Beef and pork National Farmers Union says 
increased access won’t necessarily benefit producers
The National Farmers Union says the promise of increased livestock export access in a Canada–European Union trade deal in return for concessions is a false promise.
The NFU is part of a national coalition through the Council of Canadians that opposes a liberalized trade deal with the EU.
Increased access for European dairy products into Canada is a European demand as Canada argues for increased access for hormone-free Canadian beef and pork.
In a statement issued Feb. 28, the NFU argued that increased hormone-free beef and pork access is not the stumbling block it is portrayed to be.
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Canadian agricultural export sectors have been promoting a European trade deal as an important market opportunity that is worth necessary concessions.
NFU Alberta co-ordinator Jan Slomp said potential benefits from a deal are exaggerated.
“Canada already has more access for both products than our exporters have used,” he said in a news release.
“Furthermore, our data clearly shows that farmers do not benefit from policies that focus on ever-increasing trade.”
According to the NFU, Canada exported 9,000 tonnes of hormone-free beef in 2011, despite a tariff-free quota of 23,200 tonnes.
Exports of hormone-free pork were nil in 2011 despite a quota of up to 80,000 tonnes for ractopamine-free pork.
The NFU said the government has been helping meat exporters comply with EU standards, and several small Canadian abattoirs have been approved for exports to Europe.
It said Europe has already “opened the door” to increased meat imports from Canada, “but Canadian exporters are not walking through it.”
