Farmscape for February 15, 2005  (Episode 1725)

Mark Wartman

Agriculture Ministers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba report they're finding support among US political leaders for the elimination of antidumping duties on live Canadian swine entering the US.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Mark Wartman and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk traveled to Washington last week as part of a delegation that met with US political leaders and agriculture industry officials.

Mark Wartman says, while there's a mix of perspectives, many US politicians find the import duties on live Canadian swine are not helpful and would like to see them removed.

Clip-Mark Wartman-Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization

As we've looked at antidumping this does not fit with the classic economic model of dumping.

Certainly with the prices being set in the US, this doesn't make any sense in terms of what dumping is.

Our producers, most of them, were not selling for under their cost of production.

I think what they found, when they really looked into it, is that there was one in the numbers that they audited who was selling for somewhat under the cost of production.

It was on that one that they set the numbers.

I just think that, overall, it's harmful for trade relationships between Canada and the US and I think that there needs to be a lot of work done on how the US applies these rules.

Rosann Wowchuk says there's a widespread agreement that the application of these duties impact American producers as well as Canadian producers.

She says, in reality, swine producers on both sides of the border have found a way to work together, in that Canadian producers can raise weanlings cheaper while American producers can finish the pigs cheaper.

She suggests that's what should be allowed to happen rather than be involved with such challenges.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council