Thank you, Chair.
I appreciate all of our guests being here today; they represent farmers from across Canada. I want to take the time on behalf of a grateful nation to thank all farmers for putting food on our table as we're about to gather for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
Having you here and having industry expertise is really crucial to shaping agricultural policies, so I appreciate you being here.
We're learning today and on many days that we need to act locally and, at the same time, think globally. In my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga, you can buy local produce from a neighbour's farm, and at the same time, we're also exporting local pork products to the world. Canadian farmers aren't just local; we're international players. We're learning that there needs to be a close partnership globally with ongoing collaboration. Discussions like this are important to ensure smooth cross-border movements of agricultural products. I believe Mr. Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said in the last hour of testimony that competitiveness is a big factor.
I'll start with Mr. Larkin from the Grain Growers.
What measures right now are the Grain Growers taking to ensure that Canadian grain remains competitive and preferred in international markets? How can government support your industry in ways like investments, research and development, innovation, marketing and business risk management? What can we do to further help you on that international stage?