Thank you, Mr. Chair.
To be honest, I hardly know where to start, but first of all, thank you for coming here on short notice. Given the situation this industry's in and the fact that the loan program is coming near the end of its time, I think we felt that we needed to have you in to get some recommendations from you folks.
I will say that I'm extremely frustrated, and not just with the government. I have never been so disgusted at a meeting of ministers of agriculture--and I'll put this on the record--of all political parties and all governments in Canada as I was at this last Toronto meeting. Whether it was NDP, Liberal, or Conservative, they were all there.
The only one who wasn't there was the Bloc, guys, or the Parti Québécois.
I mean, to come out of that meeting with the crisis this industry's in... Canadians would just think, “Oh, well, everything's fine, and everything's going along”. So I'll just put it on the record: I'm damned disgusted at every federal and provincial minister related to agriculture in this country.
I've been listening to what you've been saying. I want to go through a list here to see if this is what you're saying.
First, you're saying to rededicate any money left in HILLRP to producers somehow, maybe in a strategic plan. Is that what I'm hearing?
Second, for AgriStability, allow it to work. Change the viability test and change the reference margins. There was $900 million left in that program or $900 million less spent in that program last year. It wouldn't be a trade violation if we in fact did that. We could actually get cash out to the industry.
You can tell me if I'm wrong on these things.
Third, re-establish the emergency advance payments program.
Curtiss, I think you're saying to up it to a higher level.
I just get the feeling from listening to you that you don't think Farm Credit is doing its job as a lender to the farm community. You can respond on that if you like.
I need a response on those points.
I have a couple of questions as well. I'm really concerned.
Curtiss, do you folks know how much of the money that went out in HILLRP actually went to pay back the advance payments program? I'll be honest: I don't know where Ritz was in this and I don't know where the officials in Agriculture Canada were, but I sincerely feel that Agriculture Canada had the wool pulled over its eyes by Finance and Treasury Board.
As you know, adding more debt isn't going to solve our problem, but the government got paid off and you're carrying more debt. I think that's wrong and I think Finance pulled the wool over Agriculture Canada's eyes. We have to find a way to reduce debt.
What are your thoughts on those points? Is that where you want to go?
I guess the bottom line here is that, yes, we're losing part of our industry. If I went into the figures in Atlantic Canada, you'd be shocked. We're down 66% in production and down 70% in breeding stock in P.E.I. Even barley's not going to have a market. It's an absolute disaster in Atlantic Canada. And what it's being replaced with is American product. That worries me too.
What are your thoughts, Jurgen?