In a statement, the DFC said 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-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) were positive, but the absence of the full details of the compensation is worrisome for the industry.
“Dairy farming requires predictability, namely for investing in innovation initiatives and sustainability,” the statement said.
“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. In tabling Budget 2022 without details, the government missed an opportunity to provide predictability to the industry.”
DFC said it recently aligned with the government's climate change objectives by setting a goal of net-zero emissions from farm-level dairy production by 2050, and the organization added it welcomed the announcement of funding to support the energy transition and sustainability at the farm level in the budget.
“However, compensation for the impacts of CUSMA is equally vital, as farmers will need to dedicate additional resources to support innovation and sustainability initiatives,” the DFC said.
It ‘strongly urged’ the government to continue to engage with the DFC on the details of full and fair compensation for CUSMA.