Vancouver is the host site for this month's federal/provincial/territorial agriculture ministers meeting, taking place the week of July 15.

Keystone Agricultural Producers President Dan Mazier recently met with Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler to prepare for the meeting. Mazier will be in Vancouver together with members from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to meet with the ministers.

He called for one western voice on trade and market access, stressing that western agriculture leaders need to collectively push the federal government to access new markets for grains and livestock through new trade agreements.

During the meeting Mazier pointed to the success western governments and farm groups achieved on The Transportation Modernization Act when they all worked together.

He said this same type of collaboration must be used to attain robust reviews of AgriInvest and AgriStability, and create Business Risk Management programs that are suitable for western farmers.