Canadian Poultry Magazine

USMCA deal harmful for Canadian turkey farmers

By Turkey Farmers of Canada   

News Business/Policy Canada Government NAFTA Supply management Trade Turkey production United States


Turkey Farmers of Canada (TFC) is examining  the details of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), but is concerned turkey farmers and their families will be hurt by the terms of the agreement.

“While we look for further details on the implications of the deal, we know that any concessions made, in addition to previous concessions under the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership  (CPTPP), come at a cost for our farmers and rural Canada,” said TFC Chair Darren Ference. “We will be looking to the government of Canada for an action plan to support our farmers in light of trade deals that are eroding the sustainability of our local food sector.”

“Ninety per cent of Canadians say they want turkey produced in Canada according to a recent survey, but this deal will cause losses of family farms and less local turkey production,” Ference said. “The severe impact on farmers and the entire value-chain requires remedial measures.”

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“We have been working with the federal government on a strategy to offset the harm CPTPP is causing, but this new NAFTA deal elevates the urgency,” Ference noted. “We will be pushing for timely commitments to mitigation and remedies.”

“Supply management is being eroded by concessions  in CPTPP and USMCA,” Ference said. “We share the disappointment of farmers in the dairy, chicken and egg sectors on the increased market disruption from USMCA. We are looking for a guarantee from the government that we will no longer entertain further disruption to supply management and harm to the livelihoods of Canadian farm families who produce Canadian poultry, dairy and eggs.”


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