t growth oriented. AAFC is, Kennedy said.

“We have flat lined in Canadian production for aquaculture for 20 years, and we have the largest coastline in the world.”

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance has been asking to be classed under AAFC for the past ten years. The aquaculture industry could then be classed as agricultural and reap some of the same benefits as agricultural industries. For example, aquaculture farmers would have access to the AgriInnovate program.

The aquaculture sector would also like a collaborative insurance program for shellfish farmers and freshwater producers.

Aquaculture is a $5 billion sector in terms of economic activity — the equivalent of 1.4 per cent of farm gate sales in Canada.

“In terms of a relative comparison to the rest of the ag sector, that’s small,” said Kennedy. “One thing people should know is we’ve only been around as a commercial sector for 45 years. We’re young. Salmon production started 50 years ago.”

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance has about 65 members. Members include people who raise fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, Artic char, mussels and oysters.

Aquaculture farmers also grow a small amount of seaweed, which is largely used for animal feed.

Atlantic salmon farming biggest growth area

Atlantic salmon make up 80 per cent of the aquaculture sector. They’re farmed in British Columbia, New Brunswick, and the other Atlantic provinces. There is some rainbow trout production in Ontario and on the Prairies.

“Atlantic salmon is the most popular seafood product in North America and increasingly in Europe and around the world,” Kennedy said. “It’s like the rest of the farming sector, when you have an animal, a breed that is particularly good for production, like Holsteins or Herefords. Atlantic salmon are good to raise as farmed animals.”

Atlantic salmon are easy to raise in pens, unlike Pacific salmon, which are much harder to farm.

The demand for seafood is there, especially for salmon.

“I think because of the lack of overall support for the aquaculture sector, we’ve seen some declines,” Kennedy said.

There have also been some government-mandated shutdowns in British Columbia.

In 2024, the federal government announced it would ban open net-pen salmon farming by June 2029 and would require farms to transition to closed containment or other aquaculture systems.

“What we’re seeing is more product coming from other countries, especially Chile, into Canadian grocery stores. Canadians can’t buy the Canadian salmon they want to buy. This has been a real problem,” Kennedy said.

A deeper partnership between Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and aquaculture would produce a lot more salmon in Canada, for Canadians.

“I’d say globally as well. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the world. There is an increasing demand for high quality animal protein. We’re low carbon footprint. We’re a very efficient product,” he said. “For instance, in the salmon sector, we’re basically about one kilogram of feed is producing 1 kilogram of fish.”

Benefits for the rest of the farming sector

In the letter, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and the seven provincial groups highlighted value-added opportunities for the rest of the farm sector. When the sector first started, a lot of the fish was fed entirely marine based products. Now the Canadian sector only uses about 20 per cent marine based ingredients. About 80 per cent of the ingredients are from land-based farms.

The aquaculture sector is using oils, grains and ingredients like chicken offal, that would otherwise be put in waste products.

“If we can increase production, we’re going to increase the value add in Canada for other farmers,” said Kennedy.

The Next Policy Framework will be completed by 2028. Earlier this year, the federal government it was starting consultations across the country.

The next federal, provincial, territorial meeting will be held in Halifax in July. Kennedy said the areas of focus and decisions of what sectors are included under the Department of Agriculture and Agri-food could be announced by then.

“We’re still a couple of years away, but now is the time for all of the considerations and planning,” he said. “This is a very important time for us.”

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“Projects like this are essential as we work together to lower greenhouse gas emissions and build a stronger, more resilient agriculture sector for Canadians,” said Heath MacDonald, federal minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in a news release.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced April 7 that Anodyne Chemistries Inc. will receive up to$1,236,310 through Ottawa’s AgriScience Program – Projects Component under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

Anodyne describes itself as a Canadian chemical startup on its website. It plans to use the funds to develop a bio-electric process to convert carbon dioxide and water into hydrogen peroxide and formic acid.

