The help lines have been re-established in rural Canada for a reason. This is not just an economic situation. This is a family situation; this is a community situation.
If Canada lets our producers fall, there are going to be equipment dealers, there are going to be veterinarians, there is going to be a whole down-spiralling of the very fabric of rural Canada, and that's beginning to take place.
To expect us to come to the public and cry on a continuing basis, that's not what our producers do. The unfortunate reality is that family violence, etc., happens in these situations, and it's starting to happen in an increasing way. It's because there's no hope for the future. We don't see the support, the community.
Things that have happened to us in this downturn are way beyond our control. We have no control over the Canadian dollar. We have no control over feed prices. We do have control over how we operate our barns, and damn it, we're one of the best producers in the world and there's no reason this industry should go down.
I've got a lot of good things to say about the Government of Canada and their responses. You're trying to help us get into Russia. The minister is working hard at that. It's absolutely needed.
On the regulatory front, we're aware that the environment is changing and that we've got to respond. We've got to be competitive with the U.S. Our government is working on that.
But the current reality is this cashflow issue. If it's going to be April 30 when APP is available to us, don't bother. Maybe I'm overstating it, but don't bother. It's not helping the immediate situation. We weren't kidding when we said “cash before Christmas”, and now it's a month later. A lot of us are paying bills every other month. We're trying to figure out what we can do. We've got people calling us. This is not a fun scenario.
I gave a report in Huron county. I was at their annual meeting. People want to know what's happening so you report what's happening and you try to give a balanced approach. Where is the optimism, where is the pessimism, and what's the realism?
I had a person call me the day after, and after hearing my comments, he pulled the plug on 28 finishing barns and an entire loop in southwestern Ontario. He decided that was it. Paul was there. You heard....
So we're struggling. At the farm level we're trying to figure out what we should do. We know liquidation is happening.
Finally, since Christmas, we can clearly see there's an opportunity, there's light at the end of the tunnel, this industry can survive, but it needs some help. It needs a bit of help to get through the hollow, and we can continue to add to the balance of trade for this country.
The time to talk is over. We either deliver or we don't, and if we're not going to deliver, then we need to tell our producers, “These are the tools you have available. Get together with your bank, your supply community, and figure out what you want to do.”
What this downturn is requiring of me--and I can speak personally here--is it's just like building another barn. I either reinvest equity and choose to stay in it--that means I've got to be committed to farm until I'm 55 or 60, and you can see the grey hair on my head--or get out. In the best of times, I've got to reinvest. So when we call for loans, we are calling for a reinvestment, a commitment to the future. That's different from a cash payout where you take it and you run.
I think we are very realistic in what we have put forward. I'm sorry I got a little emotional here, but I can't put up with the delay. It just can't happen any more. That's not where we are in rural Canada.
And it's more than money. It's families that are involved here.