Thank you for raising that point.
As you said, there are indeed several disparities. The Royal Bank of Canada has studied differences among the United States, Europe and other countries when it comes to investments in agriculture, climate change, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture. That study found that, to achieve parity with the United States, we would have to invest $2 billion a year over the next five years. This is also one of the recommendations put forward by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture in the context of budget 2025.
I understand the government's fiscal realities. It has invested a lot, and now we have less money than usual, except that every dollar we invest in agriculture now will pay off.
We're investing that money, but in different ways. For example, payments for crop insurance programs have almost tripled over the last three years. It went from $1.67 billion to about $3.88 billion a year. Under the circumstances, producers need support.
We're not asking for an end to crop insurance programs; we're asking for smart investments in building farmers' climate resilience. As I said, to achieve parity, to level the playing field, we would have to invest $2 billion a year for five years.