Canadian agriculture ministers briefed on trade-war contingency plan
VANCOUVER — Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay emphasized the importance of the provinces working together as an escalating trade war with the United States puts some farmers on edge.
The minister said his provincial and territorial counterparts discussed trade negotiations and the contingency plan during their conference that wrapped up Friday in Vancouver.
There’s already a safety net in place through the $3-billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership launched earlier this year to help farmers manage risks and deal with problems, MacAulay said.
“We’re not going to speculate on what might develop or might not develop, but there’s a framework in place with the Canadian Agricultural Partnership now,” he said. “There is a system in place to make sure if we hit any major problems that we’re able to deal with it. That’s why this meeting in the last couple of days is so important.”