During winter, Alberta’s farmers and producers usually spend their time marketing their product and planning for the season ahead, but with U.S. President Donald Trump’s looming threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods going into the U.S., farmers are feeling uneasy about what the future holds.
The potential impact on grain and agriculture is not yet fully known.
According to Alberta Grains director Dave Bishop, Alberta grain is traded internationally, exported to approximately 70 countries. About 11 per cent of the province’s barley, and five per cent of its wheat, is exported to the U.S.
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“(It) doesn’t sound like a large number, but just think about it,” Bishop said. “If you make whatever your wage is, say you drop it by 10 per cent. Are you going to like that?”
Bishop said although it is difficult to plan for the unknown, Alberta Grains hopes to work with both the provincial and federal governments to mitigate the potential tariff impacts.
“One way we can (mitigate) is to try and diversify our markets,” Bishop said. “So, we need to go out there and try to sell our product to countries we haven’t been able to sell to before.”
Watch the video in the player above to learn more.
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