Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Farm groups welcome Canada's participation in trans-Pacific trade talks

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

by DAVE PINK

Canada’s acceptance into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement is being warmly welcomed by the organizations representing the nation’s beef and dairy farmers.

“It gets us in the game,” says John Masswohl, director of government and international relations for the Calgary-based Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.

The TPP already includes the United States, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia, with the expectation that Japan will join in the near future. Canada’s inclusion in the trade pact was finalized by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the G20 summit in Mexico this week.

“The real jewel will be when Japan gets in,” says Masswohl. “We can sell them high-value beef at good prices, and they’ll buy the products Canadians don’t want, like tongues and stomachs.”

Currently, he says, Japan applies a 38.5 per cent tariff on imported beef. Even so, the Japanese already buy $70 million worth of Canadian beef products every year.

“We think we can quadruple that,” says Masswohl. “If we can get into the Japanese market without that tariff we can get more money back to our producers.”

Canada is also completing bilateral trade talks with Japan, which Masswohl says could be double guarantee of access to the Japanese market.

And he’s hopeful of developing new markets in Vietnam.

“The Canadian beef industry is highly export dependent and we thank the prime minister for taking action that will increase market access,” CCA president Martin Unrau said in a news release.

As well, Masswohl is anticipating wider acceptance of international standards for beef production — standards Canadian producers already adhere to. He says the credibility of belonging to the TPP should bring about wider acceptance of the production standards. Canadian beef producers embraced those standards several years ago as they tried to regain international markets following the BSE scare.

Therese Bealieu, spokesperson for the Ottawa-based Dairy Farmers of Canada, said inclusion in the TPP has to be regarded as a positive thing — especially considering that the Canadian government promised earlier that it would not bargain away Canada’s supply management system for the sake of any trade deal. She said many people were puzzled that Canada’s TPP application was accepted despite objections to supply management from the U.S. and New Zealand.

While the sale of basic dairy commodities will probably not be affected by acceptance into the TPP, Canada’s dairy farmers could benefit from the export of fine cheeses as well an improvement in the already big market for dairy cattle and genetics. “Canada is already a big exporter of genetics,” says Beaulieu.

The current membership in the TPP represents a market of 510 million people and a total GDP of $17.6 trillion. BF

Current Issue

June/July 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Northern Ontario Farms Get Ag Plastic Recycling

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Northern Ontario agriculture communities have compacted 27 metric tons of agricultural plastics. The Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), in partnership with the northern caucus of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), is proud to announce major progress in its... Read this article online

Protecting Plant Health Supports All Life

Monday, May 12, 2025

Healthy plants are vital to the survival and well-being of people, animals, and nature. They clean the air, support biodiversity, and are the foundation of food and economic systems. On May 12, Canadians celebrate International Day of Plant Health. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)... Read this article online

V6 Agronomy Joins Port of Johnstown Deal

Monday, May 12, 2025

V6 Agronomy has partnered with the Port of Johnstown (100 kilometres south of Ottawa) to build a national fertilizer hub. This long-term collaboration should support Canada’s food security, reduce input costs for farmers, and modernize the fertilizer supply chain using clean... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top