Mr. Chairman and committee members, thank you for the opportunity to speak today.
My name is D'Arcy Hilgartner. I'm a farmer from Camrose, Alberta, which is 45 minutes southeast of Edmonton. I'm also the vice-chair of the Alberta Pulse Growers.
This is the first time I have the pleasure to present at committee; however, I know you've heard from members of Alberta pulse industry several times over the years.
Our organization is part of that industry and a member of Pulse Canada. We represent over 5,000 producers of field peas, dry beans, lentils, chickpeas, faba beans, and soybeans in this province. We're a producer-funded organization, collecting service fees or check-offs from 1% of cash sales on pulse crops from producers to support research, marketing, and learning opportunities for our growers, as well as to support our national organization.
Since the inception of the Alberta Pulse Growers 27 years ago, we've seen growth in our industry, and more significant growth in the past three years. This year, thanks to strong prices and market demand, we project a record year for pulses in Alberta, with an estimated two million acres.
What about processing pulses? Currently, there's limited value-added processing occurring in Alberta, but we anticipate processing of pulse flours. In fact, it should begin in the next couple of years. This will help to further develop our industry, to diversify the rural economy, and to provide high-quality products for processors and consumers. We still recognize that the bulk of our Alberta production continues to be moved as export, and that is why trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership are so important to our industry.
As you know, 2016 is the International Year of Pulses, and we see a future filled with opportunities to develop human, environmental, and economic health outcomes, and increase global growth of pulses.
The TPP is critical to the long-term growth strategy of the Canadian pulse industry. Members of the TPP are some of Canada's largest trading partners in pulses and special crops. Combined, these members will be Canada's third-largest market for pulses. The TPP is an opportunity to eliminate tariffs where pulses do not already have duty-free access, to provide a resolution of sanitary and phytosanitary issues between countries, and to provide an alignment between members on trade tolerances for the use of technology in food production.
The TPP also represents an opportunity to increase value-added processing within Canada by eliminating cases where higher tariffs are applied to pulse flours and fractions, more so than the whole product, and an opportunity to gain a tariff advantage over competing pulse exporters that are not part of the TPP and will face higher tariffs than member countries such as Canada.
The Canadian pulse industry would suffer severe consequences with respect to this competitiveness if Canada were not to implement the TPP. Two of the Canadian pulse industry's largest competitors, Australia and the United States, are members and would benefit from duty-free access, while Canadian growers would continue to face tariffs from TPP countries.
With me is Leanne Fischbuch, executive director, who can elaborate on specific opportunities.