Evidence of meeting #37 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was industry.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
How much of the bulk that we're talking about--the 88%, or maybe 90% to 94%--would be going to companies that aren't Canadian-owned?
Vice-President, Non-Fed Sales and Government Relations for XL Foods Inc., Canadian Meat Council
Very little.
Vice-President, Non-Fed Sales and Government Relations for XL Foods Inc., Canadian Meat Council
I think in terms of what you're looking at, you only have one. It slaughters cows just to fill the kill. So I don't think that would be an issue.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
Okay.
Let me switch gears here in whatever time we have left.
I want to address the long term. I think it's been mentioned a little bit on the periphery. You've made yourselves very clear about the short term and what you'd like to see. I know it's been mentioned a couple of times by I think both sides of the table here today, but I didn't hear a detailed response from anybody on some of the possible uses in the future for SRMs and for such things as cogeneration, as was mentioned.
I do understand that it's not something we're talking about in the very short term, but in the long term, certainly to me, rather than cheques or handing out money, sometimes if you can find other ways that can be invested so that you can find better uses for things and find ways to value-add, whatever it might be, in the long term, that to me is probably a solution.
Do you have some problems with that? And how far in the future do you think that is?
I'd like to hear some comments on that.
Chairman, Fédération des producteurs de bovins du Québec
In the long term Canadian regulations should adjust to OIE rules in 2014. Why 2014? Because it is the date on which we found the last cow here, plus 11 years.
In Quebec Levinoff-Colbex has analyzed the construction of a co-generation plant. It would cost some $50 million to build a plant able to recover all the materials with or without SRM and produce a second-generation fuel. In terms of the profitability of co-generation plants, the costs related to material disposal were higher than what it brings in currently, despite the costs. Even an additional cost of $31.70—I do not remember the exact figures—was still too high for the business to recapture its capital costs over 50 years.
These are public projects, under a SEDAC support program, a provincial-federal body, projects that allow for an accurate co-generation analysis. Co-generation was seriously analyzed through an American patent but unfortunately, it wasn't delivered for profitability reasons. A baril of oil does not cost a lot and oil is competing with co-generation. Co-generation could not be implemented, but this study was conducted in Quebec. If you want a copy, it is available; it is co-owned with the Canadian government.
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
I would be interested in that report, if you could provide it. Certainly, some of that sounded a bit pessimistic for sure, and I don't know if we have any time to address this, but if anyone else would like to address it as well.... Do you see prospects of it being more optimistic?
Chairman, Fédération des producteurs de bovins du Québec
With the Canadian government and the energy department—I do not remember which one—we've explored all the Canadian support we could get.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
His time is up, but I think we have a few minutes.
Do you want to make some closing comments, Mr. Pellerin?
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Chair, I know we've allowed this throughout the meeting with other people's rounds. If he's got someone to address it, could we allow it briefly?
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Mr. Richards, you misunderstood me. Your time is up, but we still have some time if these gentlemen want to make some comments. Okay?
Chairman of the Board, Sanimax, Canadian Renderers Association
I'd like to make a closing comment for some help for the slaughter of animals. We collect animals at the farm. We're charging to pick up those animals. The $31 should also apply to animals that are picked up at the farm.
President, Canadian Federation of Agriculture
I just want to come back to beef being a commodity at risk in this country. I prefer to tell the truth to my farmers rather than think nothing will happen.
If I had been part of the fisheries sector 15 years ago, I would have hoped somebody around the table had told the truth to those people. And the same thing for lumber and the paper industry. My own city, Trois-Rivières, was built and lived off the paper mill for more than 100 years. Now it's finished. Closed. Five mills in the city, world leaders, the world capital of paper production, are out.
I prefer to tell the truth. It is at risk. I'm not saying it's collapsing. It is at risk, and we have time to do something, but more than just opening markets, we need to build a strategic plan from the farm through the processing industry to link all players to make sure we produce beef in Canada, we process them in Canada, we add value to those beef in Canada, and we add value to our reputation worldwide, instead of moving them through the U.S. channel, so everybody recovers in this country from what we are doing.
That's my wish and my will for the future.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Mark Eyking
Thank you very much.
On that note, our committee has agreed in the new year to focus totally on the future of farming, where we should be and where we could go.
That wraps up today, folks. Thank you very much.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Chair, we can expect the tabling at the committee on Thursday, can we?
Conservative
Pierre Lemieux Conservative Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
No, I said I would look into it.
Thank you for inviting me to meet your schedule, Mr. Easter, but I'll let you do it.
Liberal
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Chair, if the parliamentary secretary is going to come here and talk about a committee that's doing work, this committee needs to know who's on it.
Liberal
Conservative