Now is not time to fight: Hampton

Now isn’t the time to push for easier in-transit regulations when shipping livestock or products through the United States, NDP leader and local MPP Howard Hampton advised farmers Saturday night.
Speaking at the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture’s annual meeting in Pinewood, Hampton said he became involved with the in-transit issue (which involves shipping livestock from one point in Canada to another via the States) after a request from local farmer Tom Morrish–even though it is a federal issue.
He told farmers they’d have to wait for a while yet before the regulations on in-transit shipping become any easier.
“The American agriculture industry, particularly in the mid-west, is not in good shape right now,” he noted. “A lot of their products go to the Asian market.
“I don’t need to tell you there is a depression in the Asian market,” he added.
Hampton said the Americans are “very touchy” when it comes to agriculture, which is evident by the number of border states which have closed off their boundaries to Canadian agricultural shipments, regardless of whether or not they are bound for that state.
“U.S. politicians are under a lot of heat to take tough symbolic stands–even if [in-transit] has no effect on their economy,” Hampton noted.
“This is going to take some time,” he said. “This would have been easier five years ago.”
Hampton said he would continue to work on this issue.