Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Conlon, I was a little surprised by your response that the $34.1 million announced by the federal government in its 2023 budget, which was to start being distributed in 2023‑24, was earmarked for environmental improvements. The objective was specifically “to help farmers most reliant on Russian fertilizer imports”.
This could be either of two things: They made promises with no intention of meeting the commitment, or those funds were actually intended for something else.
Mr. Dionne, I don't want to leave you in a lurch. I heard the description of what you've done in Ukraine. I imagine that this work was carried out by cooperatives. So I'd like to know if you formed cooperatives in Ukraine to carry out the projects you advanced.