West wants in on Quebec's coffee whitener market

The Western provinces are whipping up a trade battlewith Quebec over dessert toppings and other products made by oilseed producers.

Saskatchewan says it is challenging Quebec's restrictions thatprevent certain margarine, coffee whiteners and dessert toppings from being sold in the Quebec market.

The challenge is to be heard Jan. 8 in Quebec City by a disputeresolution panel under the pan-Canadian Agreement on Internal Trade.

Saskatchewan's challenge is being supported by the governments ofAlberta, Manitoba and British Columbia.

A ruling by the panel is expected by the end of March.

Saskatchewan Trade Minister Tim McMillan said Quebec's traderestrictions are illegal under rules that prohibit governments fromcreating barriers to interprovincial trade.

"Saskatchewan believes in free trade, and our government iscommitted to knocking down barriers that harm our farmers,"McMillan said in a release Monday.

Statistics Canada said the 2013 canola harvest in mainly WesternCanada reached nearly 18 million tonnes -- the second record-breakingcanola crop in three years.

Other oilseeds produced in Canada include soybeans, sunflowersand flax.

Sean McPhee, president of the Vegetable Oil Industry of Canada,said oilseed producers support the trade challenge.

"Our members look forward to the time when vegetable oil-basedalternatives to dairy products can be manufactured and sold in allparts of Canada," he said.

Quebec's dairy industry organization, the Federation desproducteurs de lait du Quebec, estimates its members make more than42 per cent of Canada's dairy products.