Dairy industry remains concerned over CUSMA

Nov 17, 2022

The Dairy Farmers of Canada have mixed feelings about this week's funding announcement from Ottawa.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau re-confirmed Ottawa's commitment to compensate the Supply Management sector over the Canada, U-S, Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Bibeau says $1.7 billion dollars will be shared by dairy, poultry, egg producers and processors impacted by CUSMA.

That money will be delivered through direct payments and investment programs.

David Wiens, Vice President of the Dairy Farmers of Canada says they would just as soon not have had to give up any markets at all.

"Because, of course, this trade deal goes on into, you know, it's a continuous thing. So we'll never get those markets back that we lost. But certainly, we appreciate the the recognition of damage done in this trade deal by our federal government."

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.