The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) is hosting a “See for Yourself” program in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Aug. 16-18. The program will include a tour of the Port of Halifax and its related facilities. These visits are an important way to educate growers about the potential for a variety of markets and the opportunities, challenges, and other issues – positive and negative – related to exporting to those markets.

The trip includes participants from the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC), which is sponsoring the program, and members of the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB), the sponsor of Friday’s lunch. All three organizations are interested in studying agriculture shipping out of the North Atlantic, including out of Halifax, as well as through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway. With the Seaway currently used at about 50% of its capacity, expanded infrastructure at Great Lakes ports such as Duluth-Superior, Milwaukee, and others, make this an ideal time to explore how soybeans can move through that waterway.

During the program, participants are scheduled to visit and tour: The PIER (a center for port innovation, planning, and strategy), Halifax Grain Elevator, PSA Halifax Atlantic Hub, CN Halifax Intermodal Terminal, and Fairview Cove Container Terminal and hear updates from representatives of SSGA, MSR&PC, WSMB, the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, Atlantic Grains Council (Canada), Hapag-Lloyd (Canada), The PIER and the U.S. Consulate General in Halifax.

With competitive access to the Midwest by train and a port featuring container lines with low dwell times and truck wait times, Halifax is a key point of transfer for shipments from the northern plains to European markets. By participating in this event, attendees will learn more about how Halifax can play a key role in increasing soybean shipments to international markets, including the United Kingdom and the European Union.