While parts of Canada may have been looking for change, the move to a Liberal minority likely won’t change dairy producer priorities.
“I would say it’s fairly status quo for us,” says Murray Sherk, Dairy Farmers of Ontario. “We work with whatever party (is) in power. We have good relationships with the Liberal Party…and they understand our issues, they understand supply management and what our needs are, and so we’ll continue on working with them for the betterment of the Canadian agricultural and dairy industry.”
With USMCA ratification on the table, Sherk says the dairy industry will focus on ensuring the government lives up to its obligations in the deal, and work in partnership with the government to deal with increased import access and potential export tariffs.
Dairy Farmers of Ontario also plans to focus on ensuring a strong dairy industry, along with more discussions surrounding the role of dairy in nutrition, and the environmental aspects of agriculture.
Hear Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s Murray Sherk in conversation with Shaun Haney, in this excerpt from RealAg Radio, as the duo discuss trade, and weighing the nutrient-density of food in environmental evaluations.