Agriculture Committee on May 30th, 2024

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

I can give you names, including the Sollio Cooperative Group, an agri-food co-op in Quebec, which wasn't consulted. I spoke with its representatives no later than two days ago.

Will you act to broaden the definition of primary agriculture to include food processors, since they are the ones impacted? You can't produce food if you can't process it. If you reduce processing capacity, it's bound to have repercussions, and if there's no processing, there's no point in having production. We need to be consistent in that respect.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

You produce the product, you pick the product and the product has to be processed. I can't disagree with you.

I understand we can't talk to everybody in Canada who's involved in this industry, but I want to make sure, for everybody around this table and anybody interested in the temporary foreign worker issue, that we know how vitally important the consultations in place are for food security, if that's what you're hearing. I fully expect that's what you're hearing.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Thank you very much, Minister and Mr. Lehoux. Unfortunately, your time is up.

Mr. Louis for five minutes.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here. It's always a pleasure to talk to you.

I want to start by talking about the local food infrastructure fund, which is supporting community-led projects that improve access to safe and healthy food for food-insecure populations in our communities. It's helping local community food banks, community gardens and farmers' markets.

In my riding in Kitchener—Conestoga, the Wilmot Family Resource Centre received funding and increased their capacity to build their food hamper program and systems, and that was very much appreciated. Your visit earlier this year to Kitchener—Conestoga to meet with members of the Wilmot Family Resource Centre was also appreciated. That's where you announced the new phase of the local food infrastructure fund.

Can you expand for this committee on how the $20 million allocated to Canada's food policy can help address local food security challenges and expand on the importance of our local farmers in feeding our communities?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Thank you very much, Tim.

I was very pleased to join you back in January. It was a very interesting trip, and to see the people at work was quite interesting. Some 192 projects will be funded through the local food infrastructure fund.

This program is vitally important to communities and important to the people in the communities who need the products. That's exactly why I was so pleased to see the $62.9 million investment in local food infrastructure in the budget.

Tim, it was quite an example to visit your riding and the group of people I dealt with. My heavens, they were certainly dedicated to the task. It shows the true strength of what Canadians are all about and how much they care.

It was a touching event. If there was ever an event—and I've been at a lot of them—that shows that people care, that was one of them. I couldn't be more pleased, really. Thank you so much.

I was so pleased to announce the $10 million. To see how products are handled, how they come in and even how farmers provide the products for you.... Everybody tries and everybody wants to help. That trip was an example of what Canadians are all about.

Thank you, Tim.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

I appreciate it. That's truly community building.

Since August 2019, the program has meant about $65 million for about 1,100 projects throughout Canada. That is very much appreciated.

I want to switch and talk about the advance payments program. The advance payments program plays a crucial role in supporting Canadian farmers. The financial assistance provides several benefits that help, including cash flow and flexibility.

Earlier this year, the government announced that the interest-free limit on the advance payments program will be set at $250,000 for the 2024 program year. Can you expand on that for this committee and explain why this news is important to farmers and ranchers in Kitchener—Conestoga and across Canada?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

Being a farmer, I can fully understand how putting money in farmers' pockets in an appropriate manner to help them in any way I can is vitally important. Having used the advance payments program for a number of years, I understand fully how important it is. The funding is interest-free for the period of time that you have it. That means so much.

Sometimes it's hard to understand unless you're a farmer. The fact of the matter is that they grow the product and store the product and they've paid all the expenses, but they have no way to recoup any of the funding. The up to $250,000 can help farmers because the bank has a tendency to call even if they don't sell their product.

You have to make sure they stay financially stable. This is part of the program for making sure we're able to keep farmers financially stable. It's a very important program.

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

That's perfect.

In my final 30 seconds, maybe you have one more message to farmers in Canada. Thank you for your time.

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

First of all, I'd like to thank farmers in Canada.

Without question, the sustainable agriculture strategy we're putting together will work well when we get around to putting it together, but it's a big project and a big program. What I like so much about it is that all sectors are involved, including the farmers themselves, the processors, the manufacturers and the retailers. Everybody is involved in putting the sustainable agriculture strategy together.

