The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a whirlwind of conflicting information for months. Talks with Canada heated up last month after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a separate deal had been reached with Mexico. While an actual signed deal with Canada, the United States and Mexico could take months, farmers were quick to react.
Here’s what some farmers tweeted out:
“Here is what happened in Australia when they eliminated supply management:
Farm numbers are down 53 %
Production down 12 %
Exportation value down 24 %
Farm gate price down 14 %
Consumer price up by 31 %
Moral of the story: if you want to eliminate SM to lower store prices, it won’t.”
— Guelph dairy farmer Bruce Sargent
“I’m trying to get this message out to you guys and girls from an ex-Australian-dairy farmer. Don’t give up anything! Deregulation killed our nation’s industry, destroyed family farms and profit margins. The ones that are left live on shoestrings. Fight it and fight hard!”
— Former Australian dairy farmer Mic Grady
“I’m sick of the ‘It’s auto jobs or dairy farmers’ argument re Trump and NAFTA. Why should Canada be forced to give up any jobs to give Trump access to our market? He would never concede to a deal that cost the U.S. one single job. How about we fight together for Canada?”
— Former Canadian dairy farmer Kathy McBride
“Anybody that thinks dairy farming is easy and is a cartel, should go and buy a dairy farm and start milking cows.”
— Manitoba agronomist Bryan Dion
