Groups representing supply managed commodities are welcoming the approval of a bill in the House of Commons they say will protect their industries.
Bill C-282, which would amend the supply management section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, was approved on third and final reading by Member’s of Parliament (MP) on June 21. The bill received second reading on June 13, 2022, and second reading on February 8, 2023. It was considered at the committee level on April 23, 2023, and the report stage was completed on May 23. Bill C-282 received its first reading in the Senate on June 22 but still requires approval on two more readings by senators before it may be given royal assent by the governor general and become law.
According to a statement issued jointly by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, the bill would safeguard the supply-managed agricultural commodities from further market access concessions to foreign products entering the Canadian market in future trade agreements. Concessions to increased imports of foreign products that would be produced under supply management in Canada have been made in previous trade agreements such as the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The fact Bill C-282 was approved by a majority of MPs in the House of Commons is significant. The bill did not originate from the Liberal government but is instead a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Bloc Québécois MP Luc Theriault who represents the Montcalm riding in the Lanaudière region, northeast of Montreal.
Québec’s largest farm organization, the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), has welcomed the approval of Bill C-282 by the House of Commons.
“It is a historic day for all supply-managed producers, a majority of MPs of all parties have recognized the importance to never make concessions during the next trade negotiations,” said UPA President Martin Caron in a statement.
The approval of the bill by MP’s was also welcomed by the heads of Québec’s dairy, egg, hatching egg, and poultry production organizations. The organizations work together on advocating for the protection of supply management as the Mouvement pour la gestion de l’offre (Supply Management Movement). The mouvement contends supply management provides an equitable market for products without additional government subsidies.
According to the UPA, supply-managed agriculture generates 350,000 jobs in Québec and 221,000 of those jobs are in the dairy sector. The UPA says 6,513 family farms in Québec are part of supply-managed sectors of agriculture.
The national organizations representing commodities marketed under supply management are urging Senators to show their support for the system and vote in favour of adopting Bill C-282 so it can become law.
