A sledgehammer to the Cdn dairy industry

[chuckChuck]

Why doesn't the fact CAD is at .74 ever get addressed when talking about US subsidies? Our weaker currency is a subsidy on exports to the tune of 25% how many dollars in govt programs would it take cover that?

currencies are traded in an open market. Our currency is very much tied to the value of commodities. Especially oil. We have very little room to move the value a whole lot. Do you really want a dollar at par as an exporter? I don't. We would all take a shit kicking on prices.

[15444]

Walked up to grocery counter 2 weeks ago with 3 gallons of milk. Older cashier in disbelief.

"How many kids do you have?!"
"None"
"Wow!! - How long does 3 gallons last you?"
"A week - I drink about 1/2 gallon a day"
"That's amazing! Nobody buys that amount of milk anymore. Even people with families. Too expensive - everything is either water or pop. Maybe juice."
"Oh that doesn't surprise me at all - I was the only guy (or gal) in university years ago that kept a jug of milk in the fridge at all times. Apparently it was expensive and beer was cheap."

[WiltonRanch]

Walked up to grocery counter 2 weeks ago with 3 gallons of milk. Older cashier in disbelief.

"How many kids do you have?!"
"None"
"Wow!! - How long does 3 gallons last you?"
"A week - I drink about 1/2 gallon a day"
"That's amazing! Nobody buys that amount of milk anymore. Even people with families. Too expensive - everything is either water or pop. Maybe juice."
"Oh that doesn't surprise me at all - I was the only guy (or gal) in university years ago that kept a jug of milk in the fridge at all times. Apparently it was expensive and beer was cheap."

That's the sad flipping truth. Hear stories from northern native communities where kids teeth are ****ed because it's cheaper to feed the kids Pepsi instead of milk. Or you get these crunchy Eco nuts who malign dairy products while sippin on a diet coke or what not putting a bunch of fake manufactured shit into their bodies. That said if places like Saudi Arabia go to insane expense to irrigate desert and build shade across thousands of acres so they can be self sufficient in milk production tells one how important the nourishment of milk is.

[Blaithin]

The price of milk and families not affording it would be more addressed if milk sales were allowed off farm, as said previously.

Think that would open huge doors for general consumer purchasing, awareness and knowledge. And probably food poisoning on some level as well...

And if that did become legal, it's not like the market is all of a sudden going to become flooded with cheap raw milk to the detriment of the industry anyway.

[grassfarmer]

The question, if it goes, is, will it improve Canada's trade position? For all these years we've been talking out of both sides of our mouth. We wanted unfettered access to other countries markets but yet maintained this barrier on dairy, chicken, etc into Canada. Can we be strong enough on anti dumping rules as well?

Name a country who doesn't want it both ways. This very action by Trump demonstrates that - talk of Amerka first - taking a protectionist stance against imports yet trying to bully other countries into accepting more US exports.

[Braveheart]

Name one country? How about New Zealand. Dumped a heavily subsided dairy industry. Now free to negotiate trade with less of argent on their backs.

[Blaithin]

Name one country? How about New Zealand. Dumped a heavily subsided dairy industry. Now free to negotiate trade with less of argent on their backs.

Also suffering serious milk price issues and suicide rates amongst dairy farmers are soaring. Not quite on par with UK numbers but similar.

[blackpowder]

I thought the NZ was gutted in early 90s and was an export success story since??

[grassfarmer]

Fair enough Braveheart, NZ is the one that tries to have a subsidy free agriculture. It doesn't ensure trouble free trade arrangements though. Seasonally a lot of their lamb goes to Europe and the UK in particular. When sheep prices are low in the UK there is always a backlash against NZ imports yet the UK depends on exports of sheep to France and other mainland countries. When French sheep prices are low they burn reefer trucks transporting UK lamb onto the continent. Everyone thinks they have a right to export yet want to limit imports.
Interestingly with the milk price collapse in NZ the Government has made it clear there is no bail out for farmers - but they do bail out banks that lent to farmers to fuel the dairy expansion!

[15444]

Name a country who doesn't want it both ways. This very action by Trump demonstrates that - talk of Amerka first - taking a protectionist stance against imports yet trying to bully other countries into accepting more US exports.

Sounds like a great way to boost a country's productivity - can only dream of such a powerful business stance in this country.