This month, we met with one of our agricultural producer groups to discuss the issues shaping their operations, workforce needs, regulatory environment, and long-term competitiveness. These conversations continue to strengthen our advocacy priorities and ensure the voice of agriculture remains front and center in provincial and national policy discussions.

Below is a summary of what we heard, why it matters, and key resources available to support ag-based businesses.

What We Heard

Producers highlighted ongoing challenges with the driver shortage and the need for flexible, practical pathways for new Class 1 drivers. Feedback focused on the newly implemented Class 1 Learning Pathway, including the need for interpreters and language supports during training and exams, as well as gaps in the Experience and Equivalency program for agriculture-specific skills. We also know that insurance requirements that do not fully consider family farm experience or past driving history and there is an added burden of the Safety Fitness Certificate for farms operating within small geographic areas, which we will be including in updates to our policy on Addressing the Truck Driver Shortage Through a Redesign of Class 1 Driver Training

Our Chamber also took the opportunity to highlight the Class 1 Learning Pathway that replaced MELT in April 2025:https://www.alberta.ca/class-1-learning-pathway and the funding that's available through the Employment Pathway Grant.

We also discussed Traceability Regulations and the CFIA Pause. This hit our radar soon into the new year. On January 10, 2026, the CFIA released a statement indicating the agency will pause any publication of the regulations until the proposed changes are more widely understood and producer concerns are heard and taken into consideration. The final version of these regulations has not been published. The draft regulations were pre-published in Part I of the Canada Gazette in 2023, followed by a 90-day public comment period. In 2024, the CFIA published a What We Heard report. 

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) launched an online traceability feedback survey to ensure that producers have an opportunity to share their feedback. The survey is based on the proposed regulations as they were anticipated prior to the pause. Read more and participate in the survey. We are awaiting updated recommendations from Alberta Beef Producers and the Canadian Cattle Association to ensure our advocacy aligns with industry positions.

In relation to our conversations on Business Risk Management programs, producers reinforced the need to strengthen existing programs rather than create new ones. The Chamber has an existing policy on improving risk management programs and we'll be updating our recommendations to include consideration for a 10 year median average option, more timely delivery of crop insurance numbers before planting, integrated but distinct crop and cow-calf tools under one system.

There continues to be strong support for expanding agriculture literacy in schools, grounded in science-based evidence and embedded across multiple subject areas, which we are incorporating in to our policy on Highlighting the Importance of Ag Education.

We also took the opportunity to highlight our agriculture news, our agriculture policies, the benefits of Chamber Plan farm and ranch health & dental program, strategies for insurance, interprovincial trade, as well as HR resources  to name a few. 

Why It Matters

Agriculture remains one of Southeast Alberta’s largest economic drivers. When producers flag barriers - whether regulatory, workforce, insurance, or infrastructure-related - these issues ripple across the entire regional economy.
Input from our farms, ranches, and agricultural service providers directly shapes our policy positions and strengthens the advocacy we carry forward to the different levels of Government.

Feedback results in updated policy recommendations and stronger advocacy as we move these recommended solutions forward.