Agriculture Committee on April 9th, 2014

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Will the amount be the same? Do you have an idea of the percentage that will be put towards that type of activity? The 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities has already come out. Does the department know yet how much of that funding it intends to allocate to innovation research? Would it be similar to the amounts in previous years?

[Gilles Saindon]

It will be in the same ballpark, but I can't say exactly how much.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

It will be more or less the same?

[Gilles Saindon]

In the same range, yes.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, that answers my question.

In the 2014-15 Report on Plans and Priorities, the department indicates that

AAFC will continue to work with industry to develop and refine a strategic direction and framework to focus and guide future research activities aimed at helping industry to capture opportunities. The emphasis will be on common, cross-cutting strategic objectives . . . .

How do you decide on those objectives? How do you work with industry? Could you elaborate a bit on how that collaboration will be achieved and how priorities will be identified?

[Gilles Saindon]

We consult with industry, which calls the shots in terms of priorities to make sure they are aligned with its needs as far as the market, commercialization, production costs and so forth go. So that really guides the process. Our role is to figure out how we can help industry from a scientific standpoint, so it can do the best possible job of meeting the challenges associated with those key issues of concern.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

If I understand correctly, industry determines the issues or concerns it has, and then, your department tailors its efforts around industry's needs.

[Gilles Saindon]

It's a dialogue between both partners. We have knowledge when it comes to research, efforts undertaken internationally, important issues and approaches other countries and stakeholders are using. So all of that factors into the process.

It's a discussion, a dialogue between both sides. Then, we find the right balance that enables us to—

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Is there a consultation afterwards? Do you provide a list to key players in industry?

[Gilles Saindon]

We use consultations to develop projects, such as science cluster projects. Then the plan is submitted to the department for funding.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you.

I want to pick up on something my colleague, Mr. Lemieux, mentioned earlier. It had to do with giving our producers greater access to the European market, in particular. The European Union is known to have many more restrictions on GMOs, the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, and so forth. In Canada, our standards are a bit different.

If our producers are to truly benefit from greater access to markets like the EU's, they will have to find new ways of producing just as much and getting the same results they do now using methods that aren't necessarily compatible with the European market.

Has the private sector brought that to your attention as a priority? I am curious as to how innovation and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's programs could help our producers in this situation. Could you please elaborate on that?

[Gilles Saindon]

I can give you an example. You mentioned antibiotics and the different tolerance levels. One of our research projects under stream A, the first project stream, is all about alternatives to antibiotics. We're conducting research within the department to find ways of reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock production, to come up with alternative methods of controlling disease.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Forgive me for cutting you off, but I don't have much time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bev Shipley]

We're way over time. I'm just trying to allow some leniency to get answers in. Thank you very much.

I have to commend members for putting out a number of questions and hoping to get the answers, but we are trying to stay within a bit of a guideline.

Mr. Zimmer, five minutes, please.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

Thank you.

I'm going to share my time with my colleague, if there's time. I'll probably only have a few questions.

Thanks for coming to committee today.

I spoke with a scientist within the department about a month ago, and he was under the perception that R and I, or research and innovation, was being cut within the department. I quickly talked to some staffers that I know, and some people within the ministry, and it's quite the opposite, actually. I mean, there was a time when there were some cuts made, but that was a long time ago. I'd say it was in 2008 and 2009.

I have the stats here. Do you have the stats in front of you on how much the increases in R and I have been over the last five years?

[Gilles Saindon]

No, we don't have those stats with us.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

I have, in 2009-10, that $266 million was spent. From 2010-11, $287.6 million was spent. From 2011-12, $283.8 million was spent. Then in 2012-13, $347 million was spent. To me, they're notable increases.

Certainly one thing we heard from farmers when they came to us, with the rounds of DRAP, with trying to get the government back to budget, back to balance, was to not cut research and innovation funding, and we didn't. Obviously, by the numbers, we've actually increased it demonstrably.

Within your department, what have you seen? You've talked about some of the things you're involved with. Have you seen money getting spent on a more broad level to fund R and I, and R and D? That's a pretty broad question, but a short answer would be fine.

[Dr. Siddika Mithani]

That's a very difficult question. However, I can tell you where we are evolving to. AAFC is the single biggest player in the agricultural research arena, and it continues to be. One of our strengths is how we mobilize our research network to be able to do the kind of work we do.

What we've seen in the last five years is a lot more partnership. With partnership and collaboration really comes the issue of how we fulfill the needs of the sector. Whereas before you may have seen projects that were very upstream, now the projects are a lot more targeted to the needs of the sector. That helps them both from a market push and a market pull, and it also helps them internationally, in terms of the competitiveness.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

I think that's exactly what our farmers are saying too. It's one thing to have research and innovation, but it has to be applicable—something they can actually use in their fields. I think that's exactly the direction we're going.

[Gilles Saindon]

Yes, I think that's exactly the point. It's important that we do the full continuum—R, D, and T. So you do the research, you do the scale-up, you do the technology transfer, and it gets into the hands of the producers and the access markets, or the access.... They produce cheaper, or they have an attribute they didn't have before that they can market abroad. I think it's all about that. You have to make sure that you have your full continuum.

We recognize that we're not the only player. There are many other players involved, and that's why, with clusters, it gives us a chance for the private sector—industry as a whole, because the private sector is producer organizations as well—to do the technology transfer, and they're well equipped to do that.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River, BC]

That's perfect. Thank you.

Go ahead, Mr. Payne.

[The Chair, Conservative, Bev Shipley]

You can share a minute.

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Okay, that's perfect. I only need one minute. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to my colleague.

I just wanted to touch a bit on the commercialization that some of my colleagues have talked about. I'm wondering if you have an example of something that was done either in Lethbridge or some other research facility, that is going to come to commercialization, and that potentially could be a world leader in research and development.

[Dr. Siddika Mithani]

We have one example here. The AC Emerson, western Canada's first winter wheat to be rated resistant to fusarium head blight, was developed by AAFC scientists in Lethbridge. This year we will have the first winter wheat that will be resistant to fusarium head blight, and this is a huge success story from our perspective, especially in wheat.

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

That will be a bit of a world leader for us, I take it.