Dairy farmers angry over new USMCA deal

Dairy Farmers of Canada says its a bad day for their sector and the over 220,000 Canadian families who depend on the industry for their livelihood.

The organization says with the new trade agreement, the US will have access to about 3.6% of the Canadian dairy market.

Doug Cranston has a dairy farm of 100 cows in Mount Hope, with the new agreement he says the whole industry will have to cut back production.

“Its going to hurt, there’s 225,000 that work in the dairy industry in Canada. They will be affected. Our feed suppliers that send us our supplements they already know they gotta make it less.”

The Dairy Farmers of Canada Association estimates that 3.6% of the Canadian market will now be open to American products. It was topic President Donald Trump was very proud to announce today.

“The agreement will give our farmers and ranchers far greater access to sell American grown produce in Mexico and in Canada. The deal includes far more opportunities for our farmers to export wheat, poultry, eggs and dairy including milk, butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream to name a few.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canadian dairy producers will get the money they lose in market shares back.

Cranston is not optimistic that farmers will see that money.

“We’ve lost a chunk of our quota that we’ve bought over the years, and we are still paying money on that quota even though they have taken it away or will take it away. Its government. I guess we will wait and see”

Now more than ever Canadian dairy farmers are urging consumers to buy Canadian. There are easily identifiable symbols on dairy products that mean its made with 100% Canadian milk.