Thank you, Chair.
I also want to thank the witnesses whether they're here virtually or in person.
We're here, and we appreciate our witnesses being here, because we sympathize with all those affected by this recent news. We're all concerned about plant closures whether they happen in Quebec or Ontario or anywhere across Canada. You can see our support here is non-partisan.
In my riding, Mr. Schwindt, as you know, Conestoga Meats is a farmer-owned co-op model. It's the second-largest pork producer in Ontario. As a co-operative, Conestoga Meat Packers has 160 members. Those are farmers who own shares in the co-operative. Each member has also a shipping share, which represents the right to ship products. These are factors that help secure a reliable place to ship hogs and also a premium above market pricing for their shipment.
Mr. Schwindt, what can you tell us about the benefits of this kind of structuring, and what are the challenges?