Is Canada’s wheat quality assurance system under threat in the current NAFTA talks?
TheManitoba Co-operatorreports the National Farmers Union says Canada needs to be on guard against U.S. efforts to destroy it.
“Canada’s grain-grading system is the key to our international competitiveness, particularly for wheat,” Terry Boehm, chair of the NFU’s trade committee, said in a news release Sept. 11.
The U.S. has long claimed that Canada discriminates against American wheat delivered to western Canadian elevators. All American wheat is ineligible for an official Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) grade.
With Canada’s weaker dollar, Cereals Canada President Cam Dahl doubts many American farmers want to ship wheat north. And while U.S. wheat can be purchased at fair price by Canadian elevators based on specifications, American concerns about fair treatment need to be addressed.
See the full report at theManitoba Co-operator.