Canadian farm industry leaders are getting ready for potential storms
unleashed by the United States mid-term elections.
They are hoping Canadian farmers don’t become a convenient target for
politicians looking for someone to attack. And the most antagonistic
states to Canadian agricultural imports appear to be on the front line.
“It seems that the plains states of the U.S. is where the battleground
will take place,” said Canadian Wheat Board chair Ken Ritter.
Both the wheat board and the Canadian cattle industry have been
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fighting against American policies that they see as obstacles to trade.
At the wheat board’s news conference at the end of the crop year, chief
executive officer Greg Arason was able to celebrate the board’s success
in staving off U.S. charges that the board is an unfair trader.
“We feel we were vindicated,” said Arason about a United States Trade
Representative ruling earlier in 2002.
“If they had found something that substantiated their claims, we would
have received some kind of penalty, and they didn’t do that.”
There was more anxiety at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
convention in Winnipeg Aug. 8, where farmers, ranchers, feedlot
operators and other players in the beef industry pondered the possible
impact of coming U.S. trade actions.
Worries about country-of-origin labelling, which is set to be
implemented in 2004, repeatedly arose during the convention.
CCA president Neil Jahnke said Canadian beef producers now expect
labelling to become a reality. But they hope the results of the fall
U.S. elections will produce kinder, gentler labelling regulations than
sought by some American politicians.
Some of those most hostile to Canadian beef and cattle imports are up
for re-election.
“If there’s a change in some of the Senate seats, we’re hoping there
will be a reduction in problems with country-of-origin labelling,” said
Jahnke.
“The administration might be more inclined to not have the rules as
tight and restrictive.”
Since Democrats have generally championed the labelling issue, and the
most pugilistic promoters are Minnesota and South Dakota Democrats who
are up for re-election, there’s a chance for change.
“We’re hopeful,” said Jahnke.
With both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the U.S.
Congress closely balanced, Jahnke said election battles could be
heated. Sometimes that means Canadian producers get dragged in.
“It’s when things tend to happen,” he said.
