Thank you, Madam Chair.
My question is for you, Mr. Lipsett.
The beef industry in Ontario and eastern Canada has faced severe processing capacity shortages for months. I have been asking the federal government since December of 2019, which was when the Ryding-Regency plant closed here in Ontario, what their plans were to ensure that our beef producers had somewhere to send their cattle for processing. I've also been hearing from many industry representatives and farmers across my riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex that the current business risk management programs are not able to address the challenges they're currently facing. That's something you alluded to in your opening remarks.
Now with the COVID-19 pandemic, we're seeing the vulnerabilities in our food supply chain. There may be shortages across Canada for Canadians trying to access Canadian beef. Many farmers, including our beef producers in Ontario, are facing very critical times. They're questioning their financial viability going forward.
What immediate initiatives can the federal government take to help our cattle and beef industry through this crisis, and perhaps specifically in Ontario? You alluded to the cattle set-aside program. Perhaps you would like to elaborate on that a little bit more.