Dairy Farmers of Canada pleased with Throne Speech commitments for farmers
by CM Staff
By 2024, 18% of domestic dairy production will be outsourced to foreign dairy farmers
PHOTO: Jenny Hill/Unsplash
OTTAWA — Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) welcomed the renewed commitment from the Speech from the Throne on compensation for dairy farmers for the import access concessions made under the last three trade agreements.
“The Speech from the Throne sent a message to dairy farmers that the government’s commitment to compensate them for the losses they incurred from Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and more recently the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is still part of its deliverables,” said Pierre Lampron, president, Dairy Farmers of Canada, in a prepared statement. “When every year, you lose $450 million in domestic production being transferred to foreign dairy farmers, words aren’t enough – only when we see details will we know if a promise made is a promise kept.”
By 2024, 18% of domestic dairy production will be outsourced to foreign dairy farmers, who will supply the milk for imported dairy products that will find their way onto Canadian supermarket shelves.
“By supporting its dairy farming families, the federal government would send a clear signal that they have heard Canadians when it comes to the issue of food security and sovereignty,” said Mr. Lampron.
The dairy sector is one of the largest agricultural sectors in Canada. It supports more than 221,000 full time equivalent jobs, contributes $19.9 billion per year to Canada’s GDP and generates $3.8 billion per year in tax revenues.