Hydrogen peroxide disinfects and sanitizes equipment, while formic acid’s uses include as a preservative for animal feed.

The processes to make these products would reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as the ag sector’s reliance on petrochemical feedstocks.

“We’re proud to work alongside AAFC to build the foundation for a domestic, decarbonized agrichemical supply chain in Canada,” said Anodyne chief executive Iain Evans.

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In a March 9 letter to Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald, the group called for an “immediate pause on closures and employee terminations for a minimum of 24 months” so the government can re-evaluate decisions and protect “irreplaceable components of the research system, or offer enhancements to Canada’s agriculture landscape that may have been overlooked.”

WHY IT MATTERS: The planned closure of seven federal research centres and farms across Canada has been widely panned by agriculture groups, which say Canada could be less innovative and competative as a result.

The letter also calls for full transparency on the decision-making process and disclosure of any impact analysis done.

The group includes groups like the National Farmers Union (NFU), Canadian Organic Growers, Alberta Federation of Agriculture and Canadian Seed Growers Association.

The groups say the research cuts, which included over 600 staff and seven research stations, were made without consultation with farm groups or proper cost-benefit analysis.

It also criticized the suggestion universities and the private sector could make up for research cut by the government.

Universities “are cash-strapped, and grant funding is short term, precarious, and often tied to commercial partners,” the groups wrote. “They do not have access to the secure, dedicated land base or provide the stability required for long-term studies and multi-site plant breeding trials or agronomic studies.”

Private sector research, it added, is “shaped by commercial priorities and cannot address the range of research topics needed by farmers or for Canada’s long-term food and agriculture sector’s success.”

It also said research at the shuttered stations are vital to combating complex issues like climate change and disease.

“It is increasingly clear to us that the decision to eliminate this critical public research infrastructure was made without considering its true value to farmers, the Canadian public and the future of our food and agriculture system,” the groups said.

In hearings before the House of Commons agriculture committee, federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said it’s too expensive to keep all research facilities open. Operational costs had been allowed to get “out of hand,” he said in a February hearing, and the sites had substantial maintenance backlogs.

The cuts to AAFC research and staffing have also drawn criticism from opposition MPs.

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AAFC projected total planted area for 2026/27 at 31.70 million hectares, slipping 103,000 from the previous year. Total harvested area was little changed at 30.71 million hectares.

Related: USDA sees more soybean acres, less corn

“Seeding decisions are expected to be shaped by crop rotation needs, prevailing moisture conditions, anticipated price levels and input costs and availability,” AAFC wrote. “Under current market conditions and based on historical patterns, total seeded area for Canadian field crops is projected to broadly stable year-over-year.”

The agency also forecast yields to return to normal levels in 2026/27 from the unexpected increases in 2025/26. With overall production to decrease, ending stocks have been projected to decline significantly in 2026/27, despite slower exports.

Wheat

• All wheat area was projected to remain relatively steady at 10.94 million hectares. Of that total, durum area is to be 2.46 million hectares versus 2.64 million in 2025/26. Wheat (no durum) is to expand to 8.48 million hectares from nearly 8.30 million in 2025/26.
• AAFC kept all wheat production for the coming crop year at 34.98 million tonnes.
• Wheat ending stocks were kept at 5.700 million tonnes for 2026/27, with those for 2025/26 slipping to 7.35 million.

Canola

• Planted canola area for 2026/27 stayed at January’s 8.92 million hectares, up from 8.75 million the previous year.
• However, yields are to drop to 2.17 tonnes per hectare from 2.51 in 2025/26. That’s to lower production by almost 12 per cent at 19.20 million tonnes.
• AAFC kept its call for 2025/26 canola exports to 8.20 million tonnes and those for 2026/27 remained at 7.50 million.
• Canola ending stocks were nudged up by 10,000 tonnes each for 2025/26 at 2.76 million tonnes and 2026/27 at 1.66 million tonnes.

