The terms of international trade deals are a disappointment to dairy farmers, according to the chair of Dairy Farmers of Ontario.
Ralph Dietrich said the deals CUSMA, CETA, and TPP give foreign producers a combined 18 per cent access to Canada's dairy market. That's money out of producers' pockets.
Dietrich added that the government has promised compensation, but the details are still to be worked out.
"The government has said that they will keep the industry equal so to speak and we will be compensated for our losses so now it's up to us as a country to calculate and establish what those losses are and then hold the government to task," said Dietrich in an interview after his presentation at Grey Bruce Farmers' Week in Elmwood.
Dietrich said the main positive aspect of the deals is that Canada's supply management system remains intact.
He said a challenge for the dairy industry is to take advantage of Canadian consumers' preference to buy Canadian. To do that they have to ensure products produced in Canada are properly and easily identified.
"You can market all you want but consumers have to be able to recognize what you want them to buy. It's one thing for us to say buy our products and they want to do it but it has to be clear to them what those products are so they can make the choice when they go to the store. If we can do that, that will be our true win," said Dietrich.
The DFO will embark on an aggressive campaign to market Canadian dairy products.
