OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - Recently, the Government of Canada made a key choice in favor of the fresh produce supply chain, designating a new Supply Chain Task Force to consult with the industry and make educated recommendations for short and long-term actions to overcome current supply chain challenges. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) issued a statement applauding this crucial move.
“Substantial increases in costs and delays along the supply chain threaten our food security and long-term economic viability, and will result in rising food costs for Canadians,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. “CPMA was pleased to attend today’s National Supply Chain Summit and to see the Government of Canada move forward with the creation of the Supply Chain Task Force.”
CPMA has been working with industry partners since last fall to call for the creation of a Joint Industry Government Task Force to address the significant impacts of supply chain disruptions, according to a company release.
In November, CPMA aligned with other organizations across the North American produce industry to release a joint statement outlining ongoing supply chain disruptions, including crippling port congestion, delays and exploding costs in container shipping, cascading effects of inconsistent product delivery, continuing labor shortages, growing input shortages, and stockpiling of consumer products.
In addition, CPMA’s North American Trade Working Group released a Supply Chain Solutions proposal earlier this month, which detailed several potential areas of government action to mitigate these challenges.
“The multi-faceted and interconnected challenges we face do not fall within the purview of any individual Canadian Minister or department,” added Lemaire. “It is imperative that the new Supply Chain Task Force brings together government departments and stakeholders to address ongoing supply chain disruptions in the short-term and support supply chain resiliency in the long-term. We look forward to continuing to work with the government to ensure the specific needs of the perishable fresh produce sector are taken into consideration.”
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