Good afternoon to everyone.
I am pleased to be here with you today. As you know, I am the newly elected member for the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, a riding which has at its heart a own which is an agrifood technopolis. At one time, the agrifood business was my livelihood. I operated a hog farm for over seven years in the 1990s. In fact, I am the grand-daughter of an agronomist. So it goes without saying that this sector is dear to my heart.
I would be very pleased to welcome my colleague Mr. Lauzon in my riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot. As for what you heard on Prince Edward Island, let me show you that it is not what I am hearing on the ground in my riding. Indeed, 25% of the jobs in my riding are directly related to the agrifood sector, and, as we speak, producers are being squeezed out. You said that producers told you that they were happy with the money provided under these programs. However, it is as if you were giving five dollars to someone who needed ten. Of course, producers will take the money. But the fact remains that it is not enough. Much more money must be made available. We need more than answers: we need concrete measures to support the agrifood industry.
How do you explain that the AgriStability program is still using an olympic average, despite the fact that it was one of the most criticized measures under CAIS. Why has this flaw in the program not been corrected yet, and when will it be?