Thank you, Mr. Chair.
PACA is the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. In July 2014, the U.S. government advised Canada we would no longer be part of PACA. We've been part of PACA since the 1930s. Basically it is a way for small businesses in the agricultural sector to ensure that they get paid. If we boil it all down, that's what it is. There's a minimal fee of about $100, and Canada was allowed to participate in the American PACA system. That means here in Windsor-Essex or southern Ontario you sell $10,000 worth of tomatoes over to Detroit, the vendor in Detroit goes bankrupt, PACA steps in, and you get most of your money back in relatively short order.
The current government said it would reinstate PACA—a Canadian-style PACA, since the U.S. was not allowing us to participate—and that's fine. The number of small businesses in southern Ontario in the agricultural sector is enormous. They need certainty that they're going to get paid. These are not items that you store and then wait for 30 days to get a disposition on bankruptcy. These products perish rapidly. Our small agricultural sector needs the certainty that they're going to get paid in relatively short order. As it sits right now, companies have to put up double the bond while this process is ongoing. The cash flow requirements are enormous for small businesses. They just can't handle it.
We've had lots of events here, and I've talked to you about it, Mr. Chair. Thank you for your support on that issue. It's a big issue here in southern Ontario. There's a national Canadian Chamber of Commerce resolution on it as well. We've had some correspondence with the agriculture minister and the industry minister. We would encourage the government to fulfill its campaign platform promise to adopt PACA-style legislation here in Canada to help our small business in the agricultural sector.