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THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT MUST QUICKLY OPPOSE
THE WTO DRAFT AGREEMENT PRESENTLY IN DISCUSSION

The UPA urges the Canadian Government to publicly announce that it will refuse to sign this draft agreement. « The Canadian Government has formally pledged that it would not sign any agreement jeopardizing Canadian agricultural products under supply management, which are milk, eggs and poultry. It must honour that pledge, walk the talk and clearly indicate to its commercial partners that the draft agreement is unacceptable in its present form. The Canadian Government must act quickly », said from Geneva the president of the UPA, Mr. Christian Lacasse.

The Canadian negotiating position, according to a November 5th, 2005 House of Commons unanimous motion was to refuse any tariff cuts and any increased access to supply management products’ markets in any WTO agreement. The Canadian International Trade Minister, Mr. Michael Fortier, has publicly reiterated this position this week. « Nous avons en rencontre bilatérale et en assemblée avec tous les autres pays affirmé que nous étions résolument engagés envers la gestion de l’offre. Nos partenaires le savent, ce n’est pas une position qui est nouvelle pour le Canada, et nos partenaires aussi, commerciaux, savent que c’est une position qui a été, qui est appuyée par le Parlement du Canada et c’est donc une position qui est bipartisane et qui a fait l’objet de plusieurs motions au Parlement du Canada », said Minister Fortier. Nevertheless, the Canadian Government has remained silent so far about the draft agreement circulating since Friday.

Under the terms of the draft agreement, major tariff reductions would open the door to foreign dairy, egg and poultry products dumping on the Canadian market. Under the same draft agreement, foreign countries could maintain their important agricultural support, reducing by only a small proportion their unallowed subsidies. As to allowed subsidies, it Is an open bar.

« If the Canadian Government was to sign this draft agreement, it would jeopardize more than 40% of Quebec agricultural revenues and, consequently, about 70,000 direct and indirect jobs in the farming and transformation sectors. More than the future of our farms – regional economical stability is also at stake. Also, what is on the table threatens financial support programs in other sectors of agricultural production. This draft agreement is harmful to Quebec and Canadian agriculture as a whole. That is why this bad draft agreement must be rejected », continued Mr. Lacasse.

About 8,000 Quebec farms under supply management – dairy, poultry and eggs – provide jobs and revenues for 15,000 producers and their families. The farm cash receipts value is 2.6 billion $. Supply management sectors generate almost 4 billion $ in Gross National Product (GNP) and more than 70,000 jobs. For more information on the WTO and supply management: http://go5quebec.ca.

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