Egg farmers disappointed with new TPP agreement

January 25, 2018, Ottawa, Ont. – Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) has weighed in on Tuesday’s Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) announcement.

In a press release, the organization said it was disappointed with the deal, describing it as a failure to protect the future of Canada’s egg farms.

EFC added it also represents a hit on Canadian consumers.

“The outcome of the CPTPP agreement means difficult challenges for Canada’s egg farmers, their communities and many farms and businesses they support,” EFC chairman Roger Pelissero said.

Once fully implemented, Canadian egg farmers will have lost the right to produce close to 291 million dozen eggs, with an additional 19 million dozen eggs added each year after the implementation phase.

The total value of the trade deal represents close to $1 billion dollars in lost farm family income.

“Our farmers make a sizeable contribution to Canada’s food system, help keep rural communities vibrant and feed urban consumers’ appetite for locally produced food. The concessions under the CPTPP impact the livelihood of Canada’s more than 1,000 egg farm families,” Pelissero added.

EFC recognized the CPTPP as an opportunity for the Canadian economy overall.

However, it added there was little incentive for Canada to give away the market access concessions that were originally agreed to in October 2015 when the U.S. was still a part of the deal.

Given the seriousness of the CPTPP outcome, EFC urged the government to expedite work on mitigation measures.

In concluding its statement, EFC said, “We must work side by side to address the impact this will have on our farmers, on our consumers and our ability to produce and deliver the Canadian products they expect, need and enjoy.”