Evidence of meeting #87 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 crops.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clyde Graham  Senior Vice-President, Fertilizer Canada
Doyle Wiebe  Director, Grain Growers of Canada
Louis Gauthier  General Manager, Les Fraises de l'Île d'Orléans inc.
Marc Laflèche  Chairman of the Board of Directors and Agricultural Producer, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens
Emilia Craiovan  Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

4:55 p.m.

Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Emilia Craiovan

I'm not sure.

4:55 p.m.

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Agricultural Producer, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Marc Laflèche

I know regions in Quebec and western Canada have tried the technique.

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

Thank you, Mr. Laflèche.

Thank you, Mr. Drouin.

Now we'll have Mr. MacGregor for six minutes.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Monsieur Gauthier, you mentioned in your opening comments that one area where you think the federal government could get involved is that investment in irrigation infrastructure.

I know from my own small example on my small farming property, I've had tremendous success with significant investment in drip irrigation that is controlled by computers. I no longer have to go out and hand water. I notice that my water use is significantly less.

I was wondering if you could expand a little more. I might have missed it in your opening comments. Specifically, what types of investments would you like to see, and are there specific types of irrigation infrastructure you think would be beneficial in the overall goal of water conservation?

4:55 p.m.

General Manager, Les Fraises de l'Île d'Orléans inc.

Louis Gauthier

In our region, in particular, capturing water is especially difficult because we are on an island. Our infrastructure consists of water reservoirs supplied mainly by runoff. We collect the water.

A lot of the irrigation infrastructure in our region is moving towards automation, for instance, controlled by tensiometer. It's similar to the drainage principle Ms. Craiovan explained, further to the research in Ontario. If it's too difficult for a plant to draw water because of soil tension, it becomes dry, so it's important to provide the plant with a certain range of soil tension through irrigation. The soil has to be irrigated just enough for the plant to function properly, but not too much. Excessive irrigation of a raspberry plant, for example, will kill it. Therefore, the plant needs a very specific level of irrigation for optimal production in a year. Automated irrigation is possible by controlling soil tension. At the right time, the computer receives a signal to open the irrigation valves in a certain crop area.

4:55 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Thank you.

Monsieur Laflèche and Madame Craiovan, I was listening with interest to your discussion on drainage issues and the controlled drainage system.

I come from what's known as the "Wet Coast”, Vancouver Island, and we get an extraordinary amount of rainfall every winter. Increasingly, we're seeing two different types of weather systems: very heavy rain in winter and spring and an increasingly dry summer, so that by the time we get to August, the ground looks like baked concrete.

I have a small farming property on a slope. We get an incredible amount of runoff and right now the water table is up to the maximum, so it looks like a standing pond. We've implemented a system whereby we've followed the contours of the land and built in some swales to direct the flow of the water around the property. We've also found that by raising the earth a little with a slight culvert, even in the dry summer months, that tends to retain moisture in the soil.

Are any kinds of experiments like that going on in your region?

5 p.m.

Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Emilia Craiovan

The only way to drain very sloped land is to have control structures at different levels that will drain the first part and then slowly take it down to the next part.

We haven't done this because here in the South Nation area, the land is very flat. I believe research like that was done in the United States where they had to go with different steps in the drainage system.

5 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

You mentioned that this is sort of an experiment in a few areas. Is enthusiasm for it growing?

5 p.m.

Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Emilia Craiovan

Very much so. Like I mentioned, in 2005 only one person was interested in doing this process. Slowly, with our results and making producers see that there's no bad effect from control structures, they're becoming happier to accept the structures.

5 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

You also mentioned the use of satellite imagery to aid you with this. I know that Agriculture Canada uses satellite imagery across Canada to monitor how our farmland is changing.

Are you quite satisfied with this service, or is there something more that the federal government could do to utilize this technology and make it available to farmers?

5 p.m.

Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Emilia Craiovan

I haven't been looking that closely at the project. I believe the results are there to show that satellite works. They were studying our field sites, and they had good results coming out of it. I would say it's another tool to—

5 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan

Thank you, Ms. Craiovan.

Mr. Poissant, you may go ahead for six minutes.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the witnesses.

It's always nice to eat tasty strawberries, especially since they are available for longer and longer periods.

My first question is for Mr. Gauthier. You piqued my curiosity earlier when you talked about the work you do in the fall to prevent problems associated with early frosts. What sorts of things do you do?

5 p.m.

General Manager, Les Fraises de l'Île d'Orléans inc.

Louis Gauthier

What we call radiation frost is a loss of heat during the night. It's also known as ground freezing. When that happens, sprinkler irrigation can be used to water crops. Since the water is warmer than the air, when it freezes, it releases heat. Therefore, if we water the crops as long as the frost lasts, we can keep the temperature of the plant at zero degrees, plus a few degrees, and save the fruits and the plant during another frost-free period.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

You said you had about two additional weeks before the early frost in the fall. How much more do you think it's possible to harvest as a result?

5:05 p.m.

General Manager, Les Fraises de l'Île d'Orléans inc.

Louis Gauthier

Let's take the month of September. For the past five years, the weather conditions in September have been very favourable and frost-free, whereas, previously, by September 20 or so, we might have had to deal with one or two radiation frosts in order keep production going into October. The more frosts there are, the more the plant slows down and moves towards dormancy. If we have periods, then, that are not cold below four degrees Celsius, the plant is able to continue intensive production for as long as it is not forced into dormancy. We harvest perennial plants. The strawberry, the raspberry, and the blackberry are perennial plants.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

Our government has set a target of $175 billion in exports by 2025. Clearly, the future holds opportunity.

5:05 p.m.

General Manager, Les Fraises de l'Île d'Orléans inc.

Louis Gauthier

Yes, the future holds opportunity.

In fact, we estimate an increase of about 20% in our strawberry production, which is quite significant. The use of row covers in the field and high tunnels has allowed us to extend the strawberry growing season, and grow raspberries into October. We can currently produce blackberries in September and October, and the U.S. and Canadian markets are wide open.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

My next question is for Mr. Laflèche and Ms. Craiovan.

I installed the water table control devices you talked about on my farm. As far as I know, the solution has been around for at least 15 years.

Producers see the practice as more work for them. Is that the only reason they aren't adopting it?

5:05 p.m.

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Agricultural Producer, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Marc Laflèche

Initially, it had to do with a lack of knowledge. Farmers were already satisfied with their drainage systems. It's important to note that we hadn't experienced any drought-plagued summers like the ones we've seen in the past decade. Over the past five years, we've had three very dry summers. From what I've been told, the practice helps retain moisture in the soil for at least two weeks longer than an area that's been drained.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

Very well.

Could money be another factor?

5:05 p.m.

Chairman of the Board of Directors and Agricultural Producer, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Marc Laflèche

I do think it is another reason.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

Could you give us an idea of the investment required? How much does it cost per acre or hectare?

5:05 p.m.

Representative, Union des cultivateurs franco-ontariens

Emilia Craiovan

According to our data, it costs about $1,000 a year for every 10 acres.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

It costs an average of $1,000 per 10 acres, then.

Clearly, the method is not effective everywhere. It depends on the slope of the land.