Source: The Dairy Processors Association of Canada
DPAC and CPEPC call on the government to fulfill its commitment to dairy, poultry and egg processors
What does the federal government actually mean when it commits to providing “full and fair” support for Canada’s dairy, poultry and egg processors? That is the question that the Dairy Processors Association of Canada (DPAC) and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council (CPEPC) are asking after yesterday’s Fall Economic Statement failed to deliver on the government’s commitment to provide trade compensation for their industries.
“It is disappointing that the government consistently fails to recognize that the strength of the supply management system rests on the strength of both processors and farmers; both sectors are negatively impacted by recent trade deals,” said Mathieu Frigon, President and CEO of DPAC. “This weekend the government stated that, with compensation for farmers, it had delivered on its commitment to full and fair compensation for CETA and CPTPP. However, the government seems to forget that its commitment also includes processors. When will processors of supply-managed products receive the compensation promised to them by the government?”
With significant compensation announced just days earlier for supply-managed farmers, DPAC and CPEPC had hoped the government would deliver on its commitment to processors in the Fall Economic Statement. Both associations have continuously called on the government to mitigate the negative impacts of recent trade agreements and incentivize much needed growth and investments in their sectors.
“Now that the government has fulfilled its CETA and CPTPP commitments towards supply managed farmers, we are left wondering why processors are asked to wait longer,” said Jean-Michel Laurin, President and CEO of CPEPC. “A healthy processing sector is essential to the sustainability of Canada’s supply management system.”
Compensation to Canada’s supply management producers has been framed as one of a number of investments to assist economic recovery from COVID-19. Full and fair compensation to Canada’s dairy, poultry and egg processing sectors would be an investment in Canadian jobs and economic growth and would provide assistance to sectors that have faced some challenges as a result of COVID-19.
DPAC and CPEPC call on the government to deliver on their commitments to the dairy, poultry and egg processors so that the entire supply management sector receives the support it was promised following the conclusion of recent trade agreements.
