A new plan is needed for supply management, focusing on farm and processing competitiveness and providing proper coverage across Canada
Dairy farmers can no longer say that supply management allows them to produce milk for Canadians without any subsidies. That all changed last week. But dairy farmers shouldn’t just be compensated, they also deserve a continuing strategy. And right now, there isn’t one. The federal Liberal government basically took the same approach the former Conservative…
From supply management to food strategy to rural Internet to food processing to export targets, the government got it all wrong
Most people expected an electoral budget from the federal government this week and that’s exactly what Canadians got. But for the agri-food sector, the budget was underwhelming at best and provided little hope for the near future. Let’s start with supply management. The Liberal government opted to do exactly what the previous Conservative government did…
After years of celebrating our agricultural know-how, the guide has gone urban – and is more than a little patronizing
Say goodbye to the four food groups. Almost 12 years after the launch of the previous version, the new Canada’s Food Guide celebrates food by displaying a plate filled with greens, fruits, plant proteins and grains. And if you look very carefully, you’ll see a cup of yogurt alongside a piece of beef that looks…
The economic damage of supply management to Canadian families is significant. But we failed to get rid of it in recent trade talks
The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a mixed bag for Canadians. The bright side is that it’s certainly better than having no trade agreement, and is more desirable than the massive uncertainty that comes with not knowing whether an agreement will be reached. On the down side, trade between Canada and the United States…
The U.S. president has helped Canadian consumers by forcing Canada to concede a portion of its dairy market
By Patrick Luciani and Owen Lippert Atlantic Institute for Market Studies If U.S. President Donald Trump is looking for friends, he won't find them in Canada, especially after dressing down Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for being “very dishonest” at the G7 meeting in Quebec earlier this year. That insult won't be soon forgotten. But unintentionally,…
A clear vision and strategy for dairy’s future is imperative, with a forward-looking focus on domestic and foreign markets
The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), or NAFTA 2.0, could be the watershed moment Canadian dairy farmers have been waiting for. The federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has committed to compensating the dairy sector for either lost sales, higher per-unit costs or the loss in value of quotas. The government has been clear on…
The new North American trade agreement has forced Canadians to look honestly at our dairy industry
Nobody should be surprised – concessions on dairy access during the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations were foreseeable. Americans went from wanting to tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement last year to getting significant concessions from Canada in the USMCA, which replaces NAFTA. It’s a deal we needed, of course. But how will our…
The federal government has not explicitly stated that supply management is non-negotiable
By Steven Globerman and Gary Hufbauer The Fraser Institute As North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks continue, much remains undecided. The United States and Mexico have already reached an agreement in principle on a new free-trade arrangement. But in light of Trump’s complaints about Canadian dairy tariffs, the highest hurdle for Canada will be…
We need a smart, realistic strategy for negotiations, starting with giving up our dairy supply management system
The importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement to Canada’s economy is staggering. Each day, $2.4 billion worth of goods and services cross the Canada/U.S. border. Some 78 per cent of Canada’s merchandise exports are destined for NAFTA partners. Now, the 23-year-old agreement is under severe threat from a hyper-protectionist American president. Initially, NAFTA…
The opening of the dairy market was done systematically over eight years to allow time for farmers to transition
By Jon Berry, Alan Oxley and Dan LeRoy The Fraser Institute As trade tensions between Canada and the United States over North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations continue, and U.S. President Donald Trump places Canada’s protection of various sectors of its agricultural industry front and centre, Canadian policy-makers would be well advised to learn lessons…
Dairy farmers can no longer say that supply management allows them to produce milk for Canadians without any subsidies. That all changed last week. But dairy farmers shouldn’t just be compensated, they also deserve a continuing strategy. And right now, there isn’t one. The federal Liberal government basically took the same approach the former Conservative…
