Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On the gouging, there's no question that when the $550 million BSE payment went out, the meat packers gouged it all. They basically stole $500 million of that money. We've said that at this committee. We had a report on it, and that's gouging if there ever was gouging.
I don't want to get into the Wheat Board, other than to say that in terms of the facts about processing plants, if we compare the midwestern United States with western Canada, there are more processing plants under the Wheat Board than there are under the open market. Those are the facts.
In terms of captive supply, we have the bill that the U.S. is putting forward. It seems, Dwight, that you may be in favour of that approach. I'm sure the Canadian Cattlemen's Association will be opposed, and I don't know why. Can you provide us with some more information on that? I think that breaking the link between the slaughter plants and the producers is an avenue we should pursue. We've tried to do that in the potato industry in the past and we weren't successful.
I guarantee that in the potato industry this year, when fertilizer prices are so high and the same companies that buy potatoes provide the fertilizer, some of the producers have told me that those companies are basically saying to them, “If you don't buy our fertilizer, then we'll not buy your product.” It's tied selling, and that's serious, but nobody is willing to come forward on the record and say it, because they won't have their market.
On that issue, can you provide us with anything more that we could use? You can think about that.
The recommendations here, Ms. Gravel, are excellent, and I think we should try to accommodate you on those recommendations, but I have two questions.
You request “that organic products exported from Canada be certified to Canadian standards by a certification body...”. Can you give us a name for that body? We need to be more specific.
Then you request “that article 29(2) of the draft regulations be replaced by an article that will allow the import of an organic product only if this product is certified...”. Can you give us an idea on the article?
Organic is the fastest-growing sector of the agriculture industry. We should be moving on that now. I'm absolutely amazed by Ms. Belzile's statement that you're not even getting any answers from the centre. Who did you send this letter to, and to what agency? Maybe we can write a letter and ask why this issue is not being dealt with.
The questions, then, are on captive supply and organic. Go ahead.