The hog industry in Quebec operates under a collective marketing system and has signed an agreement with processors. We are about to sign an agreement with our processors. Under that agreement, we undertake, as producers, to provide the product our customers want. In exchange, processors are expected to pay producers for maximum capacity.
We believe in a strong hog industry in Quebec. However, an industry is only as strong as its weakest link. The fact that the processing sector makes profits one year and the producers make them the following year is not what creates a strong industry. Only equitable profit sharing can strengthen the hog industry over the years. That is why we favour a collective marketing system and why we sign agreements with processors.
You talked about exports. Canadian and Quebec hog producers export their products. That being the case, the government should be investing to promote those products here in Canada and helping Pork Marketing Canada to do that work as well. Furthermore, the government should be promoting Canadian products in other countries by focussing on Canadian quality standards, which are generally superior. It is in our interests to call attention in export markets to the quality and safety of Canadian products.