Prof. Bruce Moorhead recently told a meeting of the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario that Canadians can't really compete for dairy export markets.
If we insist on maintaining supply management, he's right, but not for the reasons he cited.
If there were no quota restrictions on production for dairy product exports, he's wrong.
Canada has a well-earned reputation for some high-quality dairy products, such as cheddar cheeses and butter.
And we could be seasonally producing milk at as low a cost as New Zealand - in the Peace River region of Alberta and British Columbia.
This is an area where alfalfa and clovers thrive. There is virtually no winterkill. That's why it is a huge producer and exporter of alfalfa and clover seed.
So dairy herds could be pastured on forages during the growing season and hay could be harvested to feed during the rest of the year.
The cows could be dried off when they come off of pasture, so they would require only a maintenance ration.
The milk could be processed into our famous cheddar cheeses and butter, both of which store well and can be transported long distances to export markets.
Canada could compete. We just don't want to.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Canadian Meat Council praises budget
The Canadian Meat Council is
pleased that the federal budget includes funding to improve trade and
congratulates Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay for promoting trade.
CMC President Chris White said “we are particularly
encouraged to see the federal government’s plans to commit $75 million over the
next five years to increase the number of diplomats and trade commissioners in
China and Asia.
“This increased attention to China will help clear the
uncertainty our industry was left with regards to bone-in beef and fresh
chilled beef and pork products late last year” White added.
The Council was also pleased to see $16 million over
three years added for Canada’s Food Inspection Agency to “strengthen (the) food
safety system including risk intelligence, oversight, offshore prevention
activities.”
In its news release, the council “congratulates MacAulay
for his leadership on these files in conjunction with the Minister of
International Trade, François-Philippe Champagne.”
Peek-a-boo tax vanishes
The provincial sales tax the province imposed on insurance
premiums, including crop and business-risk management premiums, has been
removed.
The tax also applied to health and life insurance premiums,
but In the face of angry citizens, the provincial Liberals have cancelled that
new tax.
European study confirms neonic risk to bees
The Belfast Tribune reports that a new assessment of
three neonicotinoid pesticides, whose use is restricted in the European Union .
. . has confirmed the danger” to bees.
Neonicitinoids have been widely used in Canada as a
seed treatment to prevent crop damage by insects. Ontario has implemented
controls that require farmers to prove their crops face an assault by insects.
The assessment by the European Food Safety Authority
looked at their impact on wild solitary bees and bumblebees as well as
honeybees.
Jose Tarazona, head of EFSA’s pesticides unit, said “there
is variability in the conclusions, due to factors such as the bee species, the
intended use of the pesticide and the route of exposure.
“Some low risks have been identified, but overall the
risk to the three types of bees we have assessed is confirmed.”
It’s not clear what his low-risk assessment means for
North American farmers.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Hog farmers to visit Japan
Erik Schwindt and Doug Ahrens of
Ontario are joining 12 hog producers from other parts of Canada on
a trade mission to try to sell more pork to Japan.
The aim is to take full advantage of greater market
access included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal due to be signed in Chile
on March 8.
“During this trade advocacy mission, delegates will be
able to understand the new opportunities being created by the signature of the
CPTPP and how to further develop the market,” said Rick Bergmann, chairman of the
Canadian Pork Council.
“Pork producers will also witness the importance of
on-farm programs for international customers and see how their product is
marketed to buyers in Japan,” he said.
On Monday, March 5th, during the first day of the
mission, delegates will meet with Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence and
will visit a retail store to see how Canadian pork is marketed.
Delegates will visit several retailers and witness
in-store demonstrations on Tuesday, and take part in the food expo Foodex on Wednesday
where a Canada Pork International representative will be marketing Canadian
pork to Japanese buyers. Meetings with government officials are also planned.
Japan is the second-biggest market for Canadian
pork, last year buying 252,147 tonnes worth $1.2 billion.
Canada exports 70 per cent of the pork it produces to
more than 100 countries.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership deal opens other
lucrative Asian markets, such as Viet Nam, Malaysia and
Singapore.
Other partners in the TPP are Brunei, Australia, New
Zealand, Mexico, Chile and Peru.
There are hints now that United States President
Donald Trump wants back in, but he also wants more concessions.
It’s not clear that the TPP nations, having been
spurned earlier by Trump, are interested in another round of negotiations with
his administration.
Wynne asks feds for $1.2 billion for agriculture
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne wants the federal government
to give Ontario’s quota-holding farmers $1.4 billion over the next 10 years as compensation
for Canada closing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
The dairy and poultry
supply management marketing boards have been reminding the federal government
that the previous Conservative government offered more than $4 billion in
compensation, including promises that profits and quota prices would not
decline.
That was one of the dumbest political promises I've ever seen. Who in our society gets a financial guarantee for anything, let alone egregious profits from supply management?
True, the profit guarantee would have declined over a 15-year period, but surely supply management has made enough profit from the pockets of Canadian consumers, including our poorest people, to look after its own future.
She also wants $1.26 billion for the auto sector.
Wynne made the requests when she spoke recently to the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
That was one of the dumbest political promises I've ever seen. Who in our society gets a financial guarantee for anything, let alone egregious profits from supply management?
True, the profit guarantee would have declined over a 15-year period, but surely supply management has made enough profit from the pockets of Canadian consumers, including our poorest people, to look after its own future.