Good morning. It's a pleasure to be with you.
The Fédération de l'UPA de la Côte-du-Sud thanks you for this opportunity to outline its concerns and the expectations of agricultural producers in our region. This shows us that you're interested in proceeding with the renewal of the Agricultural Policy Framework.
In this document, we take the liberty of first introducing the regional federation. Then we state our concerns and recommendations in support of the family agricultural business model in Quebec. The themes addressed focus on developing the profession and the skilled labour shortage.
The Fédération de l'UPA de la Côte-du-Sud is a non-profit organization whose objective is the defence of the interests of agricultural producers established in its territory. As of March 22 of this year, the regional federation represents 1,389 family agricultural businesses operated by 1,945 agricultural producers. Within the federation's structure, producers are grouped under seven core unions and 14 specialized unions and services: maple syrup production, lambs and sheep, farmers, cattle, wood, commercial crops, horticultural crops, milk, potatoes, hogs, succession, poultry, agricultural advisory groups of the South Shore.
The Fédération de l'UPA de la Côte-du-Sud offers various services to its producers: agricultural employment centre, agricultural prevention, land use advisory services, environment and wildlife, regional cooperation and development, training, facilitation, information and support for union affiliates, promotion and development of the profession, etc.
Since 1998, it has also offered the services of an agri-environmental professional whose role it is to make producers aware of the importance of adopting sustainable agricultural practices to promote the sustainability of water, air and soil resources in the territory. It also supports producer coalitions in projects designed to solve problems specific to their production.
The Fédération de l'UPA de la Côte-du-Sud overlaps two administrative regions, Chaudière-Appalaches and the Lower St. Lawrence. The territory includes, from west to east, the RCMs of Kamouraska, Montmagny, L'Islet, Kamouraska and part of Rivière-du-Loup, as well as the territory of Témiscouata. Covering the municipalities of Berthier-sur-Mer to the west, to the eastern end of Rivière-du-Loup, and bounded by the St. Lawrence River to the north and by the U.S. border to the south, our regional federation is located between the river and the U.S. border, and farm businesses have to deal with very different conditions. Agricultural producers carry on their occupation on many farms. The businesses are characterized by diversification and especially by management, which is essentially familial.
Agricultural development in recent decades has been characterized by specialization and concentration of agricultural production. These economic trends aim to offer the Canadian population agricultural products of excellent quality and quantity at competitive prices in global markets.
This rapid agricultural evolution has resulted in the growing isolation of agricultural producers. At the same time, we have an urbanizing population which has gradually lost this knowledge of agricultural realities.
Agricultural development in recent years has clearly had secondary effects that must be corrected, and we are working on that. However, we are convinced that the future of agriculture, which is still the fundamental sector of the Canadian economy, depends on restoring the permanent dialogue between agricultural producers and the population.
The Canadian population needs to be reassured about the quality of the food that we produce and that meets the highest standards of quality on the planet. It must acquire a greater knowledge of the production techniques that we use and that, in most cases have been developed and adapted by Canadian researchers.
We must especially make people understand that Canadian agriculture, in particular Quebec agriculture, is carried on today almost essentially by women and men who live in rural areas and live from the operation of their own farms.
As is the case in the various sectors, agricultural businesses have benefited from technological development. They feel pressures from the mergers of large businesses, whether it be in chain food stores, input sellers, banks or post offices.
We believe that it is up to producers to restore this dialogue. However, the means must be adapted to the specific characteristics of a mostly urbanized population. Our contacts with our fellow citizens on the farm are no longer enough. Today we have developed new ways to meet them in their living environment.
Consequently, we are asking the Canadian government to get involved as a partner in events and projects designed to promote agricultural producers and their practical knowledge. These activities can be carried out in both rural and urban areas. We are also asking it to support the specialized Canadian federations in their agricultural products promotion campaign.
With respect to the labour shortage, the agricultural world can rely on a solid, motivated new generation. However, that succession is too small to fill all available positions. And yet agriculture offers a dynamic, varied living environment full of passionate people. Even though the worker's trade is an interesting and motivating occupation in the minds of agricultural producers, the majority of young people nevertheless remain indifferent to the sector. The prejudices and preconceived ideas that the public generally has about agriculture and young people's ignorance of the evolution that the agricultural worker's occupation has undergone in the past 15 years are aspects that reduce the occupation's appeal for young people.
And yet the working conditions now offered in farm businesses are often comparable to those of other sectors of economic activity. Some means of action are currently underway to change this perception and to attract certain young people toward a more informed career choice. However, that is not enough because of the lack of financial resources.
In summary, it is fundamentally important that we continue our work and efforts to promote the agricultural sector to the target clientele in order to secure a more promising future for farmers in terms of labour availability.
That is why we are asking the federal government to provide financial support, together with the provincial government, for the agricultural employment centres, the AECs, in the development of sectoral promotion and development activities to improve people's perceptions of agriculture, to plan and organize a Canada-wide campaign for the valuing and promotion of the agricultural sector and its occupations.