Evidence of meeting #147 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 work.
A video is available from Parliament.
Christine Walker Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Branch, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
No.
Liberal
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
My thanks to the witnesses for being here and for giving us information to supplement everything the Minister told us earlier.
I would like to go back to the living laboratories initiative.
I had an opportunity to announce a project similar to that in the region next to mine. Fourteen producers are going to take part in a study on protecting organic soils. I can tell you that those producers will have a financial role in the study. So the laboratory really is a living one.
However, I would like to know if you meet regularly with Farm Credit Canada, FCC, to discuss the price of land and equipment, which is constantly rising, and ways in which we can support our producers.
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
We meet with people from the FCC on a regular basis. They are a very good source of information on the situation of producers on the farm, given that those are their clients. The organization takes care of important matters for their clients, specifically with financing and mental health programs, and can give them all the details they need. I know they work closely with their clients to meet their needs.
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
Okay.
The long-term health of our agriculture is something that is particularly close to my heart. You talked about the psychological distress of our producers. I know that a report was submitted and that it contains recommendations.
Can you tell us a little more about how things are going?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Which report are you talking about?
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
We submitted a report with a number of recommendations. Can you tell us a little more about what is going to be happening with those recommendations?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Normally, we look at a report and an official process follows, in which the government becomes familiar with the details and subsequently provides a response. That is the process followed each time a standing committee submits a report.
As a department, we take the recommendations very seriously and we look at them in detail to find out how we can adjust our processes and our priorities. We work with the government to provide the committees with a more official response.
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
I would also like to hear what you have to say about the next generation of farmers. As I have just said, the long-term health of agriculture is particularly close to my heart. Is there a next generation? Are there sufficient programs to attract a next generation?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
We are making efforts in that direction. As I have said in connection to the work force and the next generation, we work with the provinces on a regular basis. Each of us has programs in the area so that we can determine what has to be done. It may be about groups like 4-H, or other organizations working along those lines. Programs like that may be provincial or federal.
As to whether we are doing enough, that is a question to which I have no answer. It is a challenge for the economy overall. As the population ages, we need young people in every area. There is a great deal of pressure to replace the workforce that is now leaving. Earlier, the minister talked about our efforts to replace our scientists. That is another aspect of this challenge. It is important for processors and producers to find the next generation. We are working on it with our partners.
Liberal
Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC
We want our exports to go from $64 billion to $75 billion by 2025.
What more can we do to achieve that objective?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
We are already working very hard to increase the possibilities for our exporters, producers and processors in foreign markets. Currently, we are focusing on increasing our representation in international organizations like the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, or the OIE, the World Organization for Animal Health. That was a key demand from the industry. That is where the rules on commercial trading of food are established and where debates begin. One of the objectives for our investments in this area is to create a system of exchanges where the rules are more science-based.
We are also investing in trade commissioners. Their role is to help exporters gain access to markets and find importers to whom to sell their products. These are major investments. Finally, we are helping companies that would like to export their products to understand how to get involved in the export process from Canada. For small and medium businesses, that is important. Even though it may be possible to export a product to China or Japan, they need to understand the situation in those countries. That is what we are doing here.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Mr. Forbes.
Mr. Berthold, you have the floor for six minutes.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Forbes and Ms. Walker.
The Minister mentioned earlier that there were exchanges with China yesterday.
Can you tell us at which level those exchanges were held and who took part in the discussions?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Our principal representative was a director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. He has led most of the discussions with his Chinese government counterparts since the beginning. He is an expert in health—
Conservative
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Director level or director general level, yes.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
That is good, but did the president of the agency or yourself not participate in those discussions?
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
No, because they were discussions of a technical nature.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Very good, thank you.
I would like us to talk about the regulations on transporting animals. Across the industry, we are told that you are in the process of conducting a study and that the results will be known in a year and a half. But a decision has been made.
Do your two organizations talk to each other? What is going on? How do we explain that you are conducting such an exhaustive study?
The entire industry is ready to make use of your results. Everyone I have talked to has said that they will trust the results of your studies if they are convincing. But it would seem that you are working in isolation. One part is not talking to the other part.
Tell me what the problem is, Mr. Forbes.
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
I will try to reply and Dr. Komal can complete my answer, because the regulations are those of the agency. Dr. Komal said that the regulations that we are currently implementing for 98% of the current transport are consistent with the new regulations. Is that what you said, Dr. Komal? I see that it is.
Conservative
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
I agree, Mr. Forbes, but I know you are devoting a lot of resources to that study at the moment. If we are adopting the new regulations before we have the results of the study, what is the point of continuing it?
