Canada’s National Butter Reserve: Inside the Government Stockpile That Keeps Your Holiday Baking Sweet and Secure

The article discusses Canada’s national butter reserve, a government stockpile that ensures Canadians have access to butter for baking and other uses. The reserve is managed by the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) and stores around 70 million kilograms of butter in warehouses across the country.

Here are some key points from the article:

1. Purpose: The reserve was created to prevent shortages of butter, which can occur due to fluctuations in milk production caused by weather conditions.
2. Storage: Butter is stored in cold, dark warehouses until it’s needed again.
3. Management: The CDC sets quotas and prices for butter going into the reserve and buys butter from Canadian farmers and processors like Agropur Dairy Cooperative.
4. Import tariffs: Canada has high tariffs on imported dairy products, which annoys some trading partners, including New Zealand and the US.
5. Supply management rules: The government limits the flow of foreign dairy products into Canada to protect domestic farmers.
6. Use: Butter from the reserve is used by processors like Agropur, who sell it to supermarkets and other customers when demand is high.

The article highlights the complexities of Canada’s dairy supply chain and the measures taken by the government to ensure a stable butter market for Canadians.