Evidence of meeting #33 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 wheat.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
10:55 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Wheat Board
Yes, I can get that information for you, sure.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Carol Skelton Conservative Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK
I would very much appreciate that.
The controversy has been going on lately about world food shortages, and we need to feed the world.
One frustration for western Canadian farmers that I've heard over the years is that we cannot get the newer varieties. Mr. Steckle talked about farmers marketing, and they market wet beans, I guess it was.
The farmers I know are very proud of what they grow. There are some tough years with wet grain, but I know farmers who buy dryers and dry their grain and develop it and take it to market.
With the declaration, I don't know why our farmers couldn't deliver like eastern Canadian farmers. You've said yourselves that you haven't found much discrepancy in the declaration, when a farmer signs a declaration.
I really have a problem with the opposition saying that farmers might do something to this declaration, deliver something they're not supposed to. It's a question.
How long has this declaration been on the website? Is every farmer going to receive one at their home address, or do you have to go to the terminal or wherever you're delivering to get one of these declarations? Can you talk about that, please?
10:55 a.m.
Chief Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, I'll let Mr. Dennis speak to those specifics. I would say from my observations—and I have been following this quite closely since I joined the Grain Commission in January—I am reinforced in my belief that the stakeholders in the agriculture sector and particularly the grain industry recognize that everyone has to work for the good of the industry if it's to be successful, starting with producers, including grain companies, including the Canadian Wheat Board, including the Canadian Grain Commission. We all recognize that if we do our job well and we maintain Canada's reputation, we all win.
Obviously, 99.9% of producers would take no risk whatsoever or would take no actions that would bring risk to the grain quality assurance system in Canada. I think that speaks to our success over the past. These risks are not new. These risks have been with us for decades, and the industry players, including producers, have risen to meet that challenge and Canada has benefited. All of Canada has benefited.
My sense from the report of the industry working group, which Mr. Dennis sits on and the Wheat Board has representation on, where producers are represented and the grain companies are represented, is that this is the attitude they have taken with regard to dealing with KVD.
Specifically with regard to the availability of the declaration, where producers can pick those declarations up, I'll let Mr. Dennis respond.
10:55 a.m.
Chief Grain Inspector for Canada, Canadian Grain Commission
The declaration is on our website. It has only been on our website for the past couple of months, or six weeks or so. The declarations will be provided to the producers by the grain companies. For producer-car deliveries, a copy of the declaration will be provided from our producer-car officer in Winnipeg.
Of the fifty or so producers who called in, I spoke with the majority of them myself because I was the contact. Once I had an opportunity to explain what the process was, the reasons behind it, and the rationale of moving forward, only one producer was still disturbed by what was going on. The declaration has been in place in the past through this other ineligible variety working group, but they were applauding moving forward.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
10:55 a.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Wheat Board
I have information, Chairman, on the time we've been working on this. We started working on this in 1999.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Carol Skelton Conservative Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK
I just want to ask, are the provinces onside?
10:55 a.m.
Chief Commissioner, Canadian Grain Commission
All the stakeholders are working together. I think we've contacted the provinces on other issues, but I'm not sure if they've been included in the KVD issue. It really doesn't fall within their jurisdiction. But we've had no negative response from the provinces.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Bezan
I want to thank Mr. White, Mr. Hermanson, Mr. Stuart, and Mr. Dennis for your briefing today on KVD, and Mr. White as well previously on the Wheat Board. I found it very educational and informative, and it will allow us to move ahead as a committee, especially as we consider Bill C-39 when it comes back to the House.
With that, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. Mr. Lauzon.
The meeting is adjourned.