Agriculture Committee on May 28th, 2018

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

You cannot do it if you do not take care of your environment, and that's exactly what we canvassed on, and that's exactly what we're doing and it is creating the growth.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

If there are no numbers, I understand that, because there would be no numbers on how much the carbon tax was going to cost.

I'll go back to another point, and this has to do with trade. I was with the trade committee. We were in southeast Asia—in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. There were discussions about things that were going on in India at the time we had our famous tour. Unfortunately, you weren't there. If you had been there, you could have perhaps spoken about this serious issue with our pulses and trying to keep up with the fumigation issue that was unfortunately allowed to lapse. These were the kinds of issues that people were looking at, and they were wondering where the government was on real issues when it came to trade and agriculture.

When we look at the concerns there, I'm wondering if we can anticipate some sort of emphasis on the India file, as well as the other critical file having to do with the durum wheat going into Italy. We have seen that there is a social media emphasis on our quality of wheat. These are issues that are extremely important. Where is your department making sure that we have the ability to move our product into other places in the world so that we can hit that $70-billion target that you have so loftily put out?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Earl. It's $75 billion, and we will reach it. We will make sure we do it.

In Italy, we are very concerned about the mandatory country of origin labelling, which is most unfortunate. John was with me on one of those excursions, and as he's probably aware, I brought it up at every opportunity. However, we and the department are continuing to work with the Italian government and the EU in order to properly follow the trade regulations they've agreed to.

The Indian issue is most unfortunate. They just decided unilaterally that they were going to do this, not only with Canada but with every country in the world—the same treatment. It was unexpected, but again, we're working with the Indian government. We have great farmers in this country who can produce the product, and although it's obvious that India does not want the product at the moment, we were very concerned about the way they put the tariffs in place without any discussion. We will continue to work with the Indian government and every other government of the world. That's why we're in Vietnam, China, and other countries around the world, in order to make sure we can sell the product.

There are always going to be problems. There are always going to be people putting up trade barriers, I expect. We have to continue to work with the bureaucracy in order to get around these kinds of things, because it hurts our farmers, and I'm well aware of it. Continually, we have to make sure we are present around the world, and that the countries that are able to buy the product understand the quality of the product we have. That's what we have done, and that is what we will continue to do.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

Unfortunately, that is all the time we have.

I certainly want to thank you for being here to talk to us about all the enhancements and all we're doing inside and outside our country for the farmers. Thank you so much for taking the time.

We shall have a small break, and then we'll come back with the officials for the second part.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

We are suspended.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Welcome.

In the second hour, we have officials from the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Mr. Corriveau and Mr. Forbes, we will not quite have one hour, because we will have to go and vote at 5:20 p.m.

We'll start with you, Mr. Berthold. You have six minutes.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. This will start a little calmer.

Good morning, Mr. Forbes and Mr. Corriveau. Thank you so much for being with us.

I will continue with the topic I discussed with the minister.

I would like to get some details on what is really going on behind the scenes with regard to the NAFTA negotiations with the U.S. So that we have a clear understanding of the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food’s role, to what extent is it involved in the current discussions with the U.S. on the renewal of NAFTA?

[Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Thank you.

Maybe I'll give just a brief answer on that. Obviously, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has a chief agricultural negotiator who participates at the officials' level at all the rounds of negotiation. There have been seven formal rounds of negotiation so far, plus some side discussions, and we've been intimately involved in all the negotiation rounds.

As the minister said, we have a mandate around modernizing NAFTA, and we participate in that way. We are there at the table as part of the negotiating team and, I think, as the only department with its own separate chief negotiator to deal with agricultural issues.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

From your answer, I understand that, as officials, you are directly involved in the negotiations.

[Chris Forbes]

Yes, that's right.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Okay.

We know that Health Canada is responsible for Canada's Food Guide, which also affects several departments. It has a significant impact on the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, which has done a study on food policy and is providing direction to the Department of Health in this area.

