The former Premier of New Brunswick, Frank McKenna says it’s important to reduce our dependency on the U-S adding that trying to get a free trade deal with countries like China is going to be challenging, which is why he agrees with the concept of sector agreements for now.
McKenna is also the Former Canadian Ambassador to the United States and says when it comes to the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement it was a good thing we got a deal.
He says there are a few nicks in it, but over a trillion dollars in trade is protected, noting however that ratification of the agreement could be a challenge.
“It’s going to go into the sausage factory in the United States now. We’ve got a different political party now controlling Congress, so it’s going to get confusing and complicated and they’ll be horse-trading and there’s no guarantee of anything. I suspect at the end of the day we’ll have some form of the current agreement.”
He notes if it doesn’t get through we’ll go back to the original NAFTA which always worked well for Canada.
In talking to the crowd at Agribition Wall also cautioned the group that Agriculture needs to learn from the negative branding that hit the energy sector giving all Canadian oil the unfair designation of being dirty oil.
He notes that same lead manifesto that calls for an end to oil and gas, and an end to mining is calling for an end to modern agriculture.
Wall says things that are not scientifically based but have a hipster appeal are being used to market against the interest of Agriculture.
“Consider that you can go to a store in Saskatchewan today and buy a finished product made from oats. The label on the oats will say GMO-free; there is not an oats crop that is GMO on the planet. That label is so powerful; the GMO-free label is so powerful, notwithstanding the fact that there isn’t any science that backs it up.”
He says, as a result, we’re seeing non-GMO crops or at least up the value chain using that label to sell a product.
Wall says the Agriculture industry needs to be aware of what’s being said and be ready to counter it.
Source : Discoverestevan