January 2005

Growth and Diversity
For more than 45 years, Farm Credit Canada (FCC) has helped the agricultural industry grow, diversify and prosper. FCC began in 1959 with a single lending product at a single interest rate. Today, the corporation has a $10-billion lending portfolio and a wide range of customized loan products and business tools to meet the needs of farmers and agribusiness operators. As a self-sustaining federal Crown corporation, FCC raises its own money through the sale of bonds. All profits are reinvested to support the growth of agriculture and develop new products and services to meet evolving industry needs. FCC, operating from100 offices located primarily in rural Canada, serves more than 45,000 customers. The corporation and its 1,100 employees are committed to helping agriculture and rural Canada succeed. FCC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Contact: Media Relations, (613) 759-7972

Efficient, Competitive Agriculture
Farm-product marketing between Canadian provinces and territories and international marketplaces is not left to chance. The National Farm Products Council promotes efficient, competitive Canadian agriculture. The four national marketing agencies for Canadian chicken, turkey, eggs, and broiler-hatching eggs are supervised by the Council. These agencies implement and administer marketing plans, allocate production quotas, and generate revenues through levies. Another organization supervised by the Council is the beef cattle promotion and research agency which promotes beef marketing through advertising, promotion and consumer education programs, and product and nutrition research. This agency implements promotion and research plan and generates revenues through levies, called "national check-offs." Any future, national marketing agency or promotion and research agency established under the Farm Products Agencies Act will be supervised by the Council. The Council reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Contact: Media Relations, (613) 759-7972

Canada's International Edge
The consistent quality of Canadian grain is no accident. The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) ensures excellence and innovation in grain quality and quantity assurance, research, and producer protection. Grain moving from producers' fields to markets is carefully graded by CGC-approved criteria. There are grading guidelines elevator operators must follow from the primary elevators just off the farm to terminal and transfer elevators from which grain is bound for domestic and foreign markets. At the end of the line, the Certificate Final issued for each export shipment is accepted internationally as Canada's quality assurance. From barley to beans, if it's grown in Canada it's good, and the CGC helped. The CGC reports to Parliament through the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Contact: Media Relations, (613) 759-7972