Grande Prairie, Alberta (Rural Roots Canada) – Canola growers saw strong yields in 2025, but the year was overshadowed by the trade uncertainty and the financial impact of Chinese tariffs, according to Andre Harpe, Chair of the Canadian Canola Growers Association.
“2025, it was a really interesting year,” he says. “We started in the spring, really wondering how good the crop was going to be. There was very little moisture across Alberta and other regions, with variable conditions. And you know what? It turned out to be, as we are discovering, almost a record-breaking year, especially for canola.”
That was the good news.
“The bad news is that everything we’ve been doing has been under the threat of tariffs from China. And the year just continued to get worse, especially in August, with China putting tariffs on our oilseed or on the seed production. So, it’s been a good year for growing. Not a good year for trying to sell our product.”
Hapre says the tariffs have had a direct impact on farm profitability. “As far as I can tell right now, we’ve lost about a dollar a bushel,” he says. “That top dollar is usually where our profit is. So, at the end of the day, we’ve lost our profit.”
Rising input costs are adding even more pressure. “We’re actually seeing lots of farmers just not selling right now, because if you look at your cost of production, we faced increases in fertilizer or the cost of fertilizer, cost of other products, our machinery has gone through the roof,” says Harpe. “We need that dollar to keep on going.”
Despite the trade pressures, Harpe said canola acreage is expected to remain stable. “We are not seeing a decrease in canola acres for next year, which I find really interesting,” he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in canola, but there’s also a lot of uncertainty across other crops right now. Peas, especially, are facing tariffs from India and other places. As much as canola has taken a hit, it’s still perhaps better than some of the other crops. That’s why we’re likely looking at roughly the same amount being seeded next year.”
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When China’s tariffs took hold, the canola industry looked at ways to diversify export markets. Efforts are underway, but it takes time. “New partners require relationship building, so it does take time,” he says. “But I think we are starting to see some more movement.”
Harpe says efforts to diversify export markets are underway, but progress takes time. “New partners require relationship building, so it does take time,” he said. “But I think we are starting to see some more movement.”
He adds talks between the canola industry and the federal government have been ongoing and constructive, with industry stakeholders, including Harpe, having met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in September, resulting in the establishment of a working group to help tackle the issues the canola industry is facing. The group is focused on trade expansion and longer-term solutions.
Looking ahead to 2026, Harpe says restoring trade with China remains a top priority. “I think it would be great in 2026 to see China come back and start buying Canadian canola,” he says. “They have been a valued partner, and I’d like for them to continue to be a valued partner.”
That said, early March will be a critical time for Canada’s canola industry and its relationship with China. “The tariffs in China are temporary, at the moment,” he explains. “But, on March 9, they either have to withdraw their complaint or make the tariffs permanent.”
“If they become permanent, they are very hard to pull back, so that’s our drop-dead date.”
Hapre remains optimistic, however, as the situation is political rather than product-related. “We have a very good product that we sell,” he says. “Let us have free trade. Let us sell our product based on the quality.”
“But, we shouldn’t be held hostage or be used as a pawn in trade wars,” he adds. “If we’re going to be used as a pawn in trade wars, we need to be compensated for that. This is all about politics. And if it’s political, we need a political solution.”
