Barlow Says Farmers Paying The Price For Liberal Mistakes

Heightened trade tensions between China and Canada has farmers worried in the Foothills.

China has stopped canola shipments coming from Canadian agribusiness, Richardson International, which exports 30 per cent of Alberta canola.

Foothills Member of Parliament, John Barlow, met with farmers in Blackie on Tuesday, March 6, and says it's farmers paying the price of the Liberal Government's foreign affairs failures.

"The resounding response from producers in my riding today is this is going to hurt. They've already seen precipitous drops in the price of canola."

As spring seeding is quickly approaching, Barlow says most of the farmers expressed they will be sticking with their planting decisions, as it take months of preparation.

Barlow says this is an issue which needs to be resolved quickly, but they've yet to hear anything from the Liberal Government.

He adds, this ban has nothing to do with canola producers and is likely linked to the Huawei issue causing friction between the two countries.

In a release on Tuesday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said China's decision is wrong and unfair.

Notley is calling on Ottawa to "stop its navel-gazing about its internal controversies and fight back".