The Canadian Dairy Commission is a Crown corporation established in 1966. The Commission provides a framework for managing Canada’s dairy industry, a shared federal and provincial responsibility. It serves as a facilitator and intervener in forums that influence Canada’s dairy policy, and coordinates federal and provincial dairy policies. The Commission also administers the dairy production control mechanism to avoid production shortages or surpluses.
Since the introduction of supply management in the dairy sector, the Commission has administered support prices and the national marketing quota. Each year, the Commission sets the support price for butter and skim milk powder after consulting industry members. These prices provide a benchmark and are used by provincial marketing boards to set the price of milk in each province. The Commission also continuously monitors national production and demand and recommends necessary adjustments to the national milk production target.
The Commission operates on a dairy year which runs from August 1st to July 31st.
As facilitator and administrator, the Commission also jointly manages several programs with the industry:
As facilitator and administrator, the Commission also jointly manages several programs with the industry:
Matching Investment Fund
The Matching Investment Fund is designed to help eligible companies and Food Technology Centres with product development initiatives that help stimulate demand for Canadian dairy products and ingredients.
Dairy Innovation Program
The Dairy Innovation Program was created to provide access to additional milk volume and encourage product development to help grow the market for Canadian milk and milk products.
Special Milk Classes Permit Program
The Special Milk Classes Permit Program (SMCPP) which includes Classes 5(a), (b) and (c) provides eligible further processors and animal feed manufacturers with the means to access Canadian manufactured dairy ingredients, at prices that will allow them to remain competitive in the marketplace.
Workforce Development Initiative
The Workforce Development Initiative encourages productivity, competition and innovation by supporting education and the hiring of a skilled workforce.
Domestic Seasonality Program
These programs allow the Canadian Dairy Commission to work with the private sector to balance the seasonal demand and supply of products for the domestic market.