Throne Speech: Government’s intention to meet its commitment to dairy farmers a positive step, says DFC

September 23, 2020 (OTTAWA) – Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) welcomes the renewed commitment in today’s 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. “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 our 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,” added Mr. Lampron.

The dairy sector is one of the largest agricultural sectors in Canada and is a key driver of economic activity in rural communities where it's needed most. 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. It is also an important source of employment for a whole array of professions, including veterinarians, machine dealers, truck drivers, mechanics, animal nutritionists, feed producers, and more.

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