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Cattlemen Pleased with Canadian Government’s Trade
Case Announcement December 4, 2008 (Guelph, ON) -
The Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) is pleased
with the Government of Canada’s December 1st
announcement that they are requesting consultations with
the United States concerning the implementation in the
United States of mandatory Country of Origin Labelling
(COOL) regulations for meat products.
OCA President Gord Hardy said that this was the
direction that industry had asked the government to take
following meetings in Ottawa in early November. “I would
like to thank Ministers Ritz and Day for showing
leadership on this file, and standing up for me and my
fellow producers in Ontario,” Hardy stated.
“Implementation of these regulations is damaging
producers in Ontario. We see this as another artificial
trade barrier being erected to appease protectionist
forces within the US. We intend to honour our trade
agreements, and we sincerely hope that the United States
will as well.”
The impact of the COOL regulations is estimated to
cost approximately $90 per animal in Canada regardless
of whether or not they are exported to the United
States. Ontario’s producers have continually made
improvements in production efficiencies, food safety and
traceability to compete in global markets. Despite these
improvements the Ontario beef industry continues to
suffer from the last year of escalating farm input costs
and low prices, government regulations and ethanol
policy, and restricted trade access. Implementation of
COOL will further challenge the competitiveness our
industry.
The Ontario Cattlemen’s Association is a grassroots
organization, formed in 1963, to promote the interests
of Ontario’s 19,000 cattle producers.
For more information contact:
Gord Hardy, OCA President: (519) 227-1113
Lianne Appleby, OCA Communications Manager: (519)
824-0334 |
