Evidence of meeting #2 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was agreement.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Vice-President, Policy and Issue Management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
We prepared them.
Vice-President, Policy and Issue Management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Yes. I mean, obviously it was not coming from government.
I don't know what your experience was, but certainly Agriculture Canada did prepare some documentation that was helpful—you know, they did the burger that Frank was referring to, so that was helpful, for sure.
Conservative
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
The other thing that we've heard was maybe a missed opportunity with this was the harmonization of regulations.
Shane, maybe you can talk a bit about this, or whoever wants to. When we see those non-tariff trade barriers that we face, I think this was an opportunity that we missed. We could have addressed a lot of these issues.
I'll just maybe ask for comments from anybody. What difference could that have made if we were able to address some of those issues as well?
Vice-Chair, Grain Growers of Canada
I think it definitely would have helped if we had dealt with some of the non-tariff trade barriers.
I'm not exactly sure what they would be on this one, but I think it probably would have helped a little bit.
Vice-President, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
I would add to this that members around the CAFTA table put forward a number of objectives for the NAFTA renegotiation. We're very happy that the agreement is now going through, but there were a number of things we saw that could be improved that weren't achieved. The regulatory co-operation among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico is a way to help do that, through the committee on agriculture, the consultative committees on agriculture and other forums.
I'll give you examples. The feed that our animals consume is regulated in Canada and in the U.S. It's regulated by very specific definitions, but those regulations are not the same. That can create barriers for a number of things. Food safety is also not regulated the same. Crop protection products were mentioned earlier; they're not regulated the same. When you look at phytosanitary measures required for all of our agricultural products, they're not the same across the three countries. All of these issues can result in small differences, which create trade barriers and costs, or in some cases can create an inability to trade or use technology.
Each sector would have examples. The beef and pork sectors, for example, have had concerns when it comes to inspections of their products, around the thickness of the border and the costs imposed when meat products are exported from Canada to the United States.
Further, for vegetable oil products, we talked about margarine now having access, but shortening is a much larger opportunity where we don't have tariff-free access. It wasn't addressed in these negotiations. A number of these regulatory issues, rules of origin issues and technical issues remain and have an opportunity to be addressed.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
Thank you, Mr. Innes.
Thank you, Mr. Barlow.
Mr. Blois, I think we can squeeze in five minutes. Go ahead.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you very much for all your time here this evening. It was very informative.
I'd like to go to Mr. Stokke. You haven't had a chance to speak as much and I really appreciated your comments.
I'm coming from Nova Scotia, where, of course, our grain industry is not as big as in western Canada and some of the other regions of this country. You talked very favourably about what CUSMA means for your industry. I'm hoping that you could elaborate, for someone who perhaps doesn't know your industry, on what that represents.
Vice-Chair, Grain Growers of Canada
In the prairie provinces.... In Saskatchewan, on my farm specifically, I grow canola, wheat, pulses and even down to spices. I need free trade or fluent trade to make that work. If there are some trade barriers, those obviously affect what I can sell and the prices I can get. It really handcuffs me because there is nothing I can do.
If it was just straight supply-and-demand, I could deal with that. Keeping things simple and having trade fluent benefits me greatly. I'm able to move it forward.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Would it be fair to suggest that the agreement gives a lot of confidence to grain farmers to be able to move their industry forward and invest accordingly? I'm hearing from you that without that certainty there would have been challenges.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
I want to talk about the Canada Grain Act. It was some time ago, but you talked about ways in which the grain act could perhaps be reformed, or about being able to move forward on that basis. Can you speak to any provisions on that side?
Erin Gowriluk Executive Director, Grain Growers of Canada
Sure.
Just to reinforce the comments already made by our vice-chair Shane Stokke, we support the provision currently in the act with respect to grain grading and the equity that it creates between the two countries. We think it gives Canada an opportunity to demonstrate that we support rules-based trade and that we're prepared to walk the talk, if you will. With respect to any other changes made under the act, we're very much looking forward to the anticipated review and the modernization of the Canada Grain Act.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
I'll bring my attention over to this side of the witnesses. There was talk from Mr. Barlow about some of the things that were not achieved in this particular round of negotiation. Can you speak to the importance of the dispute resolution mechanism around agriculture and the committees that are there to ensure we can get those for our Canadian producers in the days ahead? Can you talk about how important that is for our agricultural community and particularly your stakeholders?
Executive Director, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
Dispute settlement and resolution is something that has been flagged by our members right from the very beginning when the consultations started and that we included in our gazette. There have been many irritants, as trade has evolved across North America over the years, MCOOL being one of them.
Having in place a strong dispute resolution system is something that our members have strongly advocated for and that we're pleased to see in the new CUSMA.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Excellent. Thank you very much.
I'm going to take it to Jane. Obviously, on the produce side, you talked about the importance of what that means. In my riding of Kings—Hants, produce is very important. I see that you are acknowledging that.
Vice-President, Policy and Issue Management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Yes.
Liberal
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Can you speak to what CUSMA means for, perhaps, my residents and some of my farmers, whether it's the apple industry, broccoli, produce or otherwise? I don't have much time, but if you could quickly opine on the importance, that would—
Vice-President, Policy and Issue Management, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
For some of your constituents, whom I am sure you know well—apple producers, for example, is a really good one—that integration across the markets is so important. It's important that they don't lose those markets—the U.S. market in particular, because it's the biggest, but also Mexico. There are a lot of U.S. buyers, and I don't necessarily mean retailers or food services, but people who are wholesalers, or what have you, who look to Canada to supplement their markets. It would be the same, I'm sure, for some of the apple growers in Hants county.
The importance of this agreement maintaining it is crucial for them. Without it, there's.... You're very lucky in terms of the area you're in. As our climate changes, that's a more and more productive area of Canada. You have these big productions. You want to have a market to sell them into. So it's very important for us.
Liberal