Peterborough-area dairy producer fires back at President Donald Trump

Increasingly targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump, dairy farmers across Canada are speaking out.

Will Vanderhorst is a dairy producer based in Norwood, Ont. He said the president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada has already met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pledge his support to the Canadian leader.

READ MORE: As Trump fires at Canadian dairy, U.S. agriculture secretary announces trip to P.E.I.

Recently, the American leader has been making noise, through his Twitter account and comments to the media, alleging that trade agreements between the two North American nations are unfavourable to Americans. Dairy production has been targeted by the President.

“President Trump obviously doesn’t have the facts,” Vanderhorst said, adding that the U.S. already enjoys a trade surplus when it comes to dairy products.

“Canada already allows 10 per cent access to other countries, to our market; the US only allows three per cent,” Vanderhorst said. “In 2017, the U.S. sent almost a billion dollars’ worth of dairy products into Canada. We exported very little into the United States.”

READ MORE: Why Canadian dairy is triggering trade turmoil

Vanderhorst travelled to Michigan this week to meet with his American counterparts. He said they’ve asked for help from the Ontario dairy industry as they address their oversupply issue.

“They have a terrible situation over there,” Vanderhorst said. “It’s a little bit ironic that President Trump is targeting our industry when his producers are so dissatisfied with their situation there.”