Barley/Oats

• AAFC kept its estimate on planted barley area for this spring at 2.64 million hectares, up from 2.48 million last year. Ending stocks are to drop from 1.60 million tonnes in 2025/26 to 900,000 in 2026/27.
• The agency also maintained planted oat area for 2026/27 at 1.24 million hectares, slightly higher from the year before. Based on a more average yield of 3.43 t/ha. production is to drop to 3.55 million tonnes from last year’s 3.92 million.

Soybeans/Corn

• There were no changes in AAFC’s corn data for 2026/27, and it was much the same for soybeans. The agency raised 2026/27 soybean ending stocks to 743,000 tonnes from 650,000 last month.

Peas/Lentils

• AAFC kept most of its January pulse numbers in its February report.
• Pea production stayed at 2.85 million tonnes for 2026/27, as did lentils at 2.25 million tonnes. In 2025/26 peas came in at 3.93 million tonnes with lentils at 3.36 million.
• Ending stocks were bumped up from January, with dry peas now at 845,000 tonnes and lentils at 1.57 million.

1 hectare = 2.47 acres

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“It’s our work around the country to remind people that this is a fundamental pillar of the Canadian economy, whether at the farm gate all the way through to agri-food,” he said.

Blois is a former agriculture minister who serves as a Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

He spoke during the third annual Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) fireside chat on Feb. 9, hosted by Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame member Kim McConnell.

One of the main problems, Blois said, is that “the industry does not just fit under one portfolio anymore. It is over a multitude.”

“If you’re in the agri-food business, you’re as worried about what (Employment and Social Development Canada) is going to do and (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) is going to do for your labor complement,” he said. “If you’re at the farm gate, you’re keeping an eye on (Environment and Climate Change Canada) and how they’re going to handle biofuel policy and used cooking oil.”

Agriculture and food part of the vision

Blois said agriculture and food are a part of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s vision for Canada, even if agriculture is not in his background.

“Let’s not pretend he’s in the granular,” he said. “He doesn’t know AgriStability, like broad level, but he’s a quick study.”

“Food is being talked a lot about in the House of Commons. Not your intricate policy questions the way you might like it … but there is a lot of conversation on affordability and food.”

The federal government recently announced a strategy on food affordability and security. Blois pointed to this as a sign of a new commitment to food, specifically the pledge to finance greenhouses.

“That could be a massive policy for Southwestern Ontario. 4,000 acres of greenhouses, if that’s how it’s defined, that’s a huge policy win.”

“But the most important (measure) was the National Food Security Strategy,” he added. “$500 million under the Strategic Response Fund, $150 million to the regional development agencies. That’s $650 million of federal government funding that is intended to support food outcomes in this country.”

The Carney government also recently cut jobs across Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and made plans to shutter some research centres across Canada as part of broad cost-cutting.

Blois urged agri-food stakeholders to take advantage this “window of opportunity.”

“Get your foot in the door,” he said. “Say ‘we’re here not only on what we can do to reduce costs, to maybe stabilize food costs, but how we can use this as a rural agenda to drive the country forward?’”

The lead-up to CUSMA

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review this summer is top of mind for the agriculture sector.

Blois said a rational approach will be crucial in the lead-up to the negotiations.

“We have to be prepared and level-headed. Agriculture stakeholder groups can’t light their hair on fire the moment some tweet goes up, or some Truth Social, or whatever it is.”

He said many Americans may share Canadian goals and mentioned recent developments from the U.S. like the House Democrats pushing to remove the tariffs on Canada. U.S. producer groups have also recently expressed support for the agreement.

Blois later told reporters Carney has “been in regular contact” with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the renewal, scheduled for July of this year.

“There are obviously irritants that the United States has raised. We will work through those,” he said.

“I think it’s important that we continue to have this dialogue with congressional leaders alongside the administration, that this is a partnership that has benefited the United States and Canada both in a very significant way.”

