Thank you, Chair. Thank you to the witnesses for coming today.
I received correspondence from the AGgrowth Coalition. They noted in their correspondence with me that participation in the program, specifically AgriStability, declined precipitously since cuts were made back in 2013. They say that approximately two-thirds of farmers are opting out of the program. I've even had farmers say to me directly that the program serves their accountant better than it does them.
This is not new news. I think this committee issued a report in 2017 that made some recommendations. How has the department been handling these complaints that have been building up over the years? I guess my question is, why have we been a little slow to react to them?