Thank you for the question.
Yes, I do agree that we have to participate in this type of forum. I have participated in these a lot of times over my history in farming. When we did the consulting for the APF 1, the first round, I didn't feel the people who did that process got the right message back. That's why I referred to a feeling among farm producers that there's a bit of an understanding among the bureaucrats and the policy-makers. I'm not trying to take anything away from anybody when I say that, but it is very tough for a person who's not a producer, who's not dealing with the pressures of everyday....
I'll give you a little example. Yesterday I turned on my computer and said, well, I should go in to the bank and look to see what my status is. Gee, I'm overdrawn! Here we are, at this time of year, and we're two months away from getting our spring cash advance, which I had told my banker last February should do us. It should do us. So I had to call him today and say, you've got to get me some more money to get me through this until that advance comes.
I don't want to sound like a pessimist all the time. I'm an optimist, or I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing. I love farming—but I do get tired of it.
But to speak about the vision, I know there's confusion across the country. I would love to farm in Quebec, where I think I would be doing better as a farmer now. I talk to one of my associates there every once in a while, and we joke about it back and forth. I guess the vision I have is that we should try to reverse the trend and put some optimists back into agriculture.
And I like your idea, Mr. Steckle, that we have to have an agriculture policy in this country. Why I say we can't continue with rounds of meetings is that we need action, and we need it darn soon. We need it as soon as possible.
But in the grains and oilseeds sector we're quite excited about the biofuel industry. We're looking at options right in this province, although it's very small, and we've been told by people from other provinces, let's say Saskatchewan, that we can't do it in P.E.I. because we're too small. Well, we're proving with the beef plant in Albany that we can do something and that it doesn't have to be on a Cargill scale.
So I do believe we need that vision, and we need to move forward quickly.
Thank you.