BROOKS, Alta. – Canadian cattle producers think the federal minister of agriculture is fiddling while their industry gets burned by anti-dumping duties.
Agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief has not met formally with cattle producers since May and they are growing impatient, said Ben Thorlakson, president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
“He has to address the situation and he is not addressing it. We’re getting the same bafflegab we’ve been getting for months,” said Thorlakson in an interview last week.
The association wants to meet with the minister immediately to straighten out problems over border crossing obstructions, the anti-dumping duty and health of animals regulations
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“Timing is critical. Now is when we need to talk.”
Canada’s beef trade appears before the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington this October when it must prove exports of Canadian cattle have not and never will do injury to American producers.
Temporary dumping duties imposed in July are already costing exporters thousands of dollars with each shipment going south, said Thorlakson. The duty is calculated on the value of the cattle.
The cattle producers are pressuring Ottawa to ease bluetongue regulations as a show of good faith for Americans wishing to export cattle to Canada year round. Right now regulations keep them out because of testing requirements.
Thorlakson publicly asked Alberta premier Ralph Klein to assist in organizing a meeting before it is too late.
“They have a chance to do some good,” he said after asking Klein to intervene. “There is a time when they have to stand up and do what’s right and now is that time.”
Klein promised to help.
The premier is already in close communication with northern tier state governors.
“Hopefully through this process this will allow us to pick up the phone and resolve some of these disputes before they get out of hand,” said Klein.
