Evidence of meeting #66 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was research.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Thank you for being here, and thanks for breakfast the other day. You'll let us know where it is next week, right?
I have just one question in regard to supply management and the recently published Manning-Harris report on security and prosperity. Do you have any comments on that? Are you familiar with the report and do you have any comments on it and supply management?
Vice-Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
I'm not familiar with that, no. You'll have to be more explicit.
Liberal
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
I thought it wasn't very favourable in regard to supply management and I thought I'd get some comments from you.
My next question, and Roger touched upon it, is that often in the past, not only in your sector but in others, a disaster happens and it takes time. Formulas have to be worked out. One government says to the other they're going to pay this and it goes back and forth, and eventually we get some kind of settlement, if any, but it takes time.
I've been thinking about the idea of a rapid response disaster program, where criteria ahead of time, for example with your association, could be worked out with the officials in the department, with percentages set and established between provincial and federal governments so that if something does happen, maybe we wouldn't have to wait three months, obviously, if money is allocated in the budget. Do you think it would work? Do you have any comments on that?
Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
As I mentioned, our preference would be under the Health of Animals Act. But if we could come up with a program, such as you're talking about, I think it's something we would be prepared to look into.
One thing that is worrisome at this point in time is that if something happened today, where are we? Where would we go? This disaster program is not in place. Right now, with the help of compensation, what has been gazetted so far is a maximum of $8 a bird, which is not enough. So yes, we would be prepared to look at something that could be done quickly to compensate the producer properly.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
It's the system; it's not one particular government or another. It's the system that's in place; it's slow and it should be streamlined somehow to assist primary producers.
Vice-Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
If you don't mind, on that particular point I cannot stress enough the fact that right now, with whatever is in place, the $8, if that's all there is, is not enough.
NDP
Alex Atamanenko NDP British Columbia Southern Interior, BC
Thank you. One last question.
We heard a number witnesses throughout our trip across Canada. Young people were saying they can't get into farming, it doesn't matter, especially for someone just coming out of agriculture school or college. I'm wondering, what would be the cost to a young person who wanted to go into the egg business? How many hens do you need to make a go of it? Can you give us some idea, because I'd have no idea if somebody were to pose that question to me.
Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
I would say for a young farmer, I'd take a number of 5,000 layers, for instance. If you wanted to get into the business, you'd be looking at close to $1 million. That would be land, equipment, buildings, everything.
Fred Krahn Executive Committee Member, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
May I respond a bit to that?
Executive Committee Member, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
The common medley to make on that question is when we look at our egg industry, and I come from British Columbia, which was affected by the avian influenza, I would suggest that our average age of egg producers in British Columbia has declined significantly over the last 10 or 15 years. I'm one of the old guys now.
Executive Committee Member, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
That's very encouraging.
When we look at some of the other commodities, if you take the pork industry in British Columbia, for example, it's down to 30 producers. I think we fared fairly well, and that would apply to the chick and turkey industry as well. We're quite proud of that and we're doing all kinds of things to encourage that as well. We're bringing in new entrants and so on, through the marketing boards.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Quickly on this, as Mr. Atamanenko's time has expired. Please keep it short.
Vice-Chair, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
I would confirm that there are a lot of younger people getting into our industry, surprisingly, and we're pleased about that. But you spoke about the cost of getting into agriculture. There's a cost to get into an awful lot of different areas of livelihood today, whether you want to get a McDonald's franchise, a dentistry business, or a doctor's business. They're all kind of related in that regard. There are lots of opportunities, but there are costs involved in getting into business.
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
Thanks.
To follow up, you couldn't make a living on a farm with 5,000 layers, could you? Could it support a family?
Liberal
Charles Hubbard Liberal Miramichi, NB
On the quota value in British Columbia now, say, for a laying hen, what would a quota cost with one hen?
Executive Committee Member, Canadian Egg Marketing Agency
It would be around $175 to $200.
