CFA Happy To See CUSMA Ratified, Still Concerned About Supply Management

Mar 17, 2020

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) was ratified last week.

Keith Currie is 1st Vice President with the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA).

"A deal is better than no deal, however, we'll still working out how that's going to look for our supply managed system, with respect to any compensation for the loss that they negotiated away during this deal," he said. "By in large, for most of agriculture, it's going to be a positive. It's going to mean that our products are still going to flow back and forth between the three countries, that is a positive for us in agriculture because we are such large exporting nation."

Currie commented on the timing of the ratification.

"COVID-19 certainly is amplifying the need for agreements, no doubt, but I think just in general for trade, the U.S. is our largest trading partner. Getting this deal done to maintain that flow of goods and services, not only through all three countries, but in particular with the U.S., who we do the majority of our trade. I think it was just important to get the deal done."

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.