The role of parliamentarians like him, Blois said, is to “reinforce across the spectrum the importance of the relationship.”

Getting involved in a new era for trade

One of the next important steps for Canadian agriculture will be finding new markets in an uncertain trade landscape. Business leaders can play a role in this.

“This is not a Liberal talking point,” Blois said. “This is, I think, unified across most of the political spectrum that we need to just not rest on our laurels. We benefited as a country having that relationship. But boy, it’s a big world out there.”

He mentioned Canada’s work in the Indo-Pacific, specifically the Indonesian market as signs of a new national trade focus.

Blois said exporters and commodity groups could begin taking advantages of the government’s new trade focus.

“One of the best values of the Government of Canada is our trade commissioners,” he said. “We have good civil servants all across as part of our diplomatic corps who are there to serve the needs of industry, whether that’s agriculture or otherwise.”

He encouraged those international businesses to consider following Carney’s upcoming trade trips to countries like India and Mexico.

“The Prime Minister … visited 44 different countries last year. I think it’s the right thing to be doing in this environment. Follow him.”

“Connect with individuals, follow where the Prime Minister’s going. If you do business there, leverage that goodwill. The trips have largely been positive,” Blois said.

The future of global trade

In an increasingly uncertain and volatile global market, Blois said Canada will have a part to play as a stable jurisdiction.

“Global trade is no longer a given,” he said. “Global trade is going to be country by country.”

Something he said Canadians should keep in mind is that Canada often sees itself differently than other countries see it.

Blois said colleagues who spend time with Canadian and global CEOs have noticed a difference in perspective.

“You go talk to the Canadian CEO, ‘ah geez, you know, we’re not doing so well.’ Talk to the global CEO, ‘My God, Canada’s a panacea.’”

“I’m not suggesting that we’re perfect,” Blois added. “We have challenges. We have work. This government is focused on delivering it. But I think if you were to take an objective view of what’s going on in the world, Canada has political stability, the difference between our two major parties, although I would suggest there’s some key ones, it’s not a gulf. And we have institutions that provide stability.”

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A total of $75 million over five years will be available under the AgriMarketing program’s market diversification streams, federal Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald announced in a news release on Feb. 10. The aim is to support Canadian agriculture and agri-food, including fish and seafood, to diversify markets in the face of current instability.

The programs will support all sectors but will focus on those most affected by trade barriers, such as canola, pulses, pork and seafood, the news release said.

The funds are divided between a stream for national industry organizations and one for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is separate from a $130 million AgriMarketing program announced under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The $75 million was previously announced on Sept. 5 and was included in the 2025 budget.

Applications open on Feb. 13.

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The only changes AAFC made were with all wheat and durum exports plus domestic use for all wheat and corn in the estimates released on Nov. 24. The report had been initially scheduled for Nov. 19, but AAFC said they chose to delay it until after the United States Department of Agriculture issued its November supply and demand estimates following the U.S. government shutdown.

A few exports up, some domestic use down

AAFC added 300,000 tonnes to its call on 2025/26 all wheat exports, now at 27.70 million tonnes. The department also tacked on 100,000 tonnes to 2025/26 durum exports of 5.20 million tonnes.

As for domestic use, AAFC sliced 200,000 tonnes each from its estimate on all wheat, pegged at 8.04 million tonnes, and for corn at 14.68 million.

Statistics Canada is scheduled to release its production report on Dec. 4, with the next AAFC estimates based on those numbers.

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However, news out of India could turn into a bearish influence in the months to come.

Production of 2025/26 Canadian dry peas remained at 3.56 million tonnes, with exports staying at 2.20 million and domestic use holding at 672,000. That also meant AAFC kept ending stocks at 1.20 million tonnes.

Lentils as well were unchanged, with production at 2.97 million tonnes, exports of 2.10 million, domestic use at 351,000 and the carryover at nearly 1.15 million.

