We believe that Agriculture and Agri-food Canada's public research department is extremely important.
We have seen stagnating crop yields, especially in small grains. Why? Because of the funding cuts this sector has been subject to since the middle of the 1990s. It is definitely harder to see the problem in the short term, but it can be seen over the long term. Now we are seeing diseases, such as fusarium, appear more and more frequently.
The public sector has definitely not been there, nor has the private sector stepped up. The private sector steps up when there is a return on investment, as we have seen with GMOs. When it comes to small grains, 4% of investments are made by the private sector and 96% come from the public sector.
For the next generations of farmers to be prosperous, we need excellent, innovative research today and over the long term.
Thank you.