I don't disagree with much of what you've said about the need to try to level the playing field with the Americans. When I'm travelling across the country I hear people's complaints about the CAIS program and a lot of things. But they often come back to me on the need to have a level playing field on things like access to pesticides, fertilizers, and all the other tools that input costs and that Canadian farmers use and need to be competitive.
Minister Clement, who is in charge of the PMRA, and I have been working within Agriculture Canada and the PMRA to try to find ways to harmonize our testing mechanisms and our approval processes with the Americans so Canadian farmers can get quicker access to the same types of pesticides at the same prices and compete across the border.
I share your concerns. We had examples in western Canada and other places this year. One example I can give you is the blueberry industry. We're using pesticides that are 10 or 15 years old, and you have to withdraw the use of these pesticides 10 days before harvest. The Americans are using pesticides that are cheaper and more effective on the pests, and they can use them to within three days of harvest. There's less residual pesticide on the product, they're better for your health and cheaper for farmers, but we won't let our farmers have access to them. We simply have to change those kinds of rules.
Ironically, blueberries from Washington State are in the supermarkets in Canada at cheaper prices because we don't have access to the same pesticides. It's a crazy system and we have to fix it.