Dairy supply management system is 'working well,' Thunder Bay farmer says

Canada's dairy industry has been caught in the crossfire of a heated war of words between the Canadian and United States governments that could escalate into a full-on trade war.

Thunder Bay-area dairy farmer Bernie Kamphof told CBC News the recent attention drawn to the dairy industry and the supply management system has created a sense of unease for dairy farmers.

"It's a made-in-Canada solution that's working well, and we'd like to keep it that way," he said. "We like the way it is right now."

"It's not that it's perfect, but it's been working well for both the consumers and for the farmers."

U.S. President Donald Trump has called the system unfair to American dairy farmers and has advocated for it to be dismantled.

Kamphof said he's not worried about Trump but is rather concerned what the Canadian government might do to appease the president who has become highly critical of trade with Canada.  

Supply management: The argument for and against, and why Trump hates it

6 years ago

Duration 1:11

The National takes a brief look at supply management, the argument for and against it, and why U.S. President Donald Trump hates it and complains about Canada's system.

"The thing that we would be as dairy farmers concerned about would be the potential for our government to not support us any more because they are trying to appease Trump or trying to play us off against other sectors in a trade dispute," Kamphof added.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised to protect the system, and Kamphof said he recognizes the support the industry has seen so far.

For Kamphof, he said he appreciates the stability that the supply management system brings and that it helps rural communities on the whole.

"It allows me to plan and make investments going into the future with the stability of knowing what I'm going to be getting for my milk price," he said. "If farmers do well, they spend money in the communities and that helps everybody."