dairy

Saturday February 27, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday February 27, 2021

Canadian farmers advised to ditch palm oil after ‘buttergate’ row

May 7, 2020

The Dairy Farmers of Canada group has formed an expert panel to examine the matter and has asked milk producers to temporarily halt the practice.

Experts note many factors, not just fat intake, determine butter consistency.

The Canadian butter controversy comes amid a rise in demand for baking goods during Covid lockdowns.

In a news release issued on Thursday, the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFA) lobbying group asked that while their investigation is ongoing, milk producers “consider alternatives to palm supplements”.

“It’s just a precautionary [measure] to ensure that consumers maintain confidence in dairy products across Canada,” DFA board member Gordon MacBeath told CBC News.

January 16, 2019

DFA communications director Lucie Boileau told the BBC the working group has not formally met yet, but individual farmers “have already reached out to their animal nutritionist to identify alternatives”.

Adding palm oil-based energy supplements to cow feed is a decades-old practice said to increase the milk output of cows and increase the milk’s fat content. Little research has been done on the true impact of palm oil in dairy.

With a 12% rise in butter demand last year amid pandemic lockdowns, according to the DFA, many farmers increased their use of palm oil supplements to boost dairy supply.

The so-called “buttergate” row took off earlier this month, when Canadian foodies took to social media to express problems with too-hard butter that would not melt at room temperature.

Agricultural experts have said that butter made from cows with palm oil has a higher melting point and may thus be harder to spread at room temperature. (BBC News) 

Meanwhile, NASA’s Perseverance rover has been sending back glorious images of Mars after touching down last week, on Feb. 18, 2021. (CTV News)

 

Thursday August 30, 2018

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 30, 2018

U.S. is intent on ending supply management for Canadian dairy: Trudeau

April 20, 2017

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it is obvious the Trump administration is intent on dismantling Canada’s supply management system.

But he says Canada won’t buckle on the issue at the NAFTA talks.

The vexing question of greater U.S. access to the Canada’s protected dairy sector is now pivotal as the NAFTA negotiations in Washington draw closer to President Donald Trump’s Friday deadline for a three-country deal.

A concession on dairy — which is explosive politically in Canada — is one of the few cards the Trudeau government has left to play at the bargaining table after the U.S. and Mexico reached their own side deal on Monday.

Experts say Trump has not specifically set his sights on dismantling supply management, and is more angry with a new classification of milk products that Canada introduced two years ago that he says has undercut U.S. exports and hurt his country’s farmers.

Trump says he’s optimistic a deal can be worked out with Canada by the end of week. (Source: Financial Post)

Thursday April 20, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday April 20, 2017

Canadian envoy fires back at Trump over dairy claims

Canada’s envoy to Washington has shot back at criticism by President Donald Trump and U.S. milk producers, saying the facts don’t support a charge that the Canadian dairy industry is to blame for the woes of some American farmers.

January 26, 2017

“Canada does not accept the contention that Canada’s dairy policies are the cause of financial loss for dairy farmers in the United States,” Ambassador David MacNaughton said in a letter to the governors of Wisconsin and New York that was released Tuesday night in rebuttal to Trump’s surprise criticism of Canada earlier in the day.

“The facts do not bear this out.”

The U.S. president’s surprise decision to call out Canada by name Tuesday put dairy farmers north of the border on notice that they are in America’s fair-trade sights.

Trump launched his broadside after a brewing trade spat that has seen the U.S. dairy lobby accuse Canada of “systemic disregard” of its trade obligations, while the Canadian industry accused its American rival of “scapegoating.”

October 10, 2015

Trump also signalled he wants to do more than simply tweak the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying he is looking for “very big changes” to the trilateral pact that includes Mexico, or else he will scrap it once and for all.

Trump levelled the threats — some of his strongest-ever anti-Canadian rhetoric — during an event at a Wisconsin factory where he unveiled his “Buy American-Hire American” executive order.

After what has been a relatively warm beginning in relations with Canada, which included what was seen by many as a positive trip to Washington by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump dropped the gloves on Canada’s well-guarded dairy sector.

He appeared to be taking dead aim at the Canadian industry and its supply-management system during an appearance in Wisconsin, a state he took from the Democrats with his “America First” anti-trade message.

