OTTAWA – The Liberal government made enemies in cattle country last week when it decided some subsidized European grinding beef could be imported into Canada, says a trade specialist for the cattle producers.
Larry Sears, a Stavely, Alta. rancher and chair of the foreign trade committee for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said the government has betrayed the industry.
“Our position has always been there should not be one damn pound of subsidized beef coming in,” he said. “But the government and the trade negotiators don’t seem to listen. They seem to have another agenda and we’re getting damn sick and tired of it.”
Read Also
Interest in biological crop inputs continues to grow
It was only a few years ago that interest in alternative methods such as biologicals to boost a crop’s nutrient…
Agriculture minister Ralph Goodale was not available for comment.
Sears said cattle producers will be angry when they have to compete in their own market with subsidized European Union beef, particularly when the EU uses a hormone ban to block Canadian product.
“I think the government is going to pay for this one way or the other,” he said. “Our people are going to be angry. Someone will pay for that.”
He said the cattle industry is particularly upset because producers see the decision by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, to drop anti-dumping duties against EU beef, as the result of a political deal between Ottawa and the EU.
Trade-off
In negotiation to gain access to the EU market for Canadian grain, Canadian negotiators accepted an EU proposal that some Irish manufacturing beef be allowed into Canada as long as the EU agreed to a cap of 5,000 tonnes.
The Europeans would not get a special quota but would be allowed to compete with Australia and New Zealand for a portion of the overall beef import quota.
“We think they have traded our commodity off for the benefit of another commodity and that isn’t right,” said Sears.
“Our trade negotiators never seem to go to the wall for our sector. I don’t know why. Is it because we aren’t in Ottawa all the time raising a fuss?”
Sears said the CCA worries that the 5,000 tonne quota is merely the first step on the road to giving EU product an even greater share of the Canadian market.
