Evidence of meeting #16 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was biodiesel.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:20 p.m.
Bloc
Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC
Thank you very much.
I have a question for Mr. Barnabé, Mr. Couture and Mr. Lagacé. Other witnesses may also respond to it.
Have you ever done any research on hog manure?
6:20 p.m.
Scientific researcher, Added value production from waste materials, EcoNovo Consulting Experts
Yes.
6:20 p.m.
Scientific researcher, Added value production from waste materials, EcoNovo Consulting Experts
It is difficult to convert hog manure. I worked with hog manure in my early days, but we did not get good results in producing biopesticides or enzymes for detergents. That is one of the reasons we focused our research on municipal sewage sludge and biosolids from paper plants.
6:20 p.m.
Director, Centre de formation en entreprise et récupération de Victoriaville
There is a company in Victoriaville that specializes in converting hog manure into methane. I do not know whether you are familiar with this. The company has a pilot project on this. I don't have any further information at the moment, but I do know they are investigating this at the moment.
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Conseil québécois du biodiésel
A group of Quebec business people got the world rights to a new technology for the direct conversion of hog manure and liquid manure into biodiesel. The project is supposed to get under way in May or June of this year to do what is known as testing the concept in technological development. This would mean we would be able to process all the liquid manure in a manure pit on location and convert it directly into biodiesel.
6:20 p.m.
Scientific researcher, Added value production from waste materials, EcoNovo Consulting Experts
I would like to add, however, that when we work with organic sludge from manure processing, we get some very interesting results. It is possible to make many commercial bioproducts using the organic sludge from manure processing.
6:20 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Conseil québécois du biodiésel
I would just like to add that this points to the fact that there will be increasing competition for access to all of the biomass for conversion purposes. The competition will become very intense at that time. Biomass and waste matter that have little or no value today will become extremely valuable over time.
6:20 p.m.
Bloc
6:20 p.m.
Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network
I'm sorry, the question didn't come through.
I am sorry.
6:20 p.m.
Director, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
A good friend of mine currently has a hog operation right near me. Actually, I rent some of his land. He has a proposal for a biodigester to come in to convert some of his manure into methane. I don't know the process yet, but it's in the works of getting set up. I can't comment on the production or how that's going to work, but initially it sounds like a very good alternative.
6:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Thank you, Mr. Gaudet.
We have some housekeeping we need to take care of, a few motions we need to deal with.
Witnesses, I want to thank all of you for coming in and providing us with your comments. It will help us form our debate as we go forward on clause-by-clause tomorrow, later in the morning, on Bill C-33 after we hear from another group of witnesses first thing in the morning. You are free to leave the table.
Members, we have some work.
First of all, I want to remind all members that tomorrow at 12:30 the Young Farmers are having a luncheon for us. We only heard back from a couple of you. It's at 12:30 at 131 Queen Street, Room 853.
Also, tomorrow the committee starts at 9:30, not 9 o'clock.
Yes, it's at 12:30, 131 Queen Street. It's one of the new buildings that we've taken on. When we shut down La Promenade, a lot of the offices moved over there.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
Room 307 West Block is for the committee tomorrow morning, at 9:30. We'll be there until we get this done.
February 25th, 2008 / 6:25 p.m.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
I have a question, too, Mr. Chair.
We're going to start at 9:30 and go until 2 p.m. with the committee. What's happening when we're all at lunch with the Young Farmers?
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I do encourage you to keep your day open right until 2 o'clock. Hopefully we can suspend to be able to join the Young Farmers' Association for lunch and come back and finish off the clause-by-clause.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Larry Miller Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
What's the thing about the committee going until 2 o'clock?
