OTTAWA -- Thousands of milk producers have gathered on Parliament Hill to protest the imports of a U.S. protein used in Canadian cheese products.
They estimate imports of the protein -- known as diafiltered milk -- cost them $220 million a year.
Cheese sold in Canada must include a minimum percentage of actual milk.
Canadian cheese companies, however, are using the diafiltered milk, which crosses the border without tariff through a loophole, to fulfil milk quotas in their products.
The producers are also protesting in favour of maintaining Canada's supply management system, which protects eggs, dairy and poultry from foreign competition and guarantee certain farmers a price and demand for their products.
They also say they were promised financial compensation from Conservative and Liberal governments in exchange for signing Trans-Pacific and European trade agreements but that they have not received anything as of yet.
