In light of the lack of progress in negotiations aimed at modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement, Keystone Agricultural Producers is urging the federal government to ratify the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Delegates on hand last week for Keystone Agricultural Producers’ summer advisory council meeting passed a resolution that instructs KAP to urge the federal government to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
KAP President Bill Campbell says uncertainty surrounding the negotiations aimed at modernizing NAFTA bring to light the need to have other trade options available.
We’re seeing some requests from producers with regards to ratification and being one of the first six countries of the CPTPP. I think most producers at this particular time concern is with regards to harvest and getting their crop in the bin. But if we don’t see some form of action taking place at this time, when they want to make deliveries and opportunities for pricing and various options that should be available to them, they may not have those if we wait until Christmas time or until the government gets back to sitting in house. We may lose some windows of opportunity.
Farmers will do their part and we will get the crop in the bin but after that we do not need restrictions with regards to where we can sell our crop so we need those things happening now. We need other markets. We can not rely so heavily on one just because it is convenient. If we are going to export products we need to have all options available to us.
~ Bill Campbell, Keystone Agricultural Producers
Campbell acknowledges the Canadian government is taking a firm stance in trying to look after Canadian interests in the NAFTA negotiations but we need to be aware that we also need other markets.
