I'm talking about—
Evidence of meeting #82 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 program.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #82 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 program.
A video is available from Parliament.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Yes, I know that you're talking about the regulations. We're working with the organic farmers on that issue. It has not been resolved yet.
4 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Organic farming is a very important percentage of the agricultural sector and growing.
4 p.m.
NDP
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
We have these trade deals, and one big issue across Canada, and specifically in my riding, is labour shortages. There have been many reports and studies.
There was a report by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council that was supported by the Conference Board of Canada. This report identified that 26,400 jobs were unfilled in Canada's agriculture sector in 2014, costing $1.5 billion in lost revenues, or 2.7% of product sales.
What is your government going to do to fix the situation?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
As you're probably aware, we have a stakeholder review to modernize the administration of temporary foreign workers, which is very important, certainly in my area of the country and across the country, but also we want to go beyond temporary foreign workers. We want to make sure that program becomes more efficient, but we want to make sure that we put people into the process for landed immigrant status to eventually to become citizens. That's the process we want to put in place.
4:05 p.m.
NDP
4:05 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
As the minister said, the government is consulting on the program right now.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
If there's any way to make it more efficient and simpler to handle, we will do it. That's what we're trying to do. I fully understand the problem. I understand that we need the workers.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Unfortunately, thank you, Madam Brosseau.
Thank you, Minister MacAulay.
Mr. Peschisolido, you have six minutes.
November 30th, 2017 / 4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Mr. Chair, thank you.
I would like to welcome the minister and his officials to committee.
Minister, the last time you visited Steveston—Richmond East, you spent a few hours at the Hoeggler farm, where you met a lot of the old-time family farmers: the May family, the Savages, and the Hoegglers.
You also met the young farmers who are involved in the organic industry. Can you elaborate a bit on the thoughts of the government on the organic industry and also on the support the government is providing to that growing industry, and particularly to all the great farms in Steveston that are organic?
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Thank you very much, Joe. That was a very interesting trip.
There's certainly no reason why there cannot be more of that, because it's obvious that they are providing fresh fruit and vegetables for the city, and that's where they came from: they came there to buy them. I think I was three million dollars slack for Ms. Brosseau. Eighteen million is what we've invested in the organic sector since we took government.
We fully understand how important this sector is. Also, we understand that there's a great market for the organic farming industry. We are meeting with them, as was indicated here, on the regulatory process, to help them put it together, but that hasn't been resolved yet.
I can assure you, being a farmer, that I fully understand that you must have the regulatory process. We have to get a means of making sure that's done in an efficient way. Of course, it's not as large as some other areas, and funding is a little shorter, so we will be looking at all aspects to make sure we can put this together.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
On your visit, Minister, you also chatted with the Mahal family and with the Dhillon family, which operates Ocean Spray. As you know, in the eastern part of Richmond, there are a lot of cranberries and blueberries. They're interested in hearing about your visits to countries such as Vietnam, India, China, and Japan in terms of how they can sell their very good products, their good berries and cranberries, and also the wine that they're now developing from berries.
4:05 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
There's absolutely no question: you have the farmers in your part of the world who can do it. In fact, coming back from China, we had hybrid blueberry and agricultural tourism groups with me. It was some interesting; they did get signed contracts, but they also did a lot in promoting their agricultural tourism. There are a lot of people who want to come from China just to see the process, to see what goes on from the time it's planted until it's processed. It could be the winery.
They also have a winery. I was just talking to them. They have a big operation. Without a doubt, these kinds of people have gained a lot on these trade missions.
Yes, you're absolutely right. There's a great market and it can be filled, and we will make sure we do, but again, it takes investment. It takes some investment from the agricultural sector and it takes some investment from the government. That's what we have to do. That's why we put the $100 million into science and research over the last two years. That's why we have the innovation budget of $1.2 billion under Navdeep Bains's department. Agriculture is one of the six industries that has been identified to help grow our GDP. Hopefully, you'll receive this money. It's under his authority and you receive the money on merit, of course, but I'm sure the agricultural sector will be quite successful in that area too.
