Evidence of meeting #22 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was board.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Mark Wartman  Minister of Agriculture and Food, Government of Saskatchewan
Rosann Wowchuk  Minister of of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Government of Manitoba
Doug Horner  Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Government of Alberta

5:25 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Yves Roy Bloc Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

It's more of a statement than a question and it's directed to Mr. Wartman.

Basically, if I were a processor, or if I wanted to set up a processing company, I would not want to do business with the Canadian Wheat Board because in my opinion, I would be paying too much for the wheat and my business would not be profitable.

I would want to pay the lowest possible price by negotiating with producers, one on one, if necessary, to get the best possible price and thus maximize my return.

Do you feel the same way as I do?

5:25 p.m.

Minister of Agriculture and Food, Government of Saskatchewan

Mark Wartman

Yes, of course. If you can divide, you can conquer. In this case, what we see is that there is value-added development and it does operate through the structures of the Canadian Wheat Board. We could only speculate whether there would be more or less without the board, but we do know there is value-added with the board. We could only speculate, then, on what the impact would be on primary producers with value-added development if the board was not there.

That said, both we as government and the producer groups, I think without exception, want to see more value-added. It is my understanding, in all my discussions with the board members, that they want to see more value-added. The structures and the visionary work that is being done by the board are about trying to enable that to happen, but not to make it a race for the bottom in terms of price. That's the big concern. We want to make sure they can maximize.

We sell potash as a single-desk seller. Canpotex sells potash into the world as a single-desk seller. They don't sell separately because they know they can be taken, but together they have a strength that enables them to sell potash successfully and make the best deals possible everywhere in the world.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz

Thank you, Mr. Wartman.

Mr. Horner, very quickly.

5:30 p.m.

Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Government of Alberta

Doug Horner

If you want an example of how it can work, look to oats.

5:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz

Thanks so much for your presence here today, ladies and gentlemen. We understand that you've taken time out of your busy schedules. I know Mr. Wartman is back in session tomorrow, Ms. Wowchuk is back to Manitoba, and Mr. Horner is back to Alberta.

Thank you so much for your appearances here today before the committee. These meetings will be ongoing.

This meeting stands adjourned.