In a recent editorial (As grocery prices soar, the dairy lobby’s supply management has got to go, June 18, 2024), Mr. Manley and Mr. Goldenberg declared that supply management, “keeps food prices higher than they need to be”. This narrative is both overly simplistic and patently false.

The pricing statistics that Mr. Manley and Mr. Goldenberg refer to are misaligned. When considering farm gate prices, supply-managed products have remained stable and generally in line or below inflationary trends in Canada. For example, 2023 year-end data indicates a 6.1% decrease in the farm gate price of chicken, a 0% increase in the farm gate price of eggs, and the farm gate price of milk only increased by 2.2%. The authors’ argument also fails to acknowledge the important distinction between farm gate and retail pricing, nor does it point out that farmers do not set retail prices.

Additionally, if COVID-19 showed us anything, it was the importance of robust local food production to ensure food security. Consumers can be assured that this food is produced with the high-quality standards they have come to expect.

We also know that in certain deregulated markets, such as the US, consumers end up paying for their dairy twice – once through their taxes, and again in retail stores.

To call for such drastic changes to our food supply without giving Canadians a full understanding of the potential negative impacts of eliminating our time-tested system is short-sighted. Why would anyone suggest that our country would be better off by compromising its food sovereignty and security?

David Wiens, President, Dairy Farmers of Canada

Roger Pelissero, Chair, Egg Farmers of Canada

Tim Klompmaker, Chair, Chicken Farmers of Canada

Darren Ference, Chair, Turkey Farmers of Canada

Brian Bilkes, Chair, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers