Buttergate: Why are Canadians complaining about hard butter?
Some years ago the dairy monopoly in Canada caused a schism in its  conservative party because the dairy board people have so much power. What was set up as a guaranteed market for farmers has become an oligopoly of agribusiness. Quebec has this for maple syrup as well. It&#x27;s corruption. Dairy quota discussions quickly become a proxy for the role of the federal government.<p>They say they maintain &quot;good&quot; prices for both producers and consumers, but the price inflation of cheese and beef has been absurd and cheese has become a luxury good.<p>What it means is that it is effectively illegal to start a dairy farm or a small scale cheese making operation. There is more enforcement against black market raw milk products than there is against meth dealers. The regulators insist it&#x27;s to protect people from being poisoned, but it&#x27;s really to protect the monopoly power and political sway. If you want to get a few cows and start an artisinal cheese business and grow it, you are out of luck.  The city administrative classes hate rural people and they create and maintain these &quot;safety&quot; regulations to stamp out the culture. The country is so bland they have effectively succeeded. It&#x27;s never just about butter. :)