OTTAWA – Government trade officials figure they finally have a farm support program immune to American trade challenge.
In its latest review of Canada’s hog subsidies, the U.S. commerce department ruled the Net Income Stabilization Account program is not a subsidy liable for American challenge.
It exempted NISA from its calculation of subsidies that create an unfair trade advantage which can be fought with countervail duties. The U.S. ruling said it was a general subsidy rather than commodity specific.
Since NISA is at the core of the new national farm safety net program, agriculture minister Ralph Goodale proclaimed that the “trade neutrality” status is “very good news” for Canadian farm programs.
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Goodale watches Alberta
Goodale was less enthusiastic two weeks ago about Alberta’s farm income support program, the Farm Income Disaster Program.
He said in the House of Commons that Ottawa will watch “very closely” to ensure Alberta farmers do not have subsidy advantages not available to farmers in other provinces.
“It is fair to say that the program is raising concerns among provincial agriculture ministers in several other provinces and among various producer organizations,” said Goodale.
He was responding to a question from Saskatchewan New Democrat Len Taylor, who said Albertans have become “the Europeans of the cattle industry” because of the subsidies available.
Last call for opinions
Canadians are being given one last chance to offer Ottawa their views on sustainable agriculture before the government writes its final guidelines.
Agriculture Canada has announced it will be organizing a nation-wide consultation this fall on “a strategy for environmentally sustainable agriculture and agrifood development.”
The department is promising a final strategy will be presented to Parliament by early next year.
