The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) held their annual joint-advocacy event, Fall Harvest 2025, from November 24 to 26. This event, held every November, brings together produce industry leaders, Parliamentarians and government officials to discuss critical issues impacting the produce supply chain and Canadians’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

This year’s edition kicked off on Monday, November 24, with a panel moderated by David Coletto of Abacus Data, featuring Members of Parliament Dave Epp, Yves Perron, Gord Johns, and Kody Blois (CPMA 2023 Produce Champion), who discussed fresh produce policy priorities on Parliament Hill. Following the panel, David Coletto provided an overview of Canada’s current political landscape, and Steve Verheul, Principal, GT & Company Executive Advisors, and Canada's former chief negotiator of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), addressed industry members on Canada in the evolving trade environment. 

Fall Harvest 2025 included meetings with Parliamentarians and government officials focused on addressing three challenges impacting the produce supply chain: 

Trade and investment to fuel the Canadian produce supply chain: As part of a highly integrated North American produce supply chain, the Canadian fruit and vegetable sector is impacted by the ongoing volatility caused by tariff threats. Industry representatives emphasized the importance of making agriculture and food production a national priority by advocating for a North American free trade agreement, accelerating market diversification, and making strategic investments in trade, transportation, and food-system infrastructure. 

Building a workforce that works from farm to plate: The produce industry relies on workers who come to Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). CPMA and FVGC representatives called on the Government to ease the administrative burden of these programs by preserving the SAWP as a distinct labour stream and streamlining government processes for compliant TFWP employers. 

Reducing red tape for a competitive Canadian produce supply chain: To enhance the competitiveness of Canada’s fresh produce industry in the global marketplace, the industry urged the government to reduce red tape through measures such as addressing audit burden across programs, creating an enabling regulatory environment for new products, and eliminating duplicative reporting requirements under the Federal Plastics Registry.

“Canada’s fresh produce industry is one of the most competitive sectors globally and a significant driver of Canada’s economy,” said Steve Bamford, CPMA chair. “According to the Conference Board of Canada, the industry contributed $18.6 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2024 and supported more than 187,400 jobs across the country. As we face growing challenges across the supply chain, collaboration with the Government is essential to implement policies that advance and strengthen our industry.” 

FVGC president Marcus Janzen stated, “Canadians’ access to food remains vulnerable in the face of ongoing tariff threats, labour shortages and regulatory measures that are trade barriers. Our meetings with Parliamentarians and government officials this week gave us an opportunity to address these key issues and highlight concrete actions that the government can take to view policy through a food lens and prioritize food security across the country.”

Source: Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada November 27, 2025 news release