Local farmers react to EU trade deal

SASKATOON – As Prime Minister Stephen Harper heads to Brussels to seal the deal on a free trade agreement with the European Union, local farmers in Saskatchewan have been reacting to the news.

While much of the agriculture industry will come out on top it’s the dairy industry that will be compromised and farmers say the economic loss will be significant.

The free trade deal, worth billions to Canada’s bottom line, has been years in the making but it’s understood the final breakthrough came when Canada agreed to more than double the amount of EU “fine cheese” that can enter the country in exchange for greater access to Canadian beef and pork.

Good news for local cattle and pig farmers, not so for the dairy industry.

“This is going to be bigger than the US market potentially in terms of people that are there, consumers, so again it’s a very big market and that’s why it’s so exciting for producers,” said Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association CEO Craig Douglas.

But the deal has left dairy producers feeling like they’ve been thrown under the bus.

“We’re going to suffer the loss of some of our market as a result of that and when you take away that market and replace with cheese coming from out of country you’re not going to get it back,” said SaskMilk’s Chairman Blaine McLeod.

“Economically that will translate down to the family farm and the loss of the ability to produce the same amount of milk,” he added.

There’s currently no “fine cheese” produced here in Saskatchewan but SaskMilk says it was looking for processors to tap into that growing market.  Those plans now though are dead in the water.

The trade deal will open up access for virtually every sector of economic activity but it has to be approved by Canada’s 10 provinces and all 28 EU member nations before it can go ahead.

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says the deal is good news.

“Europe’s important, we want better trade with Europe, freer trade with Europe but we will continue to also be focused on Asia, not just because of agriculture but that’s a strong driver,” said Wall.

The prime minister travelled to Brussels Thursday to meet the European Commission president with the goal of concluding negotiations.

But analysts says the ratification process to see the deal approved would likely take another two years.