Agriculture committee  It can kill the market. It can, because as I was saying—

Agriculture committee  Europe has zero tolerance. Zero. If a seed is found, even if it's a canola seed, I lose my contract and it comes back. I'm out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Agriculture committee  The other markets are already tapped into by the United States. We had an opportunity to obtain their market share, which they lost due to contamination. As I said, I view this as an opportunity for me to go into Saudi Arabia and to some of the other markets where the U.S. has lost market share because of contamination.

Agriculture committee  I'm strictly seed.

Agriculture committee  In the hay?

Agriculture committee  I'm probably 5% organic production, with the opportunity for it to grow. We started at zero in 2008, have grown to 5%, and also have the opportunity to grow that market share, but I'm mainly conventional.

Agriculture committee  That is the only gene we have to worry about at this point. They have yet to stack any technologies, as they have with corn and canola. Until 2005, we had zero tolerance, and we had market share that we could ship into at zero tolerance, prior to the introduction of this variety into Canada with its approval from CFIA.

Agriculture committee  Yes.

Agriculture committee  You wouldn't, but as you said, you're a farmer, right? You have a farm background?

Agriculture committee  Yes. You admitted yourself that you're familiar with a farm background. How come... When canola would be five bucks a bushel, we'd look around the land and we'd all be planting canola. If your neighbour does it, you do it. It's just one of those things that can happen. Like I say, there's a small percentage of people in Canada who may benefit from this type of species, but the vast majority of Canadians do not.

Agriculture committee  Okay. Well, like I say, all three of us--and I think the vast majority of those who are opposed to it--are amazed, first off, that it was granted the release it was. Second, it's almost embarrassing to see that the CFIA or its Plant Biosafety can't admit that we've made a mistake in what we've done and can't just say, “Okay, hold it, we've learned from the United States, and we're going to step away from this”.

Agriculture committee  That's market acceptance. It's market acceptance to have that LLP. But the CSGA has been at it for 10 years. We saw Europe turn around and shut the doors on soya meal, which they required for their producers.

Agriculture committee  This is our specialty.

Agriculture committee  That's the one we're faced with today, no ifs, ands, or buts. It's here and it's something we have to address. The other technology they're looking at introducing into alfalfa is 5 to 10 years away, realistically, and maybe 15.

Agriculture committee  We went... Yes. We used soil samples—