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Minister Ritz Announces Reappointment to Canadian Dairy Commission

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October 15, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario– Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced today the reappointment of Jacques Laforge as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC). Mr. Laforge’s appointment is for a three-year term effective February 2, 2015. Biographical notes are attached.

Quick Facts

• The CDC is a Crown corporation established in 1966 to coordinate federal and provincial dairy policies and create a control mechanism for stabilizing milk production and revenues.
• The CDC plays a key role in shaping dairy policy in Canada and provides a framework for the effective management of the industry as a whole, which is a jurisdiction shared by the federal and provincial governments.
• The CDC Board of Directors is appointed by the Government of Canada upon the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. As CEO, Mr. Laforge will sit on a three-member board along with the Commissioner and the Chairman.

Quotes

"I am very pleased that Mr. Laforge has accepted this reappointment to the Commission. Mr. Laforge has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication during his term as CEO. He is committed to building a strong and sustainable dairy industry, and I am confident that he will continue to serve Canada’s dairy producers and processors well.”

- Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz

To learn more about the CDC, please visit www.cdc-ccl.gc.ca/CDC/index.php

Media Contacts

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-773-7972
1-866-345-7972
Follow us on Twitter: @AAFC_Canada

Jeff English
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz 
613-773-1059

Biographical Note

Mr. Laforge was first appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Dairy Commission in February 2012. Mr. Laforge is well known for his leadership in agriculture both nationally and in his home province of New Brunswick, where he and his wife Patsy have operated a successful 1,000-acre mixed farming operation since 1980. Throughout his farming career, he has shown a strong dedication to serving his fellow farmers. Mr. Laforge served as an executive on the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick board of directors for 10 years before taking on the role of chairman from 1995 to 2000. While leading the Dairy Farmers of New Brunswick, he also served as chairman of the Atlantic Dairy and Forage Institute from 1997 to 2000. Mr. Laforge's leadership and expertise in the dairy industry have benefited the sector across the country. Having served on the board of directors of the Dairy Farmers of Canada since the 1980s, he joined the executive in 1999. In 2004, he took on the role of president, a title he held until 2011. Mr. Laforge also received the Order of New Brunswick in 2011, in recognition of his passion for agriculture and his work to ensure a bright future for Canadian farmers.