Evidence of meeting #31 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was service.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Mr. Gervais.
David Duval, who is president of Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec, said that producers and plant representatives had agreed that the cost of implementing exceptional measures in connection to COVID-19 should be absorbed by the government.
Mr. Gervais, do you agree? Can you comment on that?
President, Sollio Cooperative Group
I am not aware of that discussion. However, there are additional impacts, that is for sure, and we expect to receive support in terms of absorbing some of the costs of the crisis. We can document them, we can provide figures, no problem. A crisis like COVID-19 is an extraordinary event. An extraordinary event calls for extraordinary support measures.
For 100 years, our role, our mission, has been to help to feed the world while fostering prosperity for Quebec's agricultural producers. In a situation like this, I believe that extraordinary measures are needed to continue supporting agricultural producers and to fulfill our mission.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
My question is also for Mr. Gervais.
Sollio Cooperative Group has a presence across the country, including in British Columbia. It is therefore a major cooperative group.
Mr. Gervais, which of the sectors that you represent are you most worried about? Is it the pork sector, the poultry sector, or the agricultural sector? In your cooperative group as a whole, what aspect of the pandemic is most worrisome to you as we emerge from it?
President, Sollio Cooperative Group
Thank you for the question.
Sollio Cooperative Group has facilities in nine of the 10 Canadian provinces. So we have a presence practically from coast to coast. The sector we are most concerned about right now, because it is the most affected, is meat processing, and I am thinking particularly of Olymel. We have been fortunate to be recognized as an essential service, but because of this crisis, we have seen things we did not expect. We took things for granted that, in the end, were not. The crisis has had an impact on supply chains. That is coming out now and it is causing us a lot of concern.
One plant in Quebec had to close for two weeks. As a result, we have overcrowding of hogs in farmers' buildings. The entire production chain is affected. In addition, we can no longer honour certain production contracts. Given the staff shortage and the slowdown of the production chains, it is impossible to create added value and redistribute it to our producers in the field.
The agri-food processing sector is the one we are most concerned about. It is vital. It is Canada's most important manufacturing sector. Plants across the country are processing Canadian products, the vast majority of which are destined for Canadian consumers. That is where the impact of COVID-19 is most worrisome.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Just to point it out, Mr. Gervais, we felt that here. I have one constituent who had to euthanize two tractor-trailer loads of market hogs because of the plant shutdown there and also because of Tyson shutting down in the U.S.
Ms. Koutrakis, you have the last question.
Liberal
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for you, Mr. Berkshire Miller. I think we will all agree that self-sufficiency is not the same as isolationism and that Canada is a country that thrives when it works with others, especially through multilateral organizations. What role do you see Canada playing in institutions such as the WHO and the WTO following this crisis, and how can Canada work towards self-sufficiency while still supporting our global partners?
Deputy Director, Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad and Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute
Thank you for the great question.
As I said at the onset of my remarks, and also at the closing, it's essential that we work with like-minded partners. This is not something that we're dealing with alone, number one, and where we can mitigate the risks alone. There is no silver bullet, frankly. It's going to require working at an ad hoc level with a lot of our key partners, but it's also going to require doubling down on some of our multilateral engagements.
It has to be done wisely. I think there are valid questions that need to be asked about how the WHO has dealt with this crisis, but I do think that we need to continue to engage in that forum. I think the WTO, even before this pandemic, also has had a number of questions and challenges, but I think we'll continue to want to work with our key partners to reform those institutions so that they work best to serve Canada's interests.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Okay, thank you.
I have one question for Mr. Lemaire and that relates to PACA.
We have fought to have a PACA-type policy put in place in Canada for probably 10 years or more, but it hasn't happened.
Food security in these times is a buzzword, to use Pierre's word, a very important buzzword. If we had a PACA system in Canada, would that help us in achieving greater food security in times like these?
President, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
It most definitely would because it does a few things. It creates stability for farmers and other fruit and veg sellers in Canada to invest more.
They know they are in a COVID environment, and there are farmers right now who have reduced their acreage and how much they are producing out of concern for their economic stability and concern for what they are producing. Are they going to get paid for it? Is the company they are selling to going to go bankrupt in these unstable times more so than ever in the past?
Within Canada, that farmer selling has no inventory to access, as I mentioned in the past at committee. There is nothing if there is a bankruptcy; they are left totally out of pocket. They cannot leverage the BIA effectively, based on how it is set up.
With a PACA-like tool in place, we were looking for a model so a farmer would feel confident he could sell, that the food security model would be effective and the long-term success of the industry would be stabilized.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I want to thank all our witnesses on behalf of the committee for taking their time to answer our questions and prepare their remarks. They are very much appreciated. All this information goes up the line and the government has certainly shown a willingness to come in with a policy and take the necessary measures to adapt to certain situations where people are falling through the cracks.
On this panel today we have seen some of the immediate problems and then from Mr. Fadden and Mr. Berkshire Miller, we've had some ideas that we need to be looking at going forward as well.
Thank you to the witnesses.
For committee members, we will see you at the next meeting on Thursday.
The meeting is adjourned.