During winter, Alberta’s farmers and producers usually spend their time marketing their product and planning for the season ahead, but with Trump’s looming threat of a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods into the U.S., farmers are feeling uneasy of what the future holds.
While the impact on Alberta’s energy sector seems inevitable, the impact on grain and agriculture is unpredictable.
According to Alberta Grains director Dave Bishop, Alberta grain is traded internationally, exported to approximately 70 countries. About 11 per cent of the province’s barley, and five per cent of its wheat, is exported to the U.S.
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“(It) doesn’t sound like a large number, but just think about it,” said Bishop. “If you make whatever your wage is, say you drop it by 10 per cent. Are you going to like that?”
Bishop says although it’s difficult to plan for the unknown, Alberta Grains hopes to work with both the provincial and federal governments to mitigate the potential tariff impacts.
“One way we can [mitigate] is to try and diversify our markets,” said Bishop. “So, we need to go out there and try to sell our product to countries we haven’t been able to sell to before.”
Watch the video in the player above to learn more.