Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all the witnesses here today. It's always good to hear from farm groups, but even more importantly to have a chance to hear from producers who are dealing with the policies we are talking about here. I particularly want to welcome Mr. Robertson as a farmer in the Carstairs area, which is in my riding.
Mr. Davis, I appreciate your being here today as well. You have joined the growing chorus of people we have had before us who have talked about the importance of exports and appreciation for our government's direction in that area to try to see markets open up. I'd love to give you a chance to comment on that, but I'd like to spend some time on the Wheat Board. I appreciate your comments and your recognizing that government is moving in the right direction on exports.
I want to spend most of my time on the Wheat Board. I hear from grain farmers in my riding all the time about their inability to make their own marketing choices. Farmers are some of the most industrious and innovative people in this country, but they are being hampered severely by the inability to market their own products because of the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board. They are demanding the ability to choose whether to market their products through the Wheat Board or to market for themselves in the world market. Our government certainly recognizes the need for this, and the only thing standing in the way is the opposition parties across the way. I know this would make a huge difference for our farmers and I know how important it is.
Last year we saw the Wheat Board, with over $7 billion in sales, which was a result of a combination of record high global grain prices and a high production of wheat durum and barley by our prairie farmers. However, millions of dollars of farmers' money--and I'm going to emphasize farmers' money--were lost as a result of the poor risk-management practices of the Canadian Wheat Board.
The Wheat Board has been quoted as saying it understands the importance of direct accountability to all producers and it's committing to sharing the results of a review process.
I'd like to pick up on the question from Mr. Storseth, because I know Mr. Robertson wanted a chance to answer that question and I would like to give you that opportunity. Do you think there needs to be an investigation of the Wheat Board's losses?