No matter what you're dealing with, like if you're dealing with a program from the CFIA, farmers cannot say.... I'm a farmer and I can't tell them they have to do this. They're well respected and science-based, with scientists...organization. They can be told things that perhaps they need to hear that can make things easier for them and easier for the agricultural sector. That's why it's so important to have everybody involved. It's not that everybody's wish will be answered, but we can come up with a program that will work better for everybody. That's what we're trying to do as a government.

Thanks, Tim. I appreciate that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

On that note, on behalf of the committee, Minister MacAulay, let me say thank you for being here today.

Do you have one more thing?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

I have one more thing.

My deputy minister is leaving. She's leaving me.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Cardigan, PE]

What a great asset.

I want to thank her publicly so much for all the help she's been. National Defence is very fortunate. She'll be here for another hour. Don't forget to be kind to her. She's a great lady. Her heart is in the right place.

I think she deserves a hand.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

Well said, Minister.

Deputy Minister, we'll miss you from this committee. We'll miss your work on behalf of Canadian agriculture. We know, as the minister mentioned, that you'll be a safe pair of hands over at Defence. Good luck in your next adventure, so to speak, in the Government of Canada, and thank you for your service.

I was a bit remiss at the beginning of the meeting in not recognizing that we have Michael McLeod from the Northwest Territories. He's a great champion for the north who has joined us for today's committee meeting. It's great to have Mr. McLeod.

Thank you very much, Minister.

We'll now suspend for a few minutes, but the officials will remain as our second panel of witnesses, to respond to questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Kody Blois]

We're coming back to order, colleagues. I know some of you are just grabbing a coffee, but I want to keep us moving.

This is always a great opportunity to hear from our lovely civil servants. We have about 45 minutes. I have to leave you in about 10 or 15 minutes, but you'll be in the capable hands of Mr. Barlow, and we'll handle the estimates process.

There will be no opening remarks on this panel from our civil servants. We'll just dive right into questions.

I'll start with six minutes, and I'll turn it over to the Conservative Party.

Mr. Barlow, it's over to you.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to be splitting my time with Mr. Lehoux, but I'll put a couple of questions forward.

Maybe this is for Ms. Beck.

We've had some meetings with the Canadian Grain Commission over the last couple of weeks specifically on the overpayments. My understanding is there's about $130 million in the account, let's say. Is that number still accurate? If not, can you tell me what that number is? Do you have that offhand?

[Stefanie Beck]

I'm not sure I do, but I will have a look. It's certainly a significant amount.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Pardon me? I'm sorry.

[Stefanie Beck]

It's definitely a significant amount. I'm not sure if I have the exact number with me today. Do you want to ask your second question while I look?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Sure. My understanding is that Mr. David Hunt has now been appointed the new chief commissioner. Have you or the minister given him any direction on what to do with the overpayments that are in that account?

[Stefanie Beck]

As a matter of fact, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hunt when I was out in Winnipeg very recently, and, no, we do not give direction specifically on what to do with the funding. In fact, on the contrary, I was asking for him to take his time, review all of the files and then let us know if we can be of assistance.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Then whatever funds would be in the overpayment account would still be there. They're still sitting there. Okay.

If you could, just table the number with us if you know it. Thank you.

[Stefanie Beck]

Okay.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

I had questions earlier of the Minister of Agriculture on the Auditor General's report, which was quite disappointing in that it said Agriculture Canada does not have a vision or plan. The minister reiterated a number of times that it's important that we have a plan for the environment and addressing emissions reductions, but the Auditor General's report was quite clear that there is no concrete strategy within Agriculture Canada for emissions reductions. When we are charging farmers exorbitant amounts of money on carbon taxes and we're not even talking about the GST charged on top of those carbon taxes, I think producers would say, “At least show me that my financial pain is having some sort of environmental gain.”

Clearly, the report says that Agriculture Canada is not measuring emissions reductions quantified by the carbon tax. Why is that the case and why are you not doing that?