Canada's dairy farmers unimpressed with 2022 federal budget
Full details were not provided in the budget announcement
14 April 2022
2 minute read
Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFA) issued a statement following the Canadian government's 2022 federal budget announcement last week.
DFC said it is content with the clarity provided by the government in the 2022 budget on the timetable for an announcement for full and fair compensation for the impacts of the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). However, the statement did express worries over the absence of full details on the compensation. Dairy farming requires predictability, namely for investing in innovation initiatives and sustainability, said the statement.
"Recall that during the 2021 federal election campaign, the Prime Minister committed that full and fair compensation for the impacts of CUSMA would be announced during the first year of the Liberal government's new mandate," the statement said. "In tabling Budget 2022 without details, the government missed an opportunity to provide predictability to the industry."
DFC recently aligned with the government's climate change objectives by setting a goal of net-zero emissions from farm-level dairy production by 2050. The organisation welcomed the announcement of funding to support the energy transition and sustainability at the farm level in the budget. However, it did say that compensation for the impacts of CUSMA is equally vital, as farmers will need to dedicate additional resources to support innovation and sustainability initiatives.
"We strongly urge the government to continue to engage with us on the details of full and fair compensation for CUSMA," the statement concluded.