The dry bean harvest was kept at 352,000 tonnes, exports at 380,000, domestic use at 62,000 for a carryout of 20,000.

AAFC held chickpea output at 331,000 tonnes with exports of 200,000, domestic use of 88,000 and ending stocks of 145,000 tonnes.

Reports indicated there are rumblings over India’s tariff-free period on its pulse imports. Indian Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan said there should be a 50 per cent levy on such imports, but other cabinet ministers disagreed. The debate has centered on surcharges offering domestic price support versus no tariffs keeping down food inflation.

A few months ago, the Indian government extended its current tariff-free period for pulse imports to March 2026.

Prairie Ag Hotwire reported lentil prices were unchanged as of Oct. 17, with the cheapest being Crimson number threes at 13 cents per pound delivered to Laird ones and twos at 28 cents.

Chickpeas were also steady, ranging from B-90 numbers one at 15 cents/lb. delivered to 32 cents for 10-millimetre Kabulis.

Dry beans were in the same boat, with black beans at the low end of 26 cents/lb. delivered to dark kidney beans at the high end of 54.5 cents.

Also, peas held firm with greens at C$8 to C$10.25 per bushel delivered at yellows at C$6.25 to C$7.30.

The three Prairie provinces reported their pulse harvests have wrapped up, although there still might be small amounts of chickpeas in Alberta and dry beans in Manitoba to combine.

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These revisions to Canada’s two main pulse crops came ahead of the Statistics Canada crop production report scheduled for Aug. 28. Both federal agencies use satellite imagery and models to reach their forecasts.

AAFC added 300,000 tonnes to its August projection on Canada’s dry peas, bringing it to 3.50 million tonnes. Compared to last year, the country’s farmers are expected to reap an additional 503,000 tonnes of dry peas than in 2024/25. That’s based on area harvested increasing by 109,000 hectares and yields improving to 2.52 tonnes per hectare from last year’s 2.34.

Dry pea exports were nudged up by 100,000 tonnes to now 2.10 million, but that’s a little short of 2.20 million in 2024/25. Meanwhile, domestic usage for 2025/26 remains at July’s call of 670,000 tonnes, which would be 58,000 tonnes for than last year.

That led AAFC to raise its call on ending stocks, which dry peas now at 1.275 million tonnes versus 975,000 last month. Either way, that’s much larger than the 2024/25 carryover of 525,000 tonnes.

Lentils, Canada’s number two pulse crop, saw more muted changes from AAFC. Production for this year was raised by 150,000 tonnes at 2.60 million, with harvested area to expand 57,000 hectares at 1.75 million and yields to nudge up to 1.49 t/ha from 1.44.

AAFC held the lentil export program at 2.10 million tonnes, 200,000 more than in 2024/25. Domestic use remained at 300,000 tonnes, trimmed back from 316,000 a year ago.

Ending stocks were increased to 780,000 tonnes from 530,000 AAFC estimated in July. The latest figure is significantly higher than 505,000 tonnes held over for 2024/25.

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AAFC has now pegged canola output at 20.10 million tonnes, up 12.9 per cent from its July forecast. Also, the oilseed’s carryout was doubled from last month to now 2.20 million tonnes.

“Hot and dry weather during July was replaced by widespread rains during August, which helped restore soil moisture across the southern half of the canola growing region,” AAFC said in its report.

The department based its calculations on satellite imaging with model-based estimates.

As for exports, AAFC noted the recently 75.8 per cent tariff China imposed on Canadian canola seed, which led to increase in the ending stocks.

“The announcement is bearish for Canadian canola prices; however, the impact is expected to be somewhat muted by an expansion in domestic crush capacity and by the substitutability of export markets,” AAFC said.

Also in the August report, AAFC increased 2025/26 production data for all wheat, durum, barley and flax. While oat output was unchanged, production of corn and soybeans were trimmed.

August estimates for Canadian major crops supply and demand: in million tonnes. Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

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