Sarnia

DFC Telling Supply Management's Good News Story

Dairy Farmers of Canada has launched a campaign to help bridge the gap between rural and urban Canadians when it comes to agriculture.

Specifically, the campaign is designed to tell what DFC calls the good news story about this country's supply management system.

A number of reports suggest that system is under pressure at the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.

DFC President Wally Smith argues Canada is a good example where domestic industries and sensitivities should be respected.

He calls suggestions that scrapping supply management would lead to lower retail milk prices a myth.

Smith says New Zealand is an example of a country where a similar system was dismantled - and he says consumers there are paying more for milk than they were before.

The overall campaign is called the Milkle-Down Effect.

It includes a website - milkledowneffect.ca.

The website includes dairy farming economic stories.

A social media component will feature farmers highliting what they're calling the Milkle-Down Effect in their communities.

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DFC President Wally Smith says the industry has a good story to tell.

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Smith says they can cite a number of examples where systems similar to Canada's supply managed dairy system have been scrapped only to result in higher retail milk prices.

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Smith argues the Americans are apparently unwilling to negotiate any changes in their domestic farm support programs.

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Scoreboard, Apr 10

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost their fourth in a row 5-3 to the New York Islanders on Thursday, while Montreal got by Tampa Bay 2-1.