Evidence of meeting #8 for Agriculture and Agri-Food in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was producers.
A video is available from Parliament.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
We will continue with the second panel.
You have the floor, Mr. Shields, for six minutes.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We have CFIA staff with us as well, do we?
November 26th, 2020 / 4:35 p.m.
Chris Forbes Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Yes.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Right.
My questioning is around the change of regulations to do with the traceability of animals. This had been attempted to be started to be enforced. It would be fairs and rodeos and agricultural events. There was a significant change that would be under CFIA's direction and inspection.
Are you familiar with this? It will be in effect in 2021, I believe.
4:35 p.m.
Colleen Barnes Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'm familiar with the regulations, yes, but there's nothing changing on traceability in 2021. We have been working with the sector for quite a few years on the next round of changes. We're not even at the first stage of consultation on the next regulations. I think the most that would happen is that we would be consulting in 2021.
4:35 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Well, that's great to hear on the consulting, in a sense, as I have heard from agricultural Alberta organizations, rodeos and events. The amount of information that I would have seen in the past with regard to traceability....
It has been tough this year, as our rodeos, events and agricultural fairs have been cancelled because of COVID. When I look at the Calgary Stampede, for example, and the amount of work it would do with what I saw with the regulations, as a massive organization they might be able to handle that. But when I move out to many of our community events, rodeos and even winter events where they bring reindeer and other animals out, I've been told that they will be done. They don't have the manpower. These are all run by volunteers. They are not professionals.
There is great anxiety out there that I'm hearing from communities that do a lot of events with animals. Rodeos would be number one. Some people think the Calgary Stampede is the only rodeo. I probably have 50 to 60 in my riding, with three or four on the same weekend. These are all run by community organizations and volunteers. So as to the regulations as I saw them, these people say they're done. They can't do it, because they're volunteers.
4:35 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
We're happy to keep working with the stakeholders on these regulations. Obviously, they have to make sense for industry.
The reason that traceability is important, though, is to try to make sure that we protect the health of our Canadian beef herd and dairy herd on the cattle side. That's sort of the balance, but there's nothing.... I don't foresee any path where there would be regulatory changes coming in on traceability next year. We can keep talking with the sector. That is the plan.
4:35 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Maybe—
4:35 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Maybe I'll just add there that we're hoping that with technology a lot of this is going to get easier for small producers and small organizations to be able to report and get us the information we need.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
I understand traceability. I have the biggest feedlots in the country in my riding. We're talking 50,000 to 60,000 head. I understand traceability, and the industry understands traceability, from the cow-calf operator to the packing plant. We understand why that's important and why it's needed, but to put this back on volunteers....
I hope you'll listen to and consult with the small communities. We have rodeos where there are no communities. There are a few volunteers in those areas. We have Pollockville. There's nobody there—other than the huge arena—and volunteers come out and thousands of people show up for the world's biggest bronc-riding competition. But they're volunteers, so when you're talking about technology.... With what I've seen in the regulations at this point, I would understand why they're done. They can't do it with volunteers.
Traceability in the industry I understand, but in community fairs...? When you're talking about the chickens, the roosters, the geese, the donkeys and the reindeer that show up in my winter one, I think that's.... I hope you get that back from them, because this is just not viable. It's not viable. I understand traceability in the industry, trust me—
4:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Okay. I'll make sure we—
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
I went through 16 in my riding. I understand it well and know it well, and I understand what happened to a lot of genetic herds that have been destroyed in my riding. I understand traceability, and I think you've figured out how to do it better than you did then.
4:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
I'll make sure we consult with those small fairs. I think there are a few organizations and associations of them as well. We'll make sure we reach out.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
Yes, but understand that from what I saw of the regulations before this won't work. You will kill small communities' industries, and you'll kill a lot of organizations that depend on these fairs, and they're countrywide. I understand traceability, but killing communities through traceability.... With volunteers, it just will not work. Hopefully, you'll listen, but the regulations I've seen to this point and what you attempted to enforce back.... I remember that in Ontario with small fairs and stuff. This isn't the industry we're talking about; the industry is the big guys in my riding, with the biggest meat-packing plant in Canada. We understand that industry. Community fairs? That's a different story and that's not the industry that I think you should be involved in in terms of that traceability.
Thank you.
4:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Thank you.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
You're working on other things as well. Is there anything else in terms of the cattle industry and traceability you would like to share with me at this point?
4:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
No. On trace, that's where we're at now: moving to consultation on those regs.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB
All right.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll turn my time to Mr. Steinley if there's anything left.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Pat Finnigan
No, there's no time left. I'm sorry, Mr. Steinley.
We'll move on to Mr. Drouin for six minutes.
Go ahead, Mr. Drouin.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
To start off, my questions will be addressed to CFIA.
I'm just wondering if you could give us a bit of an update as to some of the experiences that CFIA has gone through over the last six or seven months and the collaboration between the provinces in terms of inspectors. If you've been paying attention to our committee, which I'm sure you are every day, we are undertaking a study on processing and potentially reinforcing local processing capacity. I was curious just to find out what some of the issues are that CFIA has noticed during COVID-19 and whether you would have any thoughts to share with us right now.
4:40 p.m.
Vice-President, Policy and Programs, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
We have worked really closely, I'd say, with industry and the provinces over the last six months to make sure that those key roles that the agency plays, especially in the meat-slaughtering plants, can actually be fulfilled.
Initially we were concerned. Our top priority is making sure our inspectors are protected and taken care of, but at the same time we had to be there for the industry too, as they had their own issues. They would want to come back and put on extra shifts to try to clear some backlog, so we were there to help them.
The government made an investment of $20 million in the agency. We were able to use that to go out and hire some surge capacity, so former inspectors who had retired, people we could bring on in the short term to really help us work with the sector to make sure that the processing could continue. That was a really big success.
One thing of note is that the provinces have provincial inspection regimes as well, so we were cross-utilizing each other's resources in Ontario, Alberta, B.C. and, I think, Manitoba. We were able to work together and train each other so that we could help out on both sides, and that just helped us make sure we were there for the sector.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON
Would you say that one of the potential barriers or risks would be access to labour? I'm sure that $20 million you just mentioned and the surge and how you had to rehire some folks who were retired to come back...but that collaboration with provinces and access to labour, is that a risk that CFIA is looking at?
