| CRFA speaks out on high dairy prices |
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(Oct. 20/09)
The following letter was published in the Globe and Mail on Oct. 20, 2009:
Speaking of being held hostage
Canada's export-oriented farmers and international trade negotiators aren't the only ones being held hostage by the dairy industry (Will Canada-EU Trade Talks Be Cowed By Dairy Farmers? - Oct. 19). Restaurant and food-service operators have long been frustrated by dairy prices that continue to soar well above world levels, even as production costs drop. Our members tell us they want to put more dairy products on their menus, but sky-high prices are forcing them to use less. Some restaurateurs refer to mozzarella cheese as "white gold."
To make matters worse, the dairy industry allows frozen pizza makers to buy cheese at a deep discount, to help them compete with U.S. imports. But the dairy industry refuses to offer the same price to fresh pizza makers. Being held hostage to archaic dairy policies makes it extremely tough to compete with the growing array of gourmet frozen pizzas so effectively advertised as "just like delivery," and ultimately means Canada's 84,000 restaurant and food-service establishments will continue to look for ways to take dairy products off their menus.
Garth Whyte, President and CEO,
Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
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