It is also a state that is feeling the effects of Canada’s decision to impose import taxes on ultra-filtered milk, a protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese. It had been duty-free but Canada changed course after its milk producers complained. (Source: CBC News)

The Telegram, St. John’s, Nfld., April 25, 2017

Thursday October 10, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday October 10, 2015 Dairy farmers protest upcoming trade deal Dairy farmers parked tractors at the foot of Parliament Hill, walked cows through downtown Ottawa and dumped milk on the pavement Tuesday to protest what they say is a looming trade deal that threatens their way of life. Farmers in Ontario and Quebec fear that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive 12-country trade deal thatÕs said to be near an agreement in principle, could spell the end of the supply management system that keeps their operations profitable. Dozens of tractors clogged Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings, snarling traffic, while some farmers led cows down the street and others splashed milk on the pavement. Negotiations are currently underway on the ambitious trade deal involving Canada and 11 other countries. Sources say an agreement in principle could be announced as early as Friday. Farmers fear the federal government will make concessions on supply management, a system of production limits and import tariffs that shields the dairy market from competition at the hands of foreign producers. The U.S. has been pushing for Canada to loosen its system, but the federal government says the government will protect Canadian interests at the negotiating table. ÒThis government remains absolutely committed to making sure we preserve our system of supply management through trade negotiations,Ó Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said Tuesday. Opposition parties remain concerned about how the system could be affected in TPP talks. The NDPÕs Mathieu Ravignat, who is running for re-election in the Quebec riding of Pontiac, said supply management allows for many small farms to exist in Quebec and across Canada. (Source: National Post) Canada, United States, USA, trade, dairy, farmers, agriculture, Trans Pacific Partnership, TPP, globalization, cow

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday October 10, 2015

Dairy farmers protest upcoming trade deal

Dairy farmers parked tractors at the foot of Parliament Hill, walked cows through downtown Ottawa and dumped milk on the pavement Tuesday to protest what they say is a looming trade deal that threatens their way of life.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014Farmers in Ontario and Quebec fear that the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive 12-country trade deal that’s said to be near an agreement in principle, could spell the end of the supply management system that keeps their operations profitable.

Dozens of tractors clogged Wellington Street in front of the Parliament Buildings, snarling traffic, while some farmers led cows down the street and others splashed milk on the pavement.

Negotiations are currently underway on the ambitious trade deal involving Canada and 11 other countries. Sources say an agreement in principle could be announced as early as Friday.

Farmers fear the federal government will make concessions on supply management, a system of production limits and import tariffs that shields the dairy market from competition at the hands of foreign producers.

The U.S. has been pushing for Canada to loosen its system, but the federal government says the government will protect Canadian interests at the negotiating table.

“This government remains absolutely committed to making sure we preserve our system of supply management through trade negotiations,” Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said Tuesday.

Opposition parties remain concerned about how the system could be affected in TPP talks.

The NDP’s Mathieu Ravignat, who is running for re-election in the Quebec riding of Pontiac, said supply management allows for many small farms to exist in Quebec and across Canada. (Source: National Post)

 

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Tuesday, July 29, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Ontario’s battle over 3-litre milk jugs on grocery shelves

A spat over milk containers is souring relations between dairy farmers and manufacturers.

For months, Ontario’s milk bureaucracy has been battling over whether you should be able to buy 3 litres of milk in the grocery store.

On one side are the milk processors, represented by the Ontario Dairy Council, who want to open up the market entirely to 3-litre milk containers.

On the other is the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, which is concerned that 3 litres of milk will prove so popular that the 4-litre option disappears off shelves entirely.

“Our interest is only in ensuring that consumers are protected, and we are of the view that the 4-litre containers are essential, and we want to make sure that they continue with respect to the plastic bags,” said Graham Lloyd, general counsel for the DFO.

The dispute started last December, when Ontario’s farm products marketing board gave Mac’s Convenience Stores permission to sell 3-litre plastic milk jugs — only jugs, not bags — on a one-year pilot program.

The Ontario Dairy Council appealed, arguing that such a limited program would give some processors an unfair head start in the 3-litre field. It favours a general ruling with no restrictions on container type or retailer.

After initial arguments over jurisdictional rights and access to redacted documents, the issue is now heading for the quasi-judicial Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal. (Source: Toronto Star)

OTHER MEDIA

This cartoon was posted on Yahoo News Canada and the Ottawa Citizen.