EXPORT SALES DATA NEEDED
BY KYLE LARKIN
Canada’s grain sector runs on global demand. Farmers seed, harvest, store and market their crops into a world shaped by forces beyond the farm. Markets move quickly, buyers adjust accordingly and price signals shift with little warning. Despite this, Canada continues to operate without one of the essential tool of timely export sales reporting.
A study commissioned by SaskCrops and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan highlights this costly gap and how modernizing the Canada Grain Act is can close it.
Canadian farmers face a sizable information gap compared to their counterparts in the United States and European Union. Both jurisdictions have access to real-time information on grain sales, major purchases, transportation flows and market direction. Those systems provide early insight into demand strength, allowing farmers to know when buyers are active, how basis levels may evolve and which commodities are drawing interest.
In contrast, Canada relies primarily on historical export data from Statistics Canada and the Canadian Grain Commission. These figures don’t reflect what is being sold today. Once the numbers arrive, the market has usually already changed.
The Supply Chain Impact of Export Sales Data Transparency study highlights this gap clearly: Canadian farmers lack access to current, actionable sales data. This limits their ability to interpret demand, time sales, understand basis movements or plan rotations effectively. This lack of transparency also reinforces information asymmetry within the supply chain. Large exporters and multinational firms naturally have greater access to market intelligence than do farmers.
Export sales reporting represents a transformative shift for Canada’s grain sector. It would involve timely reporting of large export sales, regular updates on total weekly sales by commodity and destination and greater visibility into port loadings and pipeline costs such as rail, elevation and handling.
When aggregated and anonymized, the information would protect commercial confidentiality while finally giving Canadian farmers access to the same foundational market signals that guide decision-making in the U.S. and EU.
The study’s economic modelling indicates improved export transparency could generate between $22.7 million and $56.6 million additional annual revenue for farmers. These benefits stem largely from better basis timing, where understanding the real strength of global demand allows farmers to market their grain at advantageous times.
The report stresses these estimates are conservative. They do not include the broader gains farmers would achieve through better cropping decisions, improved storage strategies or the enhanced efficiency of the handling and transportation network. Because processors, exporters and railways would also benefit from clearer demand forecasts and smoother operational planning, the value derived would exceed what farmers capture directly.
Grain markets are shifting in real time, demanding faster decisions, clearer signals and more transparent data than the current system provides. Global trade is being reshaped by geopolitical disruptions, volatile demand and rapid diversification among buyers. Without timely, transparent export reporting, Canada risks falling behind competitors.
Modernization of the Canada Grain Act creates an opportunity to embed these measures in legislation. While existing authorities may already permit enhanced reporting, modernizing the Act would establish clear, permanent requirements and align Canada with other major exporters. A defined, consistent framework would ensure the system does not depend on voluntary practices or variable participation.
At Grain Growers of Canada, we have consistently advocated for a modern regulatory environment that reflects today’s grain economy. This study reinforces the need for government action. Closing the information gap in Canada is one of the most immediate, high-impact steps available to strengthen the sector, modernize policy and ensure Canadian agriculture competes on equal footing with the rest of the world.
Kyle Larkin stepped down as the executive director of GGC at the end of 2025.
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