Good morning.
I would like to speak briefly about the start-up assistance program for new egg producers, which was officially launched by Quebec's table egg producers in 2006. Through this program for new non-family farmers—only people from outside the sector qualify for the program—they hope to increase the number of producers by focusing on young farmers and regions with low poultry density.
The start-up assistance program for new producers has been a resounding success. It has already brought in five new producers. The 2010 edition will allow a sixth candidate to begin producing eggs thanks to a lifetime quota loan for 5,000 laying hens. The producers who have taken advantage of this program have settled in various regions in Quebec—Chaudière-Appalaches, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Pontiac, Lanaudière and the Eastern Townships. I have compiled a list of the new producers who came from this program and the year they began.
The addition of just one new producer a year might seem modest, but out of a total of 105 producers, that works out to a 1% annual increase. So that constitutes a considerable step. With respect to the lifetime loan of 5,000 laying hens, as a comparison, the revenues of such a business are similar to a dairy farm of about 35 cows or a poultry farm—for meat-producing chickens—of approximately 2,000 square metres.
Along with this program, the centralized quota exchange system, implemented in 2009, will make it possible for these new businesses to expand. It seems clear to us that the supply management system that egg producers operate in allows them to implement all kinds of tools that help ensure the sustainability of the sector. We must recognize that this system is good for Canadian society as a whole, because it gives consumers access to high-quality products in sufficient quantity and at reasonable prices. The market pays producers for their products based on their production costs. At the same time, processors benefit from a very stable supply and achieve an advantageous bottom line. Supply management is also good for the state, and therefore taxpayers, because farmers do not receive any government subsidies to support their incomes.
Furthermore, this system promotes efficient and human-scale agriculture throughout Canada that respects resources and people. We must remember that supply management production accounts for 40% of agricultural income in Quebec, nearly 30% in Ontario and 20% of agriculture in all of Canada. Furthermore, these systems do not cause any distortions to international markets, because their primary objective is to supply the domestic market.
In closing, I would like to point out that our federation received a “next generation” award from the Fédération de la relève agricole du Québec for the start-up assistance program I just told you about.
That concludes my presentation.