ORANGEVILLE, ON – Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament for Dufferin-Caledon, rose in the House of Commons on December 13, 2019 on behalf of Dufferin-Caledon farmers, to raise the issue of market access for soybean and canola with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
“Mr. Speaker, I recently met with the Dufferin Federation of Agriculture, all hard-working farmers in my riding,” said Mr. Seeback. “They are suffering from a lack of market access for soybean and canola as a result of unresolved trade disputes.” Mr. Seeback went on to state, “In the U.S., the government is stepping up with a $28 billion market facilitation program. Other than words like ‘we stand with’ or ‘we always support,’ what is the government actually doing to support soybean and canola farmers?”
During his meeting with several representatives of the Dufferin Federation of Agriculture on December 10, 2019, Mr. Seeback learned more of the significant challenges the farming community in his riding has encountered this year, including the impact of the U.S. market facilitation program. The program has allowed American producers to sell at lower prices to other markets, such as the European Union. This action has made it harder for Canadian farmers to be competitive, combined with the current Liberal government failing to provide compensation to farmers in Dufferin-Caledon and across Canada with measures comparable to those seen in the U.S. Another issue which has worsened the situation has been the remarkably wet fall, delaying the harvesting of crops.
“We need our federal government to support our industry,” said Bill McCutcheon, President of the Dufferin Federation of Agriculture. “The American government has taken considerable steps to support producers; however, here in Canada, we have yet to see any real action by this government. We’ve been left at a huge disadvantage and it’s hurting farmers here in Dufferin-Caledon and across Canada. Immediate action is needed, not six months from now.”