Glacier FarmMedia—Pork industry groups across Canada say they’re engaged in serious discussions with the federal and provincial governments over how to protect producers as best they can from U.S. tariffs.
“The Canadian Pork Council is actively engaged in discussions with the federal government to assess the potential impacts of the U.S. tariffs on Canada’s pork industry,” said René Roy, chair of Canadian Pork Council, in an email to the Manitoba Co-operator.
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As the harvest in southern Alberta presses on, a broker said that is one of the factors pulling feed prices lower in the region. Darcy Haley, vice-president of Ag Value Brokers in Lethbridge, added that lower cattle numbers in feedlots, plentiful amounts of grass for cattle to graze and a lacklustre export market also weighed on feed prices.
“Our priority is to safeguard the competitiveness of Canadian pork producers and maintain stability across the sector. We continue to advocate for solutions that will mitigate financial strain and protect market access for our producers.”
The 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and a 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy took effect on Tuesday.
Cam Dahl, general manager of Manitoba Pork, said they are looking at how to protect producers and others who work in the pork industry. He said he couldn’t share the details of discussions taking place with the Province of Manitoba or with Ottawa, or what potential relief efforts for producers might include.
“How do we protect those jobs, so that when we come into a recovery when the tariffs are lifted, they’re still there?” Dahl said. “I don’t know the answer to that yet.”
