Ottawa to invest $350 million to help dairy producers adjust to CETA
Ottawa is setting aside $350 million to help dairy producers weather the impacts of Canada’s trade agreement with the European Union, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced Thursday.
A five-year, $250-million fund will help milk producers upgrade their equipment and increase productivity, while a second program will offer $100 million to cheese-makers to encourage them to modernize operations and diversify their products.
MacAulay said the funding would help producers deal with the reality of increased competition from European cheese-makers once the trade deal takes effects.
“While CETA offers enormous opportunities for many of our farmers, there will also be greater access for European cheeses to Canada,” MacAulay told a news conference.