Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased that my colleague finished a little sooner. I will have more time because I will take what time he had remaining.
I would like a clear explanation of the advantages there are to the signing of an agreement with Colombia, both for grain producers and for hog producers.
Indeed, we know that at the present time, in the case of hogs, there is already a loss of $50 per head and that we pay for each hog sold. In the case of grain, we know that in the United States there are two or three times the subsidies there are in Canada for agriculture. Furthermore, you talked about competitive advantages. I believe that the United States have many more competitive advantages than Canada, no matter which country they are exporting to. I would also like to mention the inputs needed in agriculture that are much more costly here in Canada, such as potash, etc. Also, Mr. Julian mentioned that there would be no vote by Congress.
Given all of these ingredients, how can Canada benefit from signing an agreement with Colombia, with the United States having all of these advantages, both moneywise and promotionwise? Indeed, as I saw earlier, they have $100 million and they are not comparable because they already have people who are in the United States. What advantages will our producers get out of an agreement signed with Colombia? That is my first question.
You are also aware that when there is a free trade agreement, it is not just agriculture, but all of industry that is covered. All of the other businesses that are in Canada, compared with those that are in Colombia, could therefore come here for free trade, such that jobs would be lost.
I would like to hear you speak only of your respective industries, that of pork, which has been recently subsidized by the government, and that of grain, which is subsidized twice as much in the U.S. compared with Canada. How can we be competitive compared with the United States as far as access to the Colombian market is concerned?