There's some money. It takes a lot of money. We have countries all over the world doing what we're doing, so we have to make sure we're there. We have to make sure we're promoting, we have to make sure we're doing the research, and then we have to make sure we're selling the product that we do produce.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Joe Peschisolido Liberal Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Yes.
Minister, talking about money and investment, can you elaborate a bit on the Canadian agricultural partnership and, in particular, how it relates to educational institutions? Another chap you met on the visit was Kent Mullinix. He heads up the agricultural department at Kwantlen Polytechnic. Can you elaborate a bit on the programs that may be available on the new partnership agreement in terms of dealing with more smaller-scale farms and also how we interact with educational institutions?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Well, of course what we want to try to do and will try to do is to make sure that we have more of the smaller operations, that more women are involved in agriculture, and that a portion of the dollars goes to first nations, all of which would be smaller operations.
As you know, this agreement is put together by.... That's under the $1 billion, and that's under our jurisdiction, but that's why that billion dollars was designated for that. Also, it's designated to make sure that we deal with environmental issues and sustainability to make sure that we have the social trust. All of this is so vitally important if we're to progress and sell $75-billion worth of product by 2025. All of these go into the play, and that's why this partnership was put together that way.
The other $2 billion is shared 60-40, and they also will be using the dollars.... The provinces and territories are also very concerned on the very issues you're talking about. It'll be dealt with issue by issue, but there has to be an agreement between the federal government and the provinces. We're working on that. That's not finalized yet, but it will be over the next month or so.
In putting the Canadian agricultural partnership together, there was one thing I was told from the start: do not have a lapse. Last time, I think it was a year and it caused some difficulty, so the word from the agricultural sector was, “Do not have the lapse.” We are going to be ready to.... I think the process with the provinces should be pretty well wrapped up in the very first part of the year. We will be ready for applications and will be sure that the money will be ready to roll out.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Mr. Minister and Mr. Peschisolido.
Mrs. Nassif, you have six minutes.
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On November 21, Minister MacAulay celebrated his 29th anniversary as an MP. I would like to take this opportunity to thank him and congratulate him on his involvement with his constituents and on his contribution to our country. Twenty-nine years is a reason to celebrate!
4:10 p.m.
Voices
Hear, hear!
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Minister, could you give us some details about what the government has already done to fight climate change and to promote sustainable development in agriculture and sustainable agricultural practices?
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Thank you very much.
If we don't have sustainable agriculture practices, we won't have agriculture, quite simply. We have to make sure we do this, and we have to make sure we do it by expanding the production on the same amount of land. That's what we have to do. That is of course, why, for example, we invested $27 million in the agricultural greenhouse gases program. It's so important.
We also invested $100 million, as I indicated, in agriculture research. Just what happens in agriculture research? Quite simply, it puts billions of dollars into the pockets of farmers. Canola alone is a prime example: it was agriculture and agrifood scientists who discovered this seed. That's just one small example of what can take place when you put the proper funding into research. We will continue, hopefully, to put in more. We have $25 million to adopt clean technology in agriculture.
Then there's precision agriculture. I'd say that when I farmed, I wasted some money. I put more fertilizer on in areas than I should have. Precision agriculture makes sure that what's put in the soil is used by the plant. That puts more money in the pockets of farmers, and it also is very important to the environment and to the soil.
These are the kinds of things that we have done, and there's no end.... For example, out in western Canada in the areas where they graze the cattle all winter, they grow a crop, they cut it down, and they feed the stock as they move the fence along. What they've saved on their environmental footprint is amazing. I think we increased our beef production by 50% and reduced our environmental footprint by 30%.
These are the kinds of things you have to do. We'll continue to work with farmers. Farmers are innovative. Quite simply, if you're not innovative, you won't stay in farming very long. That's simply how it is. The government is trying to make sure that we provide the funding in order to help farmers innovate.