Discussions

The US and Canada have reached an agreement. The US will now have access to almost 4% of our dairy market.  
 
Will you still buy Canadian milk even if the American equivalent might be cheaper?

I have some research to do into the American dairy industry but their milk products scare me a bit. Maybe it's not true (and hence why I need to do research!) but don't they allow a lot more hormones and stuff into their products? If so, I will not buy it. If it turns out to be all the same as Canadian milk AND it's cheaper? Then yes, I will buy it because money is always tight and I gotta do what I gotta do to feed my family.

Brandon manitoba makes dairyland milk right here in the city at saputo! If you can please support local. Major corporations like Walmart are squeezing out the little guys and trying to find the cheapest alternatives. Walmart here in Brandon will no longer be selling dairyland and supporting the milk that is made right here in the city.

After being through the states multiple times I no longer see the savings to be had. Milk when I saw it was $2.99US in the states. It is around the $4.75 here. So about 1.50 difference. I know I won't be rushing to the border to grab a jug of milk.

That's all I buy... it's definitely superior <:3

A loaded question.People buy whats cheaper. There is a very good argument that the supply management system in Canada has only protected a small cartel of dairy, poultry, and egg farmers at the cost of us consumers. It simply drives up our prices. However, the majority of agricultural farmers, beef, pork, grain, etc, will benefit from more trade in products. Those farmers won't, and never have,received government subsidies, which the government says it will provide to the dairy farmers in this new agreement. So maybe they have to lower their prices but their pockets remain just as full. Perhaps some local beef/pork farmers will comment on this topic?

Is watery garbage that always goes bad before expiry! Dairyland all the way!!

Would not any milk brought into Canada have to conform to all the regulations we have in place? And we have free choice of our buying power - buy CANADIAN,

.....Mr T. I too would like to hear from local producers.  
 
I have no trouble buying “local” but can certainly understand the pressures of economy having had four sons to raise.  
 
There was some tough days when sovereignty and patriotism were simply not a factor in our shopping. Price was King.

Mr.T. said "A loaded question.People buy whats cheaper. There is a very good argument that the supply management system in Canada has only protected a small cartel of dairy, poultry, and egg farmers at the cost of us consumers. It simply drives up our prices. However, the majority of agricultural farmers, beef, pork, grain, etc, will benefit from more trade in products. Those farmers won't, and never have,received government subsidies, which the government says it will provide to the dairy farmers in this new agreement. So maybe they have to lower their prices but their pockets remain just as full. Perhaps some local beef/pork farmers will comment on this topic? "

post yet! There's absolutely no way that we should be paying what we are for dairy products in this country. Supply management keeps prices artificially high.  
Did anyone see the news at noon, with what had to be one of the biggest dairy farms on it? A massive machine driving along dropping feed for the cows then all the milking machines? And one of the politicians had the nerve to be on TV last week talking about the farmers "getting up every morning to milk the cows". Ha !!!

unfortunately this is a political issue. I believe we should be competitive but what do you do when unfair trade relations happen. this I think is the case with dairy in Canada. the issue is not the US dumping product, but the Canadian product being protected. it has everything to do with politics, unfortunately the wisest ones in the land disappoint again.

I guess if we were talking soccer or football, a level playing field might be possible, but we are talking a dairy industry that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Peace River area of northern Alberta.  
When you are talking not only geographic differences, but differences in tax systems as well as energy costs and even transportation differences.  
It might be great to champion the cost of cheaper costs of milk on the US, but one had to look at what happens in an industry where prices are free to move not only down when there is a surplus but also up if there is a shortage. Why would there ever be a shortage?  
Shortages do occur in the American dairy industry, it seems every few years there is a major cull in the dairy cow herd, overproduction leads to low prices which in turn makes it impossible to stay in production, cut the cow herd and create a shortage, yes it is supply and demand, but the production of milk is becoming something that is industrialized.  
One other thing one must keep in mind is the Canadian dollar does fluctuate, and something that is cheaper today may soon go up in price because of something like dollar appreciation.  
Just a personal opinion is that I don't mind having a supply management system that guarantees a supply of a product that is not exactly an expensive source of protein, while trying to protect those who produce it.  
 
Maybe we should of had an agreement similar to the lumber deal, no tariffs as long as the price remained above a certain price, but once the price dropped to a preset level tariff would come into effect.

Beef from the states you can tell right by taste as they feed them different from here.  
 
I wonder if it applies to milk.  
 
I will buy Canadian.  
 
Just curious about the America’s milk.  
 
I have to say though Canadian dairy producers have had it licked down more than it should have.

The new rules state USA product will have to labelled as such. I hope the label is a decent size so one does not need a magnifying glass to see. The Canadian dairy farmers have had a hand up for far too long. We still will as simple logistics like closeness to market for these perishables help them. In the future I can see though places like dairyland sourcing from close to the border US farms. So be it but to help our farmers the dairy farmers should mandate the packagers to use big made in Canada labels or a unique colour package. We need our choice of country for dairy products to be easy.

as I was fed up with Beatrice and Lucerne milk spoiling several days before the "best before" date and I absolutely prefer the taste of Dairyland milk.

