Keith Currie was elected to another term as president and will be joined on the executive by Jill Verwey of Manitoba as first vice president replacing Todd Lewis of Saskatchewan who was recently appointed to the Senate. Stephanie Levasseur of Quebec is the new second vice-president.

Currie told the delegates there is strength in the agriculture family that will be needed as the country enters an interesting political landscape. “We will have to navigate difficult times so that farmers can come out on top and keep our families and the world fed. We should be proud of what we do and how we do it.

“There's no doubt that Canada and the world are entering a period of great change. It's never been more important to look at the foundational elements that will springboard our sector into a productive future for Canadian agriculture.”

One priority for CFA is to keep lobbying for changes to make the Advance Payments Act more helpful for farmers, Currie said. “It is important for farmers to be able to keep their operations viable.”

At the meeting, the delegates passed 18 resolutions that will drive much of CFA’s advocacy efforts in the coming year. The resolutions cover a wide range of issues including international trade, conservation, climate change, labour, rural infrastructure, crop protection and risk management.

The new board will have to decide how to deal with two resolutions that created a lot of discussion. One called on the CFA to lobby the government to pay more attention to scientific evidence submitted by agricultural organizations while the other one said that changes to supply management should not be accepted in the renegotiation of the CUSMA trade deal in 2026.

Samuel Miller, assistant deputy finance minister, told the meeting that the government was very concerned about the economic consequences of the 25 per cent U.S. tariffs. “We are focused on doing what we can to prevent the tariffs. Everybody will feel the impact.

“We are having robust discussions on the serious consequences to consumers and business. It is important to find a new balance in our relationship with the U.S. Canada is ready to react and will respond to put extra pressure on the U.S. to try to minimize the impact on the Canadian economy. There will be domestic support measures to help Canadians.”

Former CFA President Ron Bonnett asked what engagements have been conducted with other countries in terms of achieving a unified approach to the U.S. actions. Miller could not provide details but said an approach was being utilized along with other kinds of outreach. The government also needs to take advantage of the support for domestic products.

This news item prepared for National Newswatch