Thank you very much for inviting me to speak here today.
My name is Sylvain Lapierre and I am a table egg producer from Saint-Gervais in Bellechasse. I have also been an administrator with the Fédération des producteurs d'oeufs de consommation du Québec since 2007. I am also the president of the evaluation committee for the start-up assistance program for new farmers.
When I was 22, I took over my father's farm, which he had taken over from his father 20 years earlier. One of the many advantages of the supply management system is that it allows business owners to predict their income, which greatly facilitates the planning and transfer of farms. I have 24,320 hens, and the average in Quebec is 35,000 egg-laying hens per farmer. In my case, the transfer took place via the creation of a new business 10 years ago. Over the last 10 years, no less than 34 egg production businesses in Quebec have been partially or completely transferred.
With regard to the next generation and sustainability in table egg production, every industry that claims to be able to ensure its survival and continue to develop must find ways to ensure its sustainability. One way to do this is by making sure that the younger generations can continue in the safe conditions that the previous generations have created.
In the table egg industry, a certain degree of concentration has been happening at all levels, whether in terms of the producers, graders or supermarket chains, as has been the case with most other agriculture sectors in Quebec and Canada. This situation, combined with the rarity of production quotas, has made things very difficult for the next generation. Between 1982 and 2004, the number of producers dropped considerably, from 234 to 102, a historic low. That trend stopped in 2005 and we now have 105 egg producers in Quebec in 2010.
Egg producers are very aware of this situation and therefore decided to introduce a number of tools to help improve access to quotas and encourage new producers. One such tool is the start-up assistance program for new egg producers, which Philippe will present to the committee.
Thank you.