The annual Perth County Federation of Agriculture (PCFA) Forum took place recently. Perth-Wellington MP John Nater and MPP Randy Pettapiece agreed that this area is extremely fortunate to have such capable and successful producers representing the industry. John Nater said “While there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding international trade and NAFTA, it is always encouraging to hear from farm and agriculture leaders about their optimism for the industry. Dairy industry representatives spoke about proposed changes to the Canada Food Guide, which could mean the elimination of dairy from the guide. If approved, the move could have serious repercussions on an industry employing 70,000 people in Ontario. International trade agreements were top-of-mind for many commodity groups. They cited ongoing uncertainty over NAFTA, and the lack of any clear timeline to ratify CPTPP—the new free trade agreement involving 11 countries, including Canada.
