Canadian goat milk producers are in deep trouble because of the United States’ ban on dairy products from Canada.
About 65 per cent of Ontario’s production was being exported to the United States. Ontario’s 198 producers account for 90 per cent of Canada’s goat milk production.
Lindsay Dykeman, general manager of the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative, said “there isn’t an easy alternative for where we can ship these large amounts of milk volumes. Processors that ship to the States, I’m sure, are trying to keep their product on the shelf.
”To a certain point, they are going to have to manage those tariffs and whether they can spread that through the value chain through their distributor and the processor and the raw materials. Because once that shelf space is lost, it’s mighty hard to get it back.”
In a joint statement with Gay Lea Foods, they said producers, processors and distributors are working together to preserve established markets and maintain demand, but said prolonged disruption could put farm income, processing capacity and rural jobs at risk.
“We have engaged with our federal and provincial governments on these issues, advocating for temporary producer supports and the creation of business risk management tools that reflect the sector’s ongoing exposure to trade volatility.”
