Yes, I do.
Hello, dear members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
My name is Richard St-Aubin and I am here to speak to you about the ornamental production in Saint-Amable affected by the Ministerial Order. I am a nursery farmer myself, and a spokesperson for AMA-Terre. I am part of an industry that includes 5,000 business in Quebec, generating more than 40,000 direct jobs and revenues of $1.5 billion a year.
On August 16, the CFIA informed us of the presence of golden nematode in our region, a pest subject to mandatory reporting, which led to the closing of the Canada-US border for all agricultural products coming from Quebec. On October 13, following an agreement between Canada and the United States, the CFIA informed us that a ministerial order was decreed, which placed restrictions on agricultural enterprises in our region and put them under quarantine.
Because of these measures, the five ornamental production businesses in Saint-Amable, four nurseries and one greenhouse, have already suffered considerable losses of revenue, estimated at over $200,000. Their short, medium and long-term future is greatly threatened, even if the golden nematode does not directly attack horticultural productions.
For us, the 2007 started yesterday and today in order to meet demand for our respective markets. When we saw the magnitude of the disaster in our region, all of our physical preparation and planning were suspended since the month of September. We have tried in vain to find solutions. On October 13, we practically had our business shut down without having anything offered to us.
Until now, too few questions of a technical or financial nature have been answered. What about soil analyses? Is there some kind of certification that could allow us to sell our products? Who will compensate us for our present and future losses, additional costs, new measures, possible relocations and the loss of value of our long-term assets? It certainly isn’t the current Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization program that will be able to respond to the crisis currently faced by the region’s farmers.
Our clients are abandoning us, are debtors are worried, our crops are staying in the fields, but the saddest part of all, is that we, our employees and our families believe that things won’t ever be the same.
Until now, we have appreciated the support given us by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but time is of the essence. Our questions remain unanswered, and we are now asking them to the Government of Canada. In collaboration with the Fédération interdisciplinaire de l'horticulture ornementale du Québec, we are submitting a memorandum describing the urgent situation affecting horticultural enterprises in our region.
Thank you for listening.