Ottawa, Ontario – The Government of Canada is actively working to support our dairy producers and processors through this pandemic and to ensure Canadians continue to have access to good, affordable food.
On May 5, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the government’s intention to amend the Canadian Dairy Commission Act and increase the Canadian Dairy Commission’s (CDC) borrowing limit by $200 million to allow cheese and butter to be temporarily stored and avoid waste. Today, Parliament adopted these amendments that will increase the CDC’s borrowing limit from $300 million to $500 million.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant fluctuations in the demand for many dairy products. Unfortunately, dairy farmers have had no choice but to discard some of their milk. Stakeholders throughout the dairy industry supply chain are working closely with provincial marketing boards to ensure that Canadians continue to have access to a wide variety of dairy products, while implementing measures to temporarily reduce production.
The CDC plays an important regulatory role in our supply management system, which allows the dairy sector to match supply with demand. Increasing the CDC’s borrowing capacity will allow it to purchase and store more butter and cheese. These changes will complement existing CDC programs to help the sector manage surplus milk while delivering essential assistance to keep the supply chain strong.
Source : Government of Canada