Thank you for your question, to which I will respond in French.
Japan has been a market for Canadian pork producers for a long time, that is, for over 40 years. Therefore, it is an important market. In fact, the Japanese pay more, which is why it is an important market for Canadian producers. However, the Japanese are willing to pay more only for quality products. When they visited each of Canada's provinces, they explained what their needs were to Canadian producers, who responded to that need and used the necessary equipment to meet the highest standards of quality and safety. This is why the Japanese market is so important to us.
That is why it is all the more important that Canada negotiate a free trade agreement before the United States. American policy on exports and the development of free trade markets is very aggressive. This is why the Prime Minister announced—and I was there—during his visit to Japan a few weeks ago, that negotiations would be undertaken to maintain and develop a new partnership with Japan and with other countries, including Korea. Indeed, Korea is also an important market for Canadian producers.
You also have to understand that these past years have been difficult for producers because of the fluctuations of the American dollar. As a result, the Canadian dollar hit parity with the U.S. dollar. As well, the price of grain increased because of energy policies which were put in place. In short, in the last four years, Canadian producers took on a lot of debt to maintain their markets. This shows how important it is to keep these markets and to enter into free trade agreements with many countries, including with Japan, which is a demanding and lucrative market. Nevertheless, Canadian producers have demonstrated that they are able to meet the requirements of that market.