Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that. Like Alex, I had to be in the House to take care of another matter. I am pleased to have the opportunity to hear today's witnesses.
Mr. Meredith, you have mentioned several figures, and we have gotten the impression that the government gave $30 million to potato producers in Saint-Amable.
I was there in 2006 when the former minister of Agriculture, Chuck Strahl, went to the UPA's annual general meeting in Quebec City to announce $5.4 million for agricultural producers to compensate them for the problems they were having in Saint-Amable. Producers received $1 million less than $5.4 million—$4.4 million. The money was distributed through CAIS, but now it goes through Agri-Stability.
You mentioned that the department covered some costs. In 2006, the committee submitted a report saying that there has to be an ad hoc program because the existing programs were not effective. We know that programs like AgriStability and AgriRecovery are all basically the same. They replaced the CAIS program.
You also said that the proposed agreement was not signed, and I am glad you mentioned that. Five million dollars was supposed to go to 21 farmers, and you said that was $600,000 each. I am not sure how you came up with that number. By my math, it would be $238,000 each if the agreement is ever signed. Explain that number for us, because the farmers and I are not getting the same number as you. I do not think that they have seen a penny of that $30 million yet.