Trade talks may slaughter beef industry, Tony Martin warns

NEWS RELEASE FROM SAULT MP TONY MARTIN

************************ Supply management, crop/commodities insurance under threat from WTO

August 4, 2004

Sault Ste. Marie – NDP Agriculture Critic Charlie Angus is warning that the future viability of Canada’s agricultural economy is now on the bargaining table at the current WTO trade talks in Geneva.

"This is potentially another serious blow to an already shell-shocked beef industry," said Sault Ste. Marie MP Tony Martin today.

At the present time the government can provide up to five per cent support for product specific areas such as beef. This comes in the form of crop/commodities insurance protection.

"Under proposed amendments to WTO, we would no longer be able to provide product specific support," continued Martin.

On the issue of protecting Canada’s supply management system, cattlemen advise dairy farmers to keep a wary eye on WTO proceedings.

They may end up where we are if supply management disappears say local cattlemen.

"I will be touring local farms and meeting district farmers tomorrow to see and hear for myself the potential impact of this new threat to our agricultural community. I am afraid that the consequences of WTO may be the sacrifice of our agricultural and rural economies on the alter of free trade," said Martin.

"At the end of the day, U.S. farmers are still able to live on a large cushion of taxpayers subsidies, while we are forced to move closer to open season on big areas of our domestic economy.

"It’s neither a fair nor level playing field," concluded Martin.

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