Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to listen to my concerns about the future of Canada's horticulture sector.
My name is Pascal Forest, and I am president of the Producteurs de légumes de transformation du Québec. I also sit on the board of Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada and am a fifth-generation horticultural producer.
The current risk management programs no longer work, mainly as a result of climate challenges. Given economic developments and the vagaries of weather, the effectiveness of those programs and the ad hoc assistance made available to horticultural producers leave much to be desired.
This is evidenced by the events that occurred in Quebec last summer, when the major horticultural regions were hit by historic rains. On August 4, we sought emergency assistance from the Quebec government, which then requested that the federal government activate the AgriRecovery program in response to the disaster. Unfortunately, however, we are still waiting for a response more than nine months after making that request. The situation has had substantial financial consequences for many horticultural entrepreneurs.
In the short term, the government must increase its disaster responsiveness and improve the ability of its risk management programs to adapt to the instantaneous and substantial impacts of climate change.
Food resilience concerns must also be taken seriously. It would be irresponsible to think that the population of Canada isn't exposed to potential fresh fruit and vegetable shortages as a result of damage caused by climate incidents and the major production losses they more frequently cause. It would also be delusional to think that existing programs, in the medium and long terms, can cover climate-change-related costs or increase adaptability to a degree commensurate with those significant impacts.
The economic profitability of our horticulture farms has also come under even more pressure now that the retail and wholesale industry has been concentrated in recent years. Five players now hold a 75% market share in Quebec's retail sector, and the vast majority of food wholesalers belong to foreign interests.
The imbalance of market power among major retailers and producers has increased that pressure. Production costs are rising as retail and wholesale giants strive to cut prices by forcing us to compete with foreign products. However, since the societal and environmental standards of the exporting countries are, in many instances, more permissive, this leads to unfair competition.
The Canadian government must do a better job of protecting horticulture producers. If the major players refuse to sign voluntarily on to a code of conduct, such a code must sooner or later be imposed. As far as I'm concerned, the ultimatum for that will come at the end of May. This situation has dragged on too long.
The Canadian government must also be more energetic in its efforts to demand reciprocal standards for foreign products.
To sum up, since the population of Canada is now 40 million inhabitants, we must have an adequate number of farmers who want to continue farming. I will close on a personal note: My children and nephews aren't convinced that their professional future includes taking over the business that is the result of the work of five generations. Urgent action is required if they are to change their minds.
Thank you.