Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
That is not how we want to operate in Quebec. We have very specific goals, and one of them is keeping the number of farms we have.
Earlier on, we were talking about imports, which have remained stable at some 6,000 tonnes. It should be understood that we were in the middle of a challenge at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. In January 2006, the CITT rendered its final decision. The facts are these: we know that we have lost the battle for butter oil imports in ice cream. At present, Coaticook ice cream is almost the only one to be made with real cream. I invite you to taste it.
As for increased imports, here are some facts: casein imports increased by 718% between 1998 and 2005; caseinate imports increased by 336% between 1998 and 2005. With respect to butter oil, we have unfortunately lost the battle, as I said earlier. For dairy farmers, losses are assessed at some $250 million. They could reach $500 million if we continue on the same path. Am I pulling these figures out of nowhere, or do you agree with them?