I'd like to wrap up on behalf of the Grain Growers of Canada.
I was going to mention that we sell wheat. We have sold a little bit of wheat when they have had a real shortage, and in the last few years the Canadian Wheat Board has also sold a limited amount of barley as well. That's another crop that goes there.
In terms of imports, we actually import a small amount of vegetables from Jordan. In 2008 it was over $1 million, mainly cucumbers and gherkins, but it has been as high as $1.3 million in recent years.
In summary, while the immediate trade gains don't appear large, we feel that there is strategic potential here. First, Jordan acts as a trading and distribution hub in the Middle East, with easy access to a number of other countries. Jordan has a moderate and stable government, and outside of the United States, we will be one of the few agricultural exporters with a free trade agreement there.
Jordan has challenges in being self-sufficient in agriculture because of a lack of water. This trade deal makes good sense, then, because what we grow and what we export does not displace the local farmers on the ground in Jordan. I know that some parties especially are quite concerned about whether we are being fair to local farmers in those countries. This is a good deal, because when they're short of water, they simply import, and Canada is an exporter. So this particular trade deal is a good fit for us; it doesn't negatively affect the small farmers there.
Secondly, Jordan with its population of six million people is a foothold into a larger trading body, the Gulf Cooperation Council, which consists of the nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This group has a population of 40 million people. It is a relatively wealthy area. It's largely desert, frankly, and they import almost all of their agricultural products.
So this deal could be a foothold for us to get into a much larger market in that region, and that's why we'd encourage you very strongly to support this trade agreement and do so in a timely manner so that we can get it up and going.
Thank you for the opportunity to be here.
I think Mr. Masswohl, from the cattlemen's, is next.