Evidence of meeting #124 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agriculture.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:40 a.m.
General Manager, Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario
We have filled that gap where the big five banks won't go.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Okay. The other part of your comment was on the access to technology. You mentioned that four in 10 have no access to the Internet. Obviously, you see this as a barrier.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Are the first nation members you're working with adopting new technologies, knowing the fact that there are some issues with the Internet?
9:40 a.m.
General Manager, Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario
Yes, absolutely. On an individual farm basis, we have operators who are at the highest level of technology. It's quite a spectrum of first nations farmers that we deal with. Large cash crop farmers don't take a back seat to any other farmer in terms of technology adoption, but in general there are lower levels of innovation in terms of technology. It's partly because of economics, the lack of affordability, if you will.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Whatever Canada produces, we export 50% of it. Are you seeing that with the first nation members? Is the produce or whatever crop they're producing destined for export markets, or is it to feed certain populations?
9:40 a.m.
General Manager, Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario
We haven't really looked at that analysis. In Ontario, we have a large group of cash crop farmers who are into wheat, soybean and corn production, and certainly a lot of soybeans get exported. We have some pork producers involved in pork production. That's typically an export business, but we haven't tracked that through our client base or our member base.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Chief Louis, in terms of the first nations that you're working with or represent and the type of agriculture they're producing, is that mostly destined for export markets, or is it to provide food security?
9:40 a.m.
Chief, Okanagan Indian Band
It's a mix. I mentioned the Blood reserve, which markets no less than nine products to the international market. Within the Okanagan, there are two varieties that are basically destined for domestic markets that should be actually pushed for the international market. In terms of Chief Planes, out in Vancouver Island where they're producing wasabi, that again should be looking at the international market.
I think there needs to be more support, especially in terms of accessing international markets, but also, as I mentioned, foreign investment. They need to be able to market what they have, and sometimes that means they have to create an inventory of their reserve lands, especially soil types and different other.... There's a need for support not only from the federal government but also from the provincial governments. Provinces use all of us in a head count and that gets money from federal transfers that go into agricultural programs, but that support does not necessarily come back into a first nations community.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Chief Louis.
Thank you, Mr. Drouin.
We're almost out of time, and I know that Mr. Shipley was itching for a question.
If you have a very short question, Mr. Shipley.... I don't know if you wanted one or not.
9:40 a.m.
Voices
Oh, oh!
9:40 a.m.
Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, CPC
I don't want to go over the time, but I thank you for the opportunity.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Okay. Thank you. Maybe I'll ask a short one.
I know you were talking about how assets cannot be used for capital investment, but there are precedents. Chief Louis, you said that you were in New Brunswick. I think that in Edmundston they have developed a major gas bar and shopping centre, where they have been able to use reserve assets as collateral. I don't know if you're familiar with that.
I know it's an issue. If the bank were to take it over, it would be a big issue to have foreign people who would actually own property within the first nation. I don't know if you want to briefly comment on that.
9:40 a.m.
Chief, Okanagan Indian Band
I think what you're referring to is the process of establishing head lease over a given part of property on the reserve. It's a long and cumbersome process, especially in terms of agriculture. It's a little different from what you mentioned, because people can actually see the returns on some of the other ventures. You have Membertou over in that area, which has done that type of initiative, but that's a much easier sell.
For agriculture, yes, you can put aside a head lease, but then you have to convince your membership that the agricultural venture is viable. I think that's where, more or less, what's in the package is most important. In our region, if I went into our community and said that we have.... Well, what we do have is an area of a thousand acres that's able to actually have grape production with all the right attributes. Our membership, with their knowledge of what goes on in the Okanagan, would have a look at that and consider it.
It has to be something that's actually sellable. For whatever reason, the Annapolis Valley First Nation had agreed to buy the neighbouring farm, which is a commercial farm.
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you very much. It was a very good segue to our study, and we were really able to get good information here today.
I want to thank Chief Byron Louis and Mr. Jamie Hall for being with us today. Our first discussion is certainly leading us to a very interesting continuation. This meeting will be the last one until the new year, but we're looking forward to completing that study and the results that will come out of it.
Thank you, everyone. We'll take a break and come back for our business portion.
[Proceedings continue in camera]