Thanks for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the great Canadian mushroom industry.
We contribute $1 billion to the Canadian economy and create 4,000 jobs. We employ 900 workers from the temporary foreign worker program agricultural stream for jobs that we advertise on an ongoing basis but Canadians do not apply for.
Canada's mushroom growers have high-tech and state-of-the-art facilities with the most advanced growing techniques in the world. We produce nearly 200,000 tonnes of mushrooms and export 40% of our production to the United States.
Members of the committee, we come before you today with grave concerns. Our farmers, who are the front lines of Canada's food supply, are struggling to produce food and keep our workforce safe. They are heroes, but they're being left out. The programs do not work for them, neither the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada business risk management programs nor the emergency COVID-19 measures.
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture reports that the cost of COVID-19 is $2.6 billion. The cost to the ornamental horticulture industry alone is $955 million.
Our farmers can't get their truckloads of mushrooms to market because the restaurants have been closed down and, because of this, our farms have lost 30% to 50% of production. Due to the mandated restaurant closures and spiralling COVID-19 expenses, we estimate a cost of $6.5 million for mushrooms. Going forward, this will be $400,000 per week.
Today we need to report that our P.E.I. mushroom farm member is no longer growing and had to lay off Canadian workers. If our sector is not included in emergency aid, more layoffs could be imminent.
How can we say Canada's food supply is secure when our essential farmers are being forced to cut back on production and forced to lay off essential farm workers? Committee members, it is disheartening to see funding announced in the billions of dollars for many groups, while at the same time Canada is failing to prioritize funding for farmers, the front line of our food supply.
We cannot find relief in any of the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada programs. AgriStability is irrelevant. The farmers have to fall below 70% revenue and be topped back up to 70% of previous farm incomes. If that's the situation, it's too late. Could you live on two-thirds of your income, especially with the expectations that farmers can't lay off anyone and have increased expenditures for COVID-19? AgriInvest only works for those who previously participated.
Farmers are not requesting more debt through the Farm Credit Canada loans. We are already highly leveraged. We cannot access the $50-million Agriculture and Agri-Food housing announcement for incoming seasonal workers during the two-week quarantine because our workers are already here, and they're not in quarantine.
Additionally, mushroom farmers are now subject to the carbon tax, for which we have asked for a rebate or exemption, which some agriculture commodities have already received, even though studies show mushrooms are some of the lowest carbon and water footprint crops.
Members of Parliament, we call on you to step up to the plate and help fix this problem.
I'll invite Janet Krayden to speak for the remainder of our time.