Thank you. I appreciate your comments on the Canadian Wheat Board, and as already mentioned, there's a healthy debate out there about what should happen to the Wheat Board. Certainly we've been very open about our desire to move to a dual marketing system.
What I've been reluctant to do is just say, well, let's make the changes and let the chips fall where they may. I think it does need to be a well-managed change. I think farmers have to be engaged in that. We don't want to leave some unanswered questions and leave farmers vulnerable. So we're being very careful about it, and I think that's the prudent thing to do. But I do think as we move to more value-added products and more farmer involvement in the processing industry, it's going to be important that farmers get a chance to make a buck, every buck, through this system, and that's why I think a dual marketing system is in their best interests.
As for the CAIS program, again, some of these figures are still being worked out with the provinces because some provinces administer their own CAIS program. There is no doubt that our initial figures, our best figures that we have, show that the grains and oilseeds sector will benefit the most from these retroactive inventory valuation changes more than any other sector. Beef is second, and then the rest. All the sectors get something out of it, but grains and oilseeds are the biggest single recipients, and then beef is after that. So grains and oilseeds, of the $900 million on the inventory valuation, will get the biggest share of that.
Of course, they also receive their portion of the $755 million GOPP program that was announced on the first day of the government.
On the meat inspection code, we have done some work. I know there's some interest from the provinces to try to have the CFIA international standard, if you will, the standard for export purposes. There is a very rigorous standard and it's getting more rigorous, and it will probably continue to be more rigorous. There is interest from the provinces to have a standard that will allow the sale of meat across provincial borders--not internationally, but across provincial borders. There is broad interest in that, and we're working with the provinces now to see what that might look like. Of course, a large number, especially the small abattoirs, tend to be local efforts, but when they're right along a border on any of the provinces they see an opportunity there, and we're trying to find a way to make that possible without having to reach the highest standard of the international standards.
So efforts are ongoing to make that happen, and the provinces are very interested in that. There is some budget set aside to see if we can make that happen.
On the bluetongue/anaplasmosis issue, this is going very well. I think there has been an effort by CFIA working with officials down in the States. We've been keen, as have the Canadian Cattlemen's Association and the provincial cattle associations. They have all wanted to get the border open for a free flow of beef without the restriction on bluetongue/anaplasmosis. There has been an ongoing study for some period now. I don't know when it started, but what we have done is publish a document. It's available for discussion now. The provinces are commenting on it, the industry. Parts of the industry, the agriculture sector, the sheep industry, for example, are commenting on it because they are quite concerned about potential bluetongue/anaplasmosis in their own livestock.
So that discussion paper is out. They've asked for an extra week or so, I think, to express their views, and then following that, we hope to move ahead, based on science and some other technical documents that are published right now. That paper is available for discussion. If anybody has some particular views on it, I welcome those, but it should be done quickly because we plan to move ahead with that and we plan to open the border for anaplasmosis and for bluetongue as quickly as possible.