There’s cynicism from a dairy famer living just outside Thunder Bay with the new trade deal reached with the US, Mexico and Canada.
Bernie Kamphof feels Canadian diary farmers have been let down by the government for years, and claims USMCA, which allows more American products in grocery stores, is no different.
“I guess there’s not a lot of people that are operating dairy farms, so it’s cynical, but I guess we don’t represent a lot of votes, either,” Kamphof admits. “I guess it makes us a bit of an easy target, and there’s a perception that we can take a bit of a hit.”
The farmer claims the industry will lose about 20% of their market to American imports.
Federal officials say dairy farmers will be compensated to make up for lost profits, but Kamphof says producers s would rather make a living off what they sell, and not rely on government support.
