SaskMilk pleased with billions in federal budget

The federal government is promising billions of dollars for Canada’s dairy, egg and poultry farmers.

SaskMilk’s manager of policy and communications Joy Smith said she is pleased with the announcement.

“Our reaction as an industry is this is a positive sign,” she said. “This is similar to packages from previous governments and as such it looks like a positive development.”

The $3.65 billion for farmers was part of the Trudeau government’s 2019 federal budget announced Tuesday.

The budget sets aside $1.5 billion over the coming years for farmers when they sell their production rights in the widely debated supply-management system.

Smith said SaskMilk is waiting for more information.

“We just do not know what the details are or how it is going to work,” she said. “We are not really as focused on that particular piece until we know more about it.”

The budget has not provided specifics on how or when the money will be distrubuted.

Canadian dairy farmers have been feeling the pinch in recent months due to free trade deals Canada has struck with countries in Europe and Asia.

Smith said the money will alleviate some of that pressure over time.

“Going forward this will compensate for the lost market,” she said. “Dairy farmers are going to have to work hard to make sure they grow the market and create new and innovative things.”