Evidence of meeting #6 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was malt.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
Thank you very much for your comments.
We will now go to Mr. Hoback, please, for five minutes.
November 21st, 2013 / 4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Thank you, Chair.
And thank you, witnesses, for being here this afternoon.
I think both of you are going to agree that CETA has so much potential and adds more market options for you as you go forward and this agreement unfolds.
Gord, you mentioned the Port of Vancouver and ship delays. I'm hearing different things, so I'm curious. Have you seen the backlogs with containers or bulk loading?
4:55 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
This is bulk loading, as far as I know, although I can clarify that and follow up with the clerk. I've carried this message, which is slightly outside my area, from our in-house transportation experts.
5 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
That's no problem. If you wouldn't mind doing that, I know it does relate to CETA in that the infrastructure is going to be required when this agreement is put in place. We're going to be moving more product maybe through Thunder Bay, Churchill, or other facilities like Montreal, and it might pull some of that pressure off Vancouver where, if it's raining and raining, it creates other issues in loading too, so there might be other issues.
As far as your 20,000-railcar deficit, I think that's the reality we're faced with: the fact that we've got such a huge crop. They're really doing their best to move it this fall. I talked to one of the rail lines this week. If you look at their movement per hour over the last 10 years, they're well above their weekly averages of what they normally would move, but in the same breath, they feel they have to do better.
I am a little concerned with one of the rail lines. It seems it has a derailment every week, which I think is an issue that needs to be addressed, but a different committee would do that.
You also talked about low-level presence and chemical residue acceptance levels; Barry made this point very clearly. I know we've been trying to deal with GMOs and a process to have the science we have in Canada accepted in Europe, to recognize that our science is safe and sound, and make any agreements based on sound science. Europe has the tendency to let politics bleed into some of these things once in a while, and GMO is probably a good example of that.
Do you see the agreement setting up the platform for negotiations on disagreements like this?
I'll start with you, Gord, and go to you, Barry.
5 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
I have to say those of us in the industry could be of two minds on this one. First, anything that improves the likelihood that we're going to be able to resolve some of these issues, or we're going to be able to move towards synchronous timing of approvals in the future, is great news, and I think a lot of us are holding out hope that CETA can help deliver this.
On the other hand, as Barry notes, the GM issue in Europe is very political. When issues are technical in nature, they tend to be relatively more predictable. When they are political in nature, they can be very unpredictable in terms of how quickly, if at all, things can move forward.
5 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Grain Farmers of Ontario
I agree with Gord that it has been a long time, but I think maybe going into a formal process will help us along with getting some of these agreements in place. It hasn't worked in the past. I think the EU holding out on some of this technology holds us back not only in that country, but it may hold us back in others because we have commodities that we serve a number of countries to, and some of those countries have adapted to and received technology a lot quicker than the EU.
The issue with the EU holding out on some of these issues is that it may give rise or opportunity that some of those traits get co-mingled, and that's why issues like LLP are so important to be in place. It might not only affect the market of the EU but other markets where again with our system that we have of moving grain forward, there is no such thing as a zero tolerance. So those agreements need to be put into place.
We are cautiously optimistic that finally we're getting into the formality of this discussion.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Maybe I'll stop there then, Chair, because the next topic will take me probably 30 seconds to introduce.
Unless, Gord, are you cheering for the Riders this weekend? That was just a big concern of mine. Being a pulse grower you know you....
5 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
Yes. I'm cheering for the Riders.
5 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bev Shipley
Hey, you're doing all right.
Mr. Eyking, for five minutes, please.
5 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, gentlemen, for being with us.
I want to follow up on the concern about the moving of the grains. I visited many farms last week out there, and they had them piled up outside. They had tarps on them, and they were trying to blow some air in, and keep the rodents out, so it's a big issue. Some of them can get away with it for a few weeks, but they really want to get that extra grain that's piled up outside moving. You alluded to how it has been getting worse for the last three years.
Some of them mentioned to me a bill. I'm not that familiar with it. It's called Bill C-52 I think that was passed here by the government. My sense from that bill was it gave the rails less accountability.
Are you familiar with this bill, Gord?
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
I'm not the technical expert at Pulse Canada on this bill. I'm not sure I'm in a good position to answer questions around it.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Okay. It was brought up to me a couple of times. They say the rail is less accountable now for the farmers, and that's why they are sometimes not moving crops but moving maybe more potash and other commodities.
Do you think there needs to be an investigation into why the rail is not doing the job it should be doing? And not just the rail I guess. It could be ports and whoever's in that whole supply chain.
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
I can certainly bring an answer back from Pulse Canada to the clerk, but I'm the market access guy.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
So we could hear back from you in case you guys think we should be investigating that further, maybe bringing in some witnesses?
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
I'm happy to provide an answer for that question, and I'll follow up with the clerk directly on the wording, and provide an answer back to him.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
What's the 60 million? Did you say 60 million tonnes of grain out there? Was that a number you used, 60 million tonnes?
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
It was 65 million tonnes. Yes.
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
No. That's the total volume of the crop. That's from the last Ag Canada, Canada: Outlook for Principal Field Crops.
5:05 p.m.
Liberal
Mark Eyking Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Do you think that, unless things improve, there's going to be a lot of waste?
5:05 p.m.
Director, Market Access and Trade Policy, Pulse Canada
I don't know. It's out of my area of expertise; I'm sorry.