Alberta dairy farmers stand up to Trump threats

Alberta dairy farmers are pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump's demand Saturdaythat Canada dismantle itssupply-managed dairy system.

They say the U.Swants access to Canadian markets to ease their own crisis of oversupply.

"Trumpis picking on family farms like mine because the U.S.A. just has too much milk,"Albert Kamps, vice-chairman of Alberta Milk,said Monday in a press release."They are over-producing and want to dump their oversupply in Canada, but we're full."

• Trump demands Canada dismantle supply management or risk trading relationship

During the recent G7 summit Trump hinted that if Canada doesn't comply, he would move to further curtail the trading relationship between the two countries. He recently imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Kampsand his son operatea third-generation dairy farm nearLacombe, 125 kilometres south of Edmonton. Hesaid thesystem of supply management ensures that themajority of dairy products consumed in Canada come from Canadian farms.

Trump accused Canada oftariffs as high as 270 per cent; Kamps says that's true, but it's not the whole story.

"Canada allows 10 per cent and the United States conversely only allows three per cent in without tariffs,"said Kamps. "So Trump does kind of talk out of both sides of his mouth."

Canada's dairy industry is tightly controlled with a quota system and restricted imports. The governmentlevies a tariff of270 per cent on milk,245 per cent on cheese and 298 per cent on butterin an effort to keepimports out andtightly control supply.

Kamps said tariffs shield Canadian farmers from heavily subsidized dairy imports.

• Quebec leaders praise Trudeau's stance on Trump tariffs, call for clearer position on dairy

Kamps said the U.S phased out a system similar to Canada's in the 1980sand that's the reason for the crisis they're now in. "They have no method of cutting back production in the United States," he said, adding the government has attempted strategies such as theslaughtering of animals or buying cheese and dumping it on theworld market.

Under the Canadian system, said Kamps, dairy farmers are paid "a fair price" set each year by the Canadian dairy commission. It also protects against the dumping of milk or running short on supplies.

Kamps saidthe system has been supported by all parties for years "and we expect that to continue because it doesn't them any cost any tax dollars, it's an easy thing to budget for and the farmers are happy with it and we hope the P.M. stands behind us."