Dairy Farmers of Canada commissioned a Nanos poll on the topic
Canadians are in favour of supply management, a new poll shows.
A Nanos poll commissioned by Dairy Farmers of Canada surveyed 1,099 people between March 31 and April 4, asking participants about the topic and others related to ag.
When it comes to supporting the “general objectives” of supply management of ensuring a stable supply, lessening price fluctuations, and ensuring stable incomes for farmers, more than 70 per cent of Canadians voiced some level of support for the system, with about 19 per cent of respondents against supply management.
Atlantic Canada shows the most support with 83.9 per cent, with Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies and B.C. in the 70s.
The most opposition came from the Prairies, where 23 per cent of respondents opposed supply management in some form.
The Nanos poll also asked participants about how the government should respond to the U.S. targeting supply management.
64 per cent of Canadians feel the government should defend Canadian farmers and supply management. 20 per cent believe some concessions should be made while preserving supply management, and 11 per cent support abandoning supply management completely.
The most support for protecting supply management came from Quebec with 72.8 per cent.
The most support for making some concessions came from Ontario with its 23.9 per cent.
And the Prairies, with 15.8 per cent, were the most in favour of doing away with supply management.
A related question wanted Canadians to weigh in on how strongly Canada should defend its dairy sector in trade talks.
65 per cent of respondents believe Canada should “strongly defend” supply management. 24 per cent said Canada should take a neutral approach, and 8 per cent feel Canada shouldn’t defend it at all.
Nanos also asked participants to identify the level of importance of Canada having control of its food supply.
That result was near unanimous with 92 per cent Canadians feeling it’s important.
Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are scheduled to review CUSMA later this year.
The U.S. has targeted Canadian dairy as a trade irritant in the deal.
In the National Trade Estimate, a report detailing trade barriers to U.S. exports, the USTR singled out supply management.
“Canada’s supply-management system severely limits the ability of U.S. producers to increase exports to Canada above TRQ levels and increases the prices that Canadians pay for dairy and poultry products,” the report says.