Grain farmers and pork producers bearing the brunt of rail stoppage [Video]

Grain farmers, pork producers and fertilizer companies are among many in the food and farming sector that have been caught in the unprecedented shut down of two major railways.

Late Thursday, the federal government took measures to order the disputes to binding arbitration and quickly get the railways back to work. The lockouts happened in the early hours of Thursday morning.

However, some damage has already been done: Railways had slowed deliveries in anticipation of the work stoppage, leading to backlogs. The disruption also exposed how dependent Canada’s agriculture giants are on the two railway companies, opened the industry to reputational damage overseas and begged the question about why – given these stakes – the federal government didn’t step in sooner.

According to Cereals Canada, more than 85 per cent of grain moves by rail in Canada, from grain elevators to ports and markets across the country and North America.

The rail …