Evidence of meeting #33 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was product.
A recording is available from Parliament.
December 12th, 2006 / 12:50 p.m.
Executive Director, Pest Management Regulatory Agency
The product is available. It's registered in Canada.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Leon Benoit Conservative Vegreville—Wainwright, AB
But it isn't effective. It has not been proven to be effective. Farmers need an effective product. We know that the 2% strychnine, which was used safely for decades by farmers, is effective.
Buying the liquid saves farmers a lot of money. The pre-mix doesn't work, but in attempts to find something, farmers have used it, and it costs thousands of dollars to do. I've heard of people spending up to $12,000 to do the fields that they simply felt they had to do. That's a lot of money.
We need a practical solution. I think we're getting the bureaucratic runaround. I don't know whether it's you or why this has happened, but it is unacceptable to deny such an important tool to be made available to farmers.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Thank you, Mr. Benoit.
Anyone else for a last question? All done? Great.
Before we adjourn the meeting, thank you so much, Dr. Dodds and Mr. Aucoin, for appearing with us today.
We do have a motion before us. Everyone has received a copy of it, I understand.
Now, at times, we need the 48 hours' notice before a motion of this type. Since it's arising out of the business of the meeting, we don't need that.
Alex.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake, MB
I'll move this motion. I'm just going to amend it slightly, in consideration of the testimony we heard today. There is a concern out there that we don't have any assurance to producers, in the long term, what's going to be there for them in importing products for their own use, so I'm going to propose the following motion. The motion is that the committee report the following recommendation to the House:
That the Minister of Health responsible for the Pest Management Regulation Agency maintain the existing own use program for the next two crop years while working toward the implementation of a better and more producer-friendly own use system as requested by growers.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
An hon. member
Call the question.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
It is unanimous.
It is translated. We'll make those changes. There are a couple of amendments to what you've got there. We'll put that onto the motion, and then I will present it in the House at the earliest opportunity.
One last point, folks. We have done away with Thursday. We talked about having a luncheon, but with the ambiguity as to whether we're here or not here or whatever, I decided to cancel it and we'll pick it up when we get back in the first part of February. We'll celebrate Ukrainian Christmas or something at the other end.
Is everybody good with that?
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gerry Ritz
Yes. Alex has made the point that I'm still buying. Maybe it'll be an Easter ham or something.
This meeting stands adjourned.
