Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, folks, for coming. In beginning, I might congratulate you on this mix of organizations and segments of the industry coming together on this letter. That's a little bit unique in this industry; all too unique, I might add.
So that it's on the record, Mr. Chair, I think the presenters did a great job of outlining the costs and the difficulty we have with being competitive with policy in other areas of the country. The stark reality on the ground at the producer level.... I have a producer who calls me about every two weeks, and on average he ships about 35 to 45 cattle a week. Five years ago he was averaging $1,500 back to him; six weeks ago he was averaging $1,176; and two weeks ago he was averaging $970, and that $970 was in 42 cattle, all of them triple A but one. I think that's the reality in the industry. Someone said--I believe you, Laurent--that the industry can't survive this. We're at risk of losing the industry, and we are. That's the reality. We're seeing so many small producers go out, cow-calf operators and so on.
I guess my first question is to both Mr. Pellerin and Mr. Dessureault--my English is not good, let alone my French. You said the product comes back to Canada. Meaning what? Are you saying that SRM said because they have a different policy in the United States where it can be put into fertilizer, that it comes back to Canada in that way? Is that what you're saying? What's the bottom line here?