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For immediate release

AGRICULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS AT THE WTO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA MUST OBJECT QUICKLY TO THE DRAFT AGREEMENT DISCUSSED AT THE WTO

"Since Saturday, the UPA has been asking the Government of Canada to announce publicly that it will refuse to ratify the draft agreement. Even though it repeats that its position has not changed, the Harper government still has not explicitly declared that it will approve an agreement only if it respects the terms of the motion adopted by the House of Commons. The government can’t simply remain passive and wait, hoping that another country will defend Canada’s position or create an obstacle for the negotiations. It has to take action and negotiate the required provisions," said Mr. Lacasse. The Canadian negotiating position, in accordance with a unanimous motion passed by the House of Commons in November 2005, is to accept no tariff reduction and no increase in market access for commodities under supply management.

The producers will maintain their pressure tactics on Conservative Party MPs to ensure that the Government of Canada honours the commitments it has made to Quebec and Canadian consumers and thus objects to the draft agreement in its present form. "Mr. Harper has always made it a point of pride to honour his commitments. It’s time for him to prove it," Mr. Lacasse added.

The draft agreement currently being discussed in Geneva provides for substantial reductions in domestic support, which would further limit the leeway of Canada and Quebec. If nothing is done, given the Canadian agricultural support structure, such an agreement would jeopardize the rest of Quebec’s agricultural sectors, particularly hog, cattle, sheep and field crop production. The draft agreement would also impose customs tariff reductions that would give free rein to dumping on the Canadian market of foreign subsidized dairy and poultry products, with disastrous consequences for dairy, poultry and egg producers in Quebec.

In the meantime, the same draft agreement would allow countries like the United States to maintain their high agricultural subsidies by reducing only a portion of the unpermitted subsidies. For permitted subsidies, the bar would be open. Thus, the United States will have to limit their unpermitted subsidies to nearly $15 billion per year, double the support granted to U.S. agriculture in 2007. The United States also adopted a Farm Bill recently, valued at $300 billion over 5 years.

The UPA points out that if the Government of Canada signs the current draft agreement, this would put over 40% of Quebec farm revenues at risk and consequently would jeopardize some 70,000 direct and indirect jobs on the farm and in processing. “Supply management benefits Quebec and Canadian consumers, taxpayers, processors and producers. It is a fair farming model that Canada must defend and promote. It offers consumers safe, high quality, locally produced food at reasonable and competitive prices. It allows producers to obtain fair returns from the marketplace without the need to rely on taxpayers’ dollars. This is why it is supported by many partners, as shown by the extensive support received by the GO5 Coalition for a fair farming model, supply management,” the President of the UPA concluded.

The approximately 8,000 Quebec farms under supply management – dairy, poultry, table eggs and hatching eggs – provide a living for 15,000 producers and their families. Farm cash receipts amount to $2.6 billion. The supply-managed sectors generate nearly $4 billion of GDP and more than 70,000 jobs. For more information on the WTO, supply management and the GO5 Coalition, visit http://go5quebec.ca.

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