(Washington D.C.) While announcing $16 Billion for U.S. agriculture dealing with the coronavirus crisis, an aside from U.S. President Trump that involved consideration of terminating trade deals related to foreign cattle certainly caught Canadian cattlemen’s attention. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canada exported over 700-thousand cattle to the U.S. in 2019. And Canadian cattle to the U.S. are slated to continue under the USMCA trade agreement scheduled to take affect on July first of this year.
Dennis Laycraft, executive vice-president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said that he doesn’t believe the comment was directed at Mexico or Canada. But he said people in his office sat up and took notice.
On the same day that American farmers were told of their $16 Billion in crisis funding, north of the border, Prime Minister Trudeau was telling Canadian farmers of their eligibility for the recently announced Canada Emergency Business Account, or CERB program, for small business. Earlier this month, the Canadian government announced crisis funding of $252 million for the agricultural sector, with about half of that earmarked for the red meat sector. And at that time of the funding announcement, Trudeau said the $125 million for the beef and hog sector was an ‘initial’ investment step.
Dennis Laycraft was asked if farmers’ inclusion in the CERB program is seen as a second investment step by the government…tape
Dennis Laycraft is with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association.
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Submitted by Chad Smith on Fri, 05/22/2020 – 13:29
Source: NAFB News Service Staff
Audio provided by NAFB News Service
Audio with Dennis Laycraft, Executive VP, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
