The DFO sets most prices based on those established at the national level by the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC).
[5] In March 2018, the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU) hosted events in Eau Claire, Edgar, Fond du Lac, Dodgeville, and Westby[6] featuring DFO's Ralph Dietrich and Murray Sherk talking to Wisconsin dairy farmers about the benefits of Canada's dairy supply management to Canadian "producers, processors and the Canadian economy"[7]: 4 In his message as DFO VC, Dietrich said that with American dairy system facing a crisis, the SM system provides an orderly marketing system as an option.
Annually, Ontario dairy farms produce $1.8 billion worth of milk products making them the largest agricultural sector in the province.
At the 2018 Spring Policy Conference (SPC), topics of discussion included the potential economic impact of international trade negotiations, both the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), signed March 2018, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) under renegotiation.
Other concerns included 2018 "milk production exceeding current demand" and changes in Health Canada's policies regarding the food guide and its labeling standards.