For the benefit of Canadians, could you clarify the impact that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada can have on the current process? Producers and processors are concerned. They report directly to your department and expect your department to defend this major industry, given the government's goal of increasing exports. They are therefore very concerned about the effects this may have on the market in which they operate.

[Chris Forbes]

I have a couple of points.

First, we have the means to converse directly with people in the sector. This is particularly the case with the round tables, of which we have 13 I think. One of them deals with issues in the grain sector and another addresses issues in the chicken industry. We use these round tables to discuss priorities and issues affecting our sector. Our role, through the round tables and in collaboration with our government colleagues, in this case, from the Department of Health, is really to make sure that everyone is familiar with the important facts and details. We create opportunities for interaction between our colleagues in the Department of Health and stakeholders in our sector.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

You have probably heard that the people in the industry, the producers, were complaining that they have not been sufficiently heard on the issue. It seems that their studies have not been taken into account properly.

Are you able to tell me why they feel this way?

[Chris Forbes]

I may not answer first-hand, but I hope the industry, if you asked them, would tell you the same thing they're telling me: that our efforts have improved communication between them and the Department of Health, in this case. We are confident that important information is shared by the Department of Health.

I don't have the list with me, but, in the fall, there were a number of information sessions where representatives from the Department of Health and industry interacted. I cannot assure you that everything is perfect, but I can tell you that we have improved communication between the sector and the Department of Health.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

I will ask my last question fairly quickly, since I only have one minute left.

In terms of front-of-pack labelling, the minister told us earlier that the decision would be made in cabinet.

If so, will Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have a recommendation to make to cabinet?

[Chris Forbes]

The Department of Health held a consultation. I think it was at the end of April and most of the people in our industry who participated in this consultation expressed their views on what the government was saying. I am not a member of cabinet, but we provide advice to the minister, who can pass it on to his cabinet colleagues.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

So you will be preparing the minister on those issues for his meeting with cabinet. Is that correct?

[Chris Forbes]

Yes, that's the usual procedure. That is what happens with all issues before cabinet.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

Thank you, Mr. Berthold, and thank you too, Mr. Forbes.

Now we'll go to Mr. Longfield for six minutes.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Corriveau and Mr. Forbes, it's great to have you back in front of us again.

In looking at the main estimates, there's funding of $3,214,000 for a youth employment strategy under the career focus strategy. In Guelph we have specialist, high-skills majors programs at the high schools. We have the Ontario Agricultural College, which continues to have problems filling the number of jobs that are out there. They have had more jobs than student grads for many years now.

In looking at how we encourage youth to get into agriculture and how the investments that are being shown in the estimates are going to help us expand programs to get youth interested in agriculture, could you comment on how those tie together?

[Chris Forbes]

Sure. Why don't I start off on that.

There are a couple of things. The money under the career focus program is obviously for students to get work experience in the areas of interest to them. I think this is a great chance to bring people into the sector. It's a broader program that obviously works across the government.

I would say that it's one of a number of pieces that happen in different places. Some are co-op opportunities that may happen through universities. We have organizations like 4-H and others that are out there promoting the sector and interest in the sector. Indeed, just as a sidebar, I think there was a national science competition for students a couple of weeks ago, and a number of 4-H students finished close to the top of that, bringing agricultural science to the fore. There are a range of opportunities.

I would also say that within the department we do a lot of student hiring. Some summers ago it was over 1,000 students with all of the people who come into our research centres. There are multiple places where we can work on promoting the sector as an interesting place for people to work, where they can have fulfilling careers.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

We're lucky in Guelph that we have both the AAFC and OMAFRA, with the HQP program. We're more fortunate than a lot of communities.

We see this as an ongoing problem. We're trying to fill in with immigration and with other things, but unless we get the kids interested, we're going to be in trouble down the road.

[Chris Forbes]

The minister mentioned that the government has set up six economic strategy tables, one of which is in agri-food. Certainly, I support that table.

I would say one of the issues that has come up is exactly that. How do we engage students to encourage them to participate in agriculture? How do we make sure the talented kids are coming through and seeing agriculture as an attractive career option?