Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for joining us today and helping us to reflect on the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
My first question would be for the witnesses who are here in person.
We have imposed a sanctions regime that is ultimately intended to make things more difficult for the Russians. However, some measures were put in place and proved counterproductive. I am thinking in particular of the 35% fertilizer tax, which has made Canadian products less competitive than Russian products on international markets. The Canadian government has recognized that fact. Canada is the only G7 country with a 35% fertilizer tax.
In its latest budget, the Canadian government promised to allocate $34.1 million over three years, starting in 2023‑24, to help farmers who rely most on Russian fertilizer imports. First, I would like to know your opinion on this tax, and then I would like to know whether your people have started receiving that money from the federal government.