Agriculture Committee on Dec. 10th, 2020

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

No.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Okay. Then if there are market access issues, what department in Global Affairs deals with those market access issues?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Trade deals with them.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Are there lots of direct links between trade and your ministry of agriculture to ensure they're working together and speaking with the producers and stakeholders?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Absolutely. We have constant conversations with trade, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the industry.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

I have one question left.

Some stakeholders we've been in contact with specifically say that in South Korea, our beef is still being treated differently from American and Australian beef and it's still being tariffed.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

This is a very specific question. If you want to share it with me in a bit more detail, I will be happy to come back to you—unless my deputy minister has a quick answer for you. If not, just send the question with maybe a bit more detail and I'll get back to you.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

I'll send the question to your department.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Okay, thank you.

[Annette Gibbons, Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Minister, I could add quickly, if you'd like.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

I'm sorry. I'm going to have to move to the next questioner.

[Annette Gibbons]

Okay, no problem.

[The Chair, Liberal, Pat Finnigan]

There may be a chance for the next person.

Mr. Blois, you have six minutes. Thank you.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to thank the minister for her participation today before the committee.

Minister, I want to thank you for the work you've done over the last couple of weeks. Of course, that led into the months of work you've put in around making sure that this package was in place for our supply-managed farmers.

You also mentioned in your remarks our government's willingness to improve the programs under business risk management. I think that's extremely important and I want to put that on record.

I'll remind our honourable members that we're here talking about supply management. We talked about beef. One of your questions was around beef, but I want to go to the poultry and egg compensation that was announced. This is different from what the dairy industry had been asking for. They were asking for compensation to their producers. These are actually mitigation measures, as the stakeholders have talked about.

You mentioned that's going to be a co-operation and you're going to be working with industry. Can you explain a little bit more about how that might look?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Yes, of course.

After the signing of the first two agreements, we have put in place working groups, one for the dairy sector and another one for poultry and egg. These working groups have obviously consulted widely with the industry and they came back to us with very different recommendations and hopes in terms of the type of compensation they would like to have.

The poultry and egg sectors were asking for investment programs and support for market development. This is why we want to have a new conversation, to make sure that it is still where they stand and to be able to develop and roll out the program as soon as possible.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

You mentioned it in your remarks to my honourable colleagues, but those are conversations that are being had right now with industry and government about how that money is disbursed over the next 10 years, in terms of the best mechanism to put those mitigation measures in place. Is that correct?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Exactly, yes.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Okay.

I want to move to the dairy sector. As I've said many times in the House and at committee, being the member of Parliament for Kings—Hants, we have a tremendous concentration of supply-managed farmers. In fact, it's the largest east of Quebec. The dairy industry is a big one.

Can you speak to what this compensation means in terms of the average dairy farm, let's say? How much compensation is this to the average dairy farmer?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

We have confirmed an annual payment of $469 million or $468 million, depending on the year, for the coming three years. For an average farm with 80 cows, it represents $38,000.

Last year, the average was $28,000, with the first payment of $345 million that we gave as compensation.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

This money goes to dairy farmers to basically support the investments they see as best for their business. It comes with no strings attached. They have the ability to invest and to use this money to help support their operations as they see fit. Is that correct?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Exactly. They can use it in the way they see fit. It will be done the same way we did it last year, through the Canadian Dairy Commission. They will very soon be invited to fill out a form and to confirm their quota so the Canadian Dairy Commission can proceed with the payment. It should be as easy as it was, or even easier since they have already done that last year.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

That was my next question. Of course, farmers in my riding, and perhaps elsewhere, will be wondering about the timing. That is held with the Canadian Dairy Commission, and they've been given the ability to move out that payment as soon as possible, certainly before March 31, I would presume.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Exactly. I would encourage all our producers to pay attention to the correspondence they will get from the Canadian Dairy Commission very soon. They went through the process last year, so it should be even easier this year.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

I want to talk about trade. Of course, the supply management system is a different way to be able to help ensure domestic production in our country.

We recently signed off on a continuation agreement with the United Kingdom as a trade aspect. Of course there was some concern about additional market access given. I know our government has been resolved in ensuring that no more market access is given.

Can you confirm that this is the case, for us and for my producers at home, and that this will continue to be our position in the days ahead?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Yes. We have made this promise not to give any more market share on supply management in future trade deals that we're going to negotiate and sign. The one with the U.K. is a good example that we have stood strong and not made any compromises on that.