Agriculture committee  Since you are putting the question to me, I will tell you that I am an optimistic individual. We have received mixed signals in terms of the intention to implement that kind of a measure. We are currently hearing statements that the federal government would be ready to implement such a measure, but that it is struggling in terms of funding by the provinces, which may prevent it from moving forward.

Agriculture committee  Our organization would never be opposed to that kind of an approach. We are proposing a return to the 85% threshold, as we are familiar with the political context. That is why, at the beginning of my presentation, I was talking about proceeding in stages. We don't believe that the 85% threshold is the ultimate goal.

Agriculture committee  That has already been raised. The long-term consequences are always difficult to assess. Will a loss of competitiveness and a slowdown in the adoption of new technologies occur? The key element was raised by Mr. Lewis, and it concerns what will happen with the succession. Successors to current farm owners must be found because the current farms will ultimately not be able to just continue to grow.

Agriculture committee  It is certain that small farms are going through particular situations. They are often involved in mixed farming, but the current programs are not very effective for them. So solutions remain to be developed in that respect.

Agriculture committee  There are two considerations to this: quickness in terms of response and quickness in terms of payments provided to businesses. I have been in the field for a long time, and I have seen that the program-focused thinking has always been difficult in terms of establishing responsiveness when a problem or a loss occurs.

Agriculture committee  Yes. The main reason we wanted to share that information was to show which way things are heading. Whether the number is 80% or 90%, up or down, the point was to draw your attention to the structural trend in Canada as compared with the U.S. Here, the trend is towards diminishing support, while there, support for farmers is rising.

Agriculture committee  That's correct. Our organization never supported the reduction, strictly speaking. We voiced our opposition to the changes. Fortunately, though, prices were high at the time, so farmers didn't feel the effects of the drop in coverage, as I said earlier. However, as market conditions normalize and with the added pressures of the current situation, it's becoming clear that the programs are inadequate.

Agriculture committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Producteurs de grains du Québec wants to make clear its support for the Canadian agricultural partnership, which seeks to grow domestic and foreign markets, strengthen competitiveness and competitive advantages, anticipate and manage risks more effectively, support resilience and environmental sustainability, foster public trust, and grow the value-added agri-food sector.