Farmers in southern Manitoba anxious, bracing for U.S. tariffs
Farmers in southern Manitoba anxious, bracing for U.S. tariffs
Manitoba is one of Canada's biggest hog producers with millions being annually shipped to, and processed in, the U.S. So the threat of 25-per-cent tariffs being levied on Canadian goods, including the agriculture sector, is worrisome for farmers in southern Manitoba. "We obviously don't want it. Nobody really wants this or needs it," said John Nickel, who has nearly 6,000 sows — and piglets being born daily — at his two hog farms near Lowe Farm and Tolstoi. The hogs are sold to a farm in Minnesota, with Nickel sending a truck load there every week. He's not sure what the full extent of tariffs would do to his production but says it would be challenging to find an alternative market to sell the livestock. Nickel said he could possibly hold off exports for one to three weeks, but sooner or later the pigs would have to move to the next phase of production. "It would be really difficult for Canada to absorb just the production from our farm — never mind that we are far from the only f
Manitoba is one of Canada's biggest hog producers with millions being annually shipped to, and processed in, the U.S. So the threat of 25-per-cent tariffs being levied on Canadian goods, including the agriculture sector, is worrisome for farmers in southern Manitoba. "We obviously don't want it. Nobody really wants this or needs it," said John Nickel, who has nearly 6,000 sows — and piglets being born daily — at his two hog farms near Lowe Farm and Tolstoi. The hogs are sold to a farm in Minnesota, with Nickel sending a truck load there every week. He's not sure what the full extent of tariffs would do to his production but says it would be challenging to find an alternative market to sell the livestock. Nickel said he could possibly hold off exports for one to three weeks, but sooner or later the pigs would have to move to the next phase of production. "It would be really difficult for Canada to absorb just the production from our farm — never mind that we are far from the only f