Thank you.
I think one of the things that government needs to be looking at is supporting infrastructure, especially around zoning, a situation like what is currently being looked at between the border of Manitoba and Ontario, West Hawk Lake, which has been in the works for several years now. It is getting closer to being a reality, but there is going to have to be some type of ongoing funding in order to make that a reality long-term and to sustain it long-term. That is one area where government could play a role in supporting infrastructure being set up.
I would like to put on the record that Canada is seen as being a leader in animal health. Our regulatory system is second to none in the world, and that's viewed around the world as being one of Canada's greatest assets. And our top-notch regulatory environment is a tool that we will use in marketing beef around the world.
Going along with that there is the need for traceability, for example. We may have to expand our traceability program, even maybe take it right back to retail in terms of the sector that I represent. Again, there may need to be some support for us to do that, but I need to emphasize too that any traceability initiatives have to be based on the principles that we have adopted as an industry.
I think, as I mentioned, animal care is going to be much more of a focus in the years to come. There is increased pressure from animal welfare groups, and the regulatory approach to animal care in other parts of the world, especially Europe, is starting to be noticed in North America. So I think the government is going to have to have some mechanism in place, for example, to fund the development of codes of practice. Most commodities do have codes of practice. They have to be revised from time to time, and there is a fair bit of expense incurred in revising those codes. There does have to be government support, I think, to help with that.