U.S rattles sabres vs. Canada’s dairy policies

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently threatened Canada’s dairy industry telling U.S. politicians that issues with Canada’s dairy sector will be resolved through negotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement or through enforcement actions.

The U.S. has complained about the way Canada administers permits that allow limited imports of Canadian dairy products. The U.S. won a challenge and forced some concessions, but is still not satisfied. More recently it has complained about Canadian exports of milk components.

Greer told the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee that during CUSMA negotiations, both Canada and Mexico will need to take steps to protect their respective economies from subsidized products from other regions, including vehicles from China.

Canada recently made a deal with China to allow 49.000 electrical vehicles per year into the Canadian market.

The U.S. put a 100 per cent tariff on China’s electrical vehicles in 2026 and Canada followed suit so it would not become a back door into the U.S. market.

Agropur shuffles the deck

 

Agropur is investing in its plant in Bedford, Nova Scotia, but pulling back on its plant at Sussex, New Brunswick.

There were no dollar amounts attached to the announcement.

The company said the changes come within a broader strategy to optimize efficiency and align processing capacity with evolving market demand.

Agropur, based in Quebec, is Canada’s largest dairy co-operative.

                           

MacKenna Roth appointed

MacKenna Roth has been appointed to a three-year term on the board that governs the Ontario Food Terminal.

She is a farm girl from Mddlesex County who owns Wild Belle Co., a small-scale cut flower operation. 

She has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and strategic planning within Ontario’s agri-food sector and she is a participant in the current Advanced Agricultural Leadership program.

Lactalis has new leader

 

Lactalis Canada has appointed Ola Machnowski to a new leadership role, reinforcing its strategic focus on strengthening operations and driving growth in the competitive dairy market. 

She will be vice president, marketing, cheese & tablespreads.

The move reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance its management structure and align with evolving industry demands, the company said.

CFIA lifts quarantine at Amherstburg

The Canadian Food Inspection has lifted its poultry-industry quarantine near Amhersburg.

It was imposed Feb. 22 after an outbreak of highly-pathogenic avian influenza.

NFU wants cap on supermarket profits

The National Farmers Union (NFU) said consumers paid 30 per cent more for groceries in 2026 than 2020, but farmers’ prices remained stagnant.

It called for a cap on supermarket chain profits and for local community grocery stores to provide competition.

The four largest supermarket chains in Canada doubled their profits to more than $6 billion, the NFU said, The average between 2015 and 2018 was $2 billion.

Anderson Arts, executive director of British Columbia Fruit Growers Association, said “this report highlights a growing disconnect between rising retail prices and stagnant returns at the farmgate. For B.C.tree fruit farmers, that gap is critical. 

“Our costs continue to climb, but our share of the retail dollar does not. If that trend continues, it directly threatens the viability of family farms and the stability of Canada’s food supply,” he said.

Corporate power is the common enemy of Canadian farmers and consumers, and it is a time for all of us to come together to fight for meaningful, structural policy changes that will curb corporate greed, the NFU said.

I agree that the supermarket chains are greedy, but there is also corporate concentration in beef, pork, chicken and turkeys, in fertilizer suppliers, in egg grading and processing, to name only a few.

A closer look at their revenues and profits might prompt the NFU to broaden its concerns.

CFIA suspends two licences

 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has suspended the licence held by 2658645 Ontario  Inc. which does business as Cucina Fresca located in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

It also suspended the licence held by 2005937 Alberta Inc. which does business as BOOBY FOOD. Its licence was suspended in March and after an appeal, the CFIA has confirmed the cancellation.