Remember seeing on TV as thousands of litres of milk were poured, dumped down the sewer because they couldn't get the price they wanted for it. Since then I haven't had much sympathy. Stores are not allowed to sell milk on special, if I'm not mistaken. Consumers got the dirty end of that arrangement.

I doubt that the US will make an impact on milk, or that their even interested in milk. I believe they will be after our cheese. Cheese is expensive here, and super cheap in America. That's where they would be making better profits.  
 
I won't buy the America milk, but if it's cheese.. I will definitely will buy it.

Dairland is quite often 3.99 4 L at Shoppers Drug Mart! At coop though it’s $5.79 a good $1.00 or more than other brands they carry. Surprised to hear Walmart won’t carry it, wonder if it’s all dairyland products?

All dairyland products are no longer carried by our Walmart.

Beatrice is all I ever buy. Never had it go bad once in fact it does not even get close to the expiration date as I usually drink a 4 litre jug every 3-4 days. As for the watery content I buy whole milk and it actually seems real creamy when it comes to the last glass of milk in the jug.

SzaSza said "All dairyland products are no longer carried by our Walmart. "

Have you been to Wal Mart Lately? They carry dairyland products. I was there last night and bought dairyland milk and I see there is dairyland butter in their flyer.

Sorry to say, beef producers are often feeding the same way here now too as far as corn fed. This practice is growing, as it is a cheaper feed that puts fat weight on the cows resulting in a heavier animal in less time. You can taste it right away. If you want better tasting meat, you can still find meat that isn't fed that way, but instead fed grass(summer)/hay(winter) and traditional grassy grains (not corn grain). This is why Canadian beef used to be superior. It was not fed as the US fed theirs.  
 
What you feed cows does affect the flavor of milk. Most dairies feed hay & a manmade supplement and keep their cows under a roof. The supplement increases the volume of milk, but the quality goes way down. The milk is super white instead of creamy colored, has no flavor, and gives a very consistent product dairy to dairy. There is next to no cream in the milk as everyone wants less fat. The consumers drive this type of product.  
 
If you compare that commercial milk to milk from a traditional cow that is outside and grazing between milkings (or in winter, eating hay), and has no supplement except for a touch of barley, you will have creamy colored, thicker milk, and loads of flavor. You have higher fat milk due to the cream.  
 
If that cow who is outside gets weeds, it makes the nastiest flavored milk you would ever taste. If she gets green grass,that sweetens it. The choice of grain fed can also affect the flavor & the cream content.  
 
I need to add here that holsteins do give less cream in their milk than jerseys, and there is lots of variation in between depending on the breed chosen. Even so, changing the diet of a holstein from commercial to traditional feed will still make a difference to the milk quality.

Roger said "Beatrice is all I ever buy. Never had it go bad once in fact it does not even get close to the expiration date as I usually drink a 4 litre jug every 3-4 days. As for the watery content I buy whole milk and it actually seems real creamy when it comes to the last glass of milk in the jug. "

When our cows aren't milking, this is our choice as well for our family. It doesn't go bad as quickly for us as other brands.  
 
The watery content solution is certainly solved by buying whole milk.  
 
I have found that I can no longer drink any brands of processed milk as I can't digest it properly anymore. I guess that is okay, because the texture and flavor of any commercial milk is always disappointing to me anyway. You just can't beat the real thing.

Dairyland is in Walmart until beginning of November. Saputo has lost the Walmart milk business across Canada - not sure about cheese & butter. A family member works at Saputo here in Brandon. As a result, layoff notices were given to several employees at Saputo last week. Saputo has to provide 2 months notice of a layoff. There will be layoffs across Canada.

Oh! Okay, did not know that. Thank you for the info.

For one, retailers set the price not wholesalers...so just like the time farmers were selling cows for next to nothing during the mad cow scare, beef at the store was still the same price. Secondly essentially all of the 3.6% they can access will likely go to processing/industrial/bulk sales...pretty sure it will all be a “non event”.

Local all the way!

I should have clarified that saputo lost the contract and it would begin November. My husband works at saputo so I know that Walmart will no longer carry dairyland milk.

Farmers have to have contracts to grow potatoes so supply is managed. The Canadian Wheat Board was a supply management system for grain and farmers voted it out, some now regret that decision. Doesn't it make sense to only produce what you need? Why put extra energy and resources into unnecessary perishable items? Our Canadian Dairy farmers are faced with stricter regulations all the time, both related to feed and environmental costs of managing their manure. These regulations force farmers to spend more money to upgrade thus raising their cost of production. We produce the highest quality of milk here in Manitoba of all of North America, I will pay a little more for it. We do not allow antibiotics or hormones in our milk here in Manitoba, it's standard practice in USA to use hormones to increase production, when they are already over producing. Please buy local, support our Canadian Dairy farmers who contribute to our community in many ways.

Why do people resent it when someone is paid fairly for what they do. I know dairy farmers and they are not rich, they have put in hours before most of you have even hit the snooze button once. Also, why do you think you have a right to cheap food. For those of you who have no idea what it takes to raise a cow, pig, chicken or a vegetable, you should be thanking the people that do. This enables you to live your life of looking for the next fun thing to do to keep yourself entertained. For those that do live on a tight budget, and I have been there, you can still eat healthy, it may not be exciting, but you will not go hungry. So, once you have tried producing your own food, stop complaining about the people that keep you alive.