A close to 600 page report commissioned by Dairy Farmers of Canada said that 73 percent of returns U.S. dairy farmers received in 2015 were the results of subsidies. The group is responding to U.S. complaints over Canada’s dairy supply management system that have been a sticking point in the NAFTA negotiations. Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Director Lucas SJostrom says both U.S. and Canadian officials are trying to slant statistics to back up their argument.
He’s hoping NAFTA negotiators will work out an agreement that works for the U.S., Canada and Mexico as the talks continue.
Sjostrom says if the Canadians want to successfully trade globally, there eventually going to have to give up their supply management program.
The Canadian Dairy commissioned report says U.S. dairy subsidies seen in 2015 came partially as a result of the Margin Protection Program.
