Alistair MacGregor at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee

Thank you, Chair.

I would like to get a sense of approximately how many novel pests and pathogens Canada faces each year on average. Is it an overwhelming number? Do you have a ballpark figure?

I'm just curious as to the threat level our scientists have to deal with and the number that are novel, the approximate number that we have to be on the lookout for. If you don't have a number, can you gauge it as a fairly serious threat or a growing threat from worldwide pathogens and pests and their impacts?