International Trade Committee on Sept. 23rd, 2022

[Brendan Byrne]

I can maybe add, as an example, that last year during harvest time, there was a time when we got a rain that slowed down the harvest. However, in talking to the delivery ports we would have, just in terms of our grain delivery, they were saying they were almost at capacity and not really able to take more soybeans at the time. Ordinarily, that's not the case, but the logistics, the slowdown and some of the shipping had affected them to that point where they were able to source somewhere to ship and find the space. Otherwise, crops could have been spoiled.

On our level, on the farm side, we were able to grow [Technical difficulty—Editor].

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Hold on, Mr. Byrne. We've lost you again.

Mr. Byrne, you have the floor to finish your comments.

[Brendan Byrne]

Mr. Lewis might be able to attest that some of our rural Internet outside of Essex is not the greatest. I apologize for that.

When the shipping containers or that logjam happens and farmers are unable to get the crop off and delivered in a timely fashion, it can delay harvest and cause some of these other stresses. We already have a mental health crisis on the farm side, as well, that we're trying to tend to.

With any pieces like this, we want to make sure that the containers are available, so that when the farmers harvest, the delivery ports we would use are available to take the seed—because they've already had access and were able to ship out last year's crop, as I said—and not hold it while this year's is coming off.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you.

I want to thank the witnesses very much. It was a very valuable session for all of us today.

I will suspend for a moment while we go in camera for some